Attractions

From naval adventure, discovering where trains where born, exploring arts and culture to getting back to nature, Tees Valley has something for everyone whatever your age or interest.

Ahoy there! Tees Valley is famed for it's naval heritage attractions such as the multi award-winning Hartlepool's Maritime Experience - a life sized reconstruction of a Napoleonic Seaport and the oldest warship afloat in the UK - the HMS Trincomalee. Nearby is the Wingfield Castle, a restored paddle steamer and the Museum of Hartlepool, with a Merman and Sea Monsters.

For tales of a different maritime pastime, visit the Saltburn Smugglers Heritage Centre, set in authentic fisherman's cottages, close to Saltburn's Pier and Cliff Lift.

Further along the coast is Redcar, home to the oldest lifeboat in the world, now displayed in the Zetland Lifeboat Museum.

Tees Valley also forms part of the Captain Cook Country Tour, a 70 mile circular tour by car, following the early life of the famous explorer. The tour begins at the Cook's birthplace in Middlesbrough at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum, situated in the delightful Stewart Park. The tour continues through traditional English country village Great Ayton to the quaint fishing ports of Staithes and Whitby. A full size replica of Cook's ship HM Bark Endeavour can also found moored at Stockton's riverside.

Where trains where born! There's a whole world of pioneering rail and industrial heritage in Tees Valley which can be enjoyed by all. Darlington is famed as the birthplace of the railways, explore Darlington Railway Centre and Museum where you can see Stephenson's 'Locomotion' the engine that started the Golden Age of Steam. Don't miss David Mach's life sized sculpture 'Train' - a tribute to the town's rail heritage, which took over 181,000 bricks to construct. Or speed forward with the Train Trail, which link 8 unique North East rail attractions, including Locomotion in Shildon, Beamish Open Air Museum to live steam railways at Tanfield and Weardale. Visit www.traintrail.com for more information.

Dominating the skyline in Middlesbrough, as a symbol of our iron and steel industry history, is the floodlit Transporter Bridge, the only working bridge of its kind in England. Originally designed to allow tall ships to pass beneath, a Visitor Centre details the history of the bridge.

Fancy a bit of culture? Visit our brand new attraction, mima - Middlesbrough's Institute of Modern Art, a major new modern and contemporary art gallery, playing host to an International programme of exhibitions, presenting the very best in art and craft from 1900 to today. Other galleries can be found in Darlington and Hartlepool.

And so much more... Other highlights include a ruined Augustian Priory in Guisborough, an underground mine at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, our very own mini Eden project - Nature's World, a Victorian Period Street at Preston Park Museum, National Trust's Ormesby Hall, the list goes on...