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Rainy-day ideas

Museum. South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, 10 Ocean Road, NE33 2JA, 0191 277 1433. Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 11am–4pm, closed Sunday. Free entry. (North East Museums: Visit South Shields Museum & Art Gallery; checked 3 Nov 2026)
Until Sat 7 Nov 2026 it has a National Gallery loan, Mignard's The Marquise de Seignelay. (North East Museums: National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, Mignard; checked 3 Nov 2026)
The Word. The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, Market Place, NE33 1JF: library, exhibitions, shop and visitor information centre. Building open Mon–Thu 9am–7pm, Fri 9am–5pm, Sat–Sun 10am–4pm. (The Word, National Centre for the Written Word: opening times; checked 3 Nov 2026)
Arcades and laser tag. Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, Sea Road, NE33 2LD: laser tag and arcades in November on Fridays 2–6pm and Saturdays and Sundays 11am–6pm. (Ocean Beach Pleasure Park: events and opening; checked 4 Nov 2026)
The Customs House, Mill Dam, NE33 1ES: cinema and theatre. This week's shows are on What's on.

Still being confirmed: Cinema and show times: Check The Customs House: What's on.

Café stops: Victorian Pantry at the museum, Café @ The Word. See Food & drink.

Arbeia is closed until spring 2027 and Souter Lighthouse is closed in November and December, so neither is a rainy-day option this winter.

Sources for this page

  1. North East Museums: Visit South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, checked 3 Nov 2026
  2. North East Museums: National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, Mignard, checked 3 Nov 2026
  3. The Word, National Centre for the Written Word: opening times, checked 3 Nov 2026
  4. Ocean Beach Pleasure Park: events and opening, checked 4 Nov 2026