Newcastle Attractions: 8 Visitor Guides
Newcastle's castle keep, Grainger Town streets, galleries and riverside parks sit within easy reach of each other. These pages cover the main sights one by one.
Newcastle attraction guides
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art sits on the Gateshead bank of the Tyne, a short walk across the bridges from central Newcastle. The building is easy to place on a city-break map; the exhibition programme is what you need to check before travelling.
Grainger Market, Newcastle
Grainger Market is Newcastle's Grade I listed covered market, opened in 1835 and still trading under a steel and glass roof. Here is what to see, which entrance to use, how long to allow and what sits within a short walk.
Great North Museum
The Great North Museum: Hancock on Barras Bridge is where Newcastle keeps its T-rex, its Roman altars and a small first-floor planetarium. Gallery entry is free, the planetarium is ticketed, and most visitors get the best of it in a half day.
Grey's Monument, Newcastle
Grey's Monument is the column at the heart of Newcastle's finest Georgian street, raised to Charles Grey, Second Earl Grey. Approaching it costs nothing; getting to the top means a guided climb booked through Newcastle City Guides.
Jesmond Dene, Newcastle
Jesmond Dene is a wooded valley on the Ouseburn about five minutes' drive from central Newcastle, with riverside paths, free-to-enter Pets Corner, a play park and a cafe. Here is how to reach it, what to see, and how long to allow.
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
The Laing Art Gallery is Newcastle's free home of British art on New Bridge Street. Here is what to see, when it opens, how long to allow and what to pair with it.
Leazes Park, Newcastle
Leazes Park is Newcastle's oldest park, a Victorian green space on Barrack Road with a lake and tennis courts, a few minutes' walk from the city centre. Here is what to see, how long to allow, and how to pair it with Exhibition Park and the University quarter.
Newcastle Castle
Newcastle Castle is the Norman fortress on Castle Garth that gave the city its name, and its Castle Keep rewards a short, steep climb with rooftop views. Here is what to see, when it opens, how long to allow and what to pair with it nearby.