10+ Free Things To Do In Newcastle Upon Tyne

One of the reasons I love Newcastle is that there is always so much to do if you're on a budget or looking for a free day out. 

Today I am sharing some of the best places free things to do in our city. Let me know if you have any to add in the comments.

Don't forget to like the Visit Newcastle Facebook page to keep up to date with things to see and do in Newcastle Upon Tyne. 

1 - Enjoy Contemporary Art at The Baltic

You'll find the Baltic on the NewcastleGateshead Quayside right by the Millennium Bridge. It's FREE to visit (donations welcome) and always worth popping in for a nose around.

Over the years we've enjoyed a huge variety of exhibitions including photographs from Byker, the 'Playground Project', slides into exhibitions, a 'pharmacy' and more.

A trip to the Baltic is certainly a conversation starter. Don't miss catching the lift to the viewing platform for some of the best views of the Tyne. Find out more and discover what's on here. 

2 - Learn About Newcastle's History at The Discovery Museum

The Discovery Museum is a free-to-visit museum (donations welcome) near Newcastle Train Station. There are various exhibitions, some permanent and some temporary and it's a great museum to visit if you'd like to learn more about the city.

'Destination Tyneside' and 'Newcastle Story' are both permanent exhibitions sharing the history and heritage of our area. Find out more and discover what's on here. 

3 - Take a Stroll around Exhibition Park bonus FREE train ride

Exhibition Park is a brilliant city park. Located just behind the Great North Museum and next to the RVI hospital, you'd never think you were in the city centre.

There are gardens and woodland to explore, a skate park and sports courts, a toy boat lake, playgrounds, a cafe, Wylam Brewery and more.

As a bonus, there are free mini-train rides for children on the first Sunday of every month in the summer.

4 - Take a tour of Tyneside Cinema

Free guided heritage tours take place at Tyneside Cinema every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 11am. You'll have the chance to look around the cinema's original screen, watch an original newsreel and take a peek behind the scenes. Find out more and book your free tour here. 

5 - See a T-Rex Skeleton at the Great North Museum

Who doesn't love dinosaurs? At the Great North Museum, you can meet a real T-Rex Skeleton. It's free to visit the museum (donations welcome) which is next to / part of Newcastle University. Find out more and discover what's on here. 

6 - Walk Along the Quayside

Newcastle Quayside is one of the best places for a city centre stroll. Check out the famous bridges, listen to the buskers, watch the Millennium Bridge 'blink' and browse the Sunday Market. There's always a fantastic atmosphere at the Quayside and it's one of the best places in the city to take photos.

7 - Visit Ouseburn Farm

Walk along the Quayside to Ouseburn, a trendy suburb of Newcastle and you'll find a free-to-visit city farm (donations welcome). This community farm is one of our favourite places in Newcastle and a real favourite with children.

You can meet pigs, sheep, chickens, goats, reptiles, fish, birds and more. There's a brilliant community cafe too. Find out more here. 

If you're visiting Ouseburn, you might like to read our post featuring 10 Things to do in Ouseburn. 

8 - Visit a FREE Indoor Play Area

Newcastle is home to some lovely little play areas for children which are free to visit and perfect if the weather isn't so great and you're on a budget.

There's a playspace inside of the Sage on the NewcastleGateshead Quayside and the Laing Art Gallery features a circus-themed playspace where children can run around, dress up and play with toys.

There's also the Great North Museum and the Baltic too. Click here to read 7 Free Play Areas in Newcastle. 

9 - Laing Art Gallery

The Laing Art Gallery is conveniently located just off Northumberland Street and is free to visit (donations welcome) although there is sometimes a charge for visiting exhibitions.

There are permanent and temporary galleries and exhibitions on display as well as a programme of events throughout the year. Find out what's on here. 

10 - Screen on the Green & Quayside Seaside

In the summer months, Newcastle is home to a FREE outdoor cinema. There are normally 2 free movies per day - simply pull up a chair and enjoy. Listings are usually announced on the NE1 Newcastle website in July.

The Quayside also hosts a pop-up seaside in the warmer months. Find the Quayside Seaside near the Millennium Bridge. There's normally street food for sale, a beach with deckchairs and a small play park. It's a lovely spot to relax.

11 - Jesmond Dene Park

Jesmond Dene Park is a gorgeous park on the outskirts of the city. A wonderful spot for family walks and picnic. The facilities are brilliant - expect a play park, plenty of picnic benches, green space, woodland and riverside walks, bridges to play pooh sticks on, pets corner and a cafe too.

12 - Hatton Gallery

The Hatton Gallery is a small gallery on Newcastle University's campus. It is free for the public to visit and there are usually 2-4 exhibitions to see at any given time.

The gallery often showcases student work and exhibitions are usually modern in style - definitely one that's worth popping into and ideal to team with a trip to Great North Museum across the road. Find out more and discover what's on here. 

Let me know if you have any other suggestions for free things to do in Newcastle and I will add them to this post. 

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