The Oriental Museum, formerly the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art and Archaeology, is a museum of the University of Durham in England.
From Ancient Egypt to modern China, we are the only museum in the North of England devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the great cultures of Northern Africa and Asia.
‘The Orient’ is not an area with defined geographical boundaries. The term can mean widely differing things to different people. In the case of the Oriental Museum, the definition is a wide one indeed, with the collections covering a huge area from North Africa to South East Asia. This is the legacy of the origins or the Oriental Museum in the teaching of oriental languages at Durham University.
OPENING HOURS
The Oriental Museum is open Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm and Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays, 12pm - 5pm.
Your Visit
Visit the Oriental Museum to marvel at our collections, see our exhibitions, and enjoy fun family activities. Plan your visit, find out about our facilities, café and shop, take a minute to find out more about what you can do to be a greener tourist.
Our nationally important collections are located over 4 floors, with plenty to discover about the cultures of the orient. You may wish to plan for a visit of around 2 hours minimum. We hope you enjoy your visit.
Access and facilities
Getting to the Oriental Museum
The Oriental Museum is situated just off South Road in Durham, not far from the Botanic Garden on Elvet Hill.
Access
The Oriental Museum is committed to being as accessible as possible for all visitors. A summary of our facilities is set out below and you can downlaod a range of resources from the right hand side of this page. These include a full access statement, a visual story and a map of the museum.
Parking for people with disabilities
There are two dedicated parking places for those with disabilities adjacent to the museum entrance. There is no kerb between the parking area and the museum entrance.
Wheelchair/pushchair friendly entrance
The entrance to the museum is via a very shallow ramp from the museum carpark. A wheelchair is also available for loan in the museum.
Luggage and lockers
Visitors may leave their belongings in lockers which are provided (no deposit required). In the case of bad weather, you will be able to leave hats, coats and umbrellas with our front of house staff.
Accessible toilet and baby changing facilities
There is a unisex accessible toilet on the ground floor of the museum, close to reception. This WC also contains baby changing facilities and toilet aids for our younger visitors.
Assistance dogs
Guide and hearing dogs are welcome to accompany their owners around the museum. A water bowl can be provided.
Accessible format information
Large print guides are available for our permanent galleries. Large print and picture format menus are available for our cafe.
