Beamish Named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, scooping the prestigious £120,000 prize—the largest museum award in the world.
The award recognises Beamish’s dynamic and immersive approach to storytelling. Nestled in County Durham, this open-air museum reimagines North East England’s past through costumed interpreters, recreated historic streets, and hands-on experiences that span Georgian terraces to 1950s cafés.
Now celebrating its 55th anniversary, Beamish is no stranger to innovation. The museum’s standout achievement this year was the completion of its ambitious Remaking Beamish project. Drawing on input from over 32,000 community members—including schoolchildren and volunteers—the project reconstructed a 1950s townscape rooted in lived experience. This culminated in 31 new exhibits, including a moving tribute to retired County Durham miners through its Aged Miners’ Homes.
Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund and chair of this year’s judging panel, praised Beamish as a “joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community.” She continued: “The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail… Beamish is a shining example of how museums enrich and celebrate local communities.”
The museum has also seen a stellar year in visitor engagement—welcoming over 838,000 people in 2024—and scooping both the Travellers’ Choice Award and the Visitor Welcome Award at the 2024 Museums + Heritage Awards. Beamish’s educational outreach remains a cornerstone of its impact, offering inventive programming to more than 40,000 schoolchildren annually.
“Congratulations to Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, on being named Museum of the Year 2025.
“This award recognises the extraordinary contribution that Beamish has made to celebrate the heritage of the North East and to showcase this to the world through thousands of visitors every year.
“I would also like to congratulate the shortlisted museums and thank the dedicated staff and volunteers who support our museums all year round and help us to tell our national story across the country.”
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy
Beamish was selected from a shortlist of five exceptional finalists: Chapter (Cardiff), Compton Verney (Warwickshire), Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast), and Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross). Each finalist receives £15,000, with the total prize fund of £180,000 supported by Art Fund members via the National Art Pass.
The 2025 judging panel featured artist Rana Begum, Dr David Dibosa of Tate, Jane Richardson of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, and Phil Wang, chaired by Waldman.
In a time when museums face mounting challenges, this year’s award not only honours Beamish’s continued excellence but also celebrates the wider role cultural institutions play in shaping and sustaining vibrant, connected communities across the UK.
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About
Art Fund is the national charity for museums and galleries. For over 120 years, it has helped institutions across the UK to develop and share their collections, invest in people and expertise, grow their audiences and inspire the next generation.
Art Fund connects museums and people with great art and culture through funding, advocacy and initiatives, because access to art is vital for a healthy society. It champions the sector through the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year Award – the world’s largest museum prize – and supports museum professionals through dedicated training and grant programmes.
Independent and people-powered, Art Fund is supported by 142,000 members who buy a National Art Pass, as well as generous contributions from individuals, trusts and foundations. The National Art Pass offers free or discounted entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places in the UK, 50% off major exhibitions, a subscription to Art Quarterly magazine and Art In Your Inbox newsletter. www.artfund.org
