Venue Hire

From an intimate wood panelled meeting room to the art-deco splendour of the Great Hall, the Discovery Museum has a range of unique spaces to fit almost any event or budget.  

With first class event support from our team – covering everything from your AV requirements to catering - you can focus on your event while we look after the details.  

By hiring our amazing spaces, not only will you have an unforgettable event, but you’ll also be contributing to the long-term sustainability of our museums and galleries, helping to keep them free to enter for future generations to enjoy.  

We offer generous discounts for local charity and community groups wishing to use our spaces, acknowledging our role as custodians of these amazing spaces for our local communities and supporting our mission to use our places to improve equality and social mobility.  

Please contact our Sales & Events Team to bring your ideas to life:
Contact form
Email: venuehire@northeastmuseums.org.uk
Telephone: 0191 277 2303

Centrally located, just a 5-minute walk from Newcastle Central Station, our spaces are unique, convenient and accessible. 

Great Hall  

A symbol of Newcastle’s commercial pride and heritage, the Great Hall was built as a meeting space for The Co-operative Wholesale Society in 1899. Built in an eclectic High Victorian style, our wonderful building is a testament to prosperity and success. The space has been used by generations for meetings, events, and celebrations – and continues to be used for the same purpose to this very day.  

At 573 square metres, this large space is perfect for conferences, dinners, wedding receptions, lectures, and dances.

The Great Hall can accommodate up to 300 guests for a dinner, or reception, or 249 theatre-style.  

What our customers say: “A sensational space rich in history and character – yet with first class modern service and facilities.” 

The Carpathia, Mauretania and Northumbria meeting rooms 

Originally a set of office suites for the directors of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, these elegant wood-panelled rooms are perfect for a board meeting, away day, private lunch, or meeting.  

Each space has AV facilities and Wi-Fi as well as virtual conferencing facilities in the Mauretania room, making it simple to plug in and play.  

You can hire these rooms for 1 hour up to a whole day.  

Room capacities

Please see the table below detailing maximum room capacities and which floor each room is located on.

*Clear liquids only in galleries

Catering 

From tea and cake to a full banquet, we can provide you with a delicious catering offer to suit your requirements and budget. 

For smaller events (<50 people) we can provide in-house catering including drinks, light refreshments and lunches. For larger events or hot cooked food, we use a range of preferred suppliers giving you flexibility and options around the catering provision for your event.  

In-house catering menu (PDF, 49KB)

Menu - Jacksons Catering (PDF, 660KB)

Menu - Jacob and Tori (PDF, 3801KB)

Menu - TFI Wali (PDF, 2121KB)

Audio/Visual 

With in-house expertise and trusted suppliers for bigger events, we can meet your audio-visual needs. Be it a simple presentation to share with your team, right up to a multimedia interactive offer, we can accommodate your AV requirements. We are happy to discuss your specific needs and we will be on hand to make sure your event runs smoothly.  

Preferred suppliers (Word doc, 22KB)

Licensing

All our venues are fully licensed and you can view our drinks menu here (PDF 601KB).

We can provide a full bar service (cash or card) for your event. 

At North East Museums, we’re committed to reducing the environmental impact of our activities, including venue hire. We ask that all hirers follow these simple guidelines:   

• Please ensure that any waste from your event is placed in an appropriate bin (plastic, cardboard and glass can be recycled) 
• Please avoid single use plastics – cutlery, crockery, and packaging where possible
• Please consider the environmental impact of decorations, choosing items that can be reused or recycled and omitting plastic where possible
• Please think carefully when planning the food and drink at your event; finding alternatives to single use plastic, thinking about where your food comes from and making sure that you cater in quantities that avoid food waste once your event is finished. If you aren’t using the preferred suppliers, please choose local suppliers where you can 
• Encourage your guests to use public transport – we are a short walk from Newcastle Central Station for mainline and Metro services, and close to local bus routes. 

Download a copy of the Frequently asked questions (176KB)

General information

How do I contact you about hiring a space? 

Contact the Sales & Events Team via our contact form, or by email at venuehire@northeastmuseums.org.uk or by telephone (0191) 277 2303. 

What kinds of events do you host? 

We host a wide range of events, including weddings, proms, dinners, conferences, corporate events, birthday parties, Christmas parties, away days, board meetings, and team-building activities. Please note, that we reserve the right to decline events at our discretion. 

What is included in the venue hire fee? 

• Exclusive use of the chosen venue hire space on your event date and time*
• The full operational support from the Sales & Event Team in the run-up to your event
• Audio-visual equipment
• Tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery, and glassware
• Front of house staff support. 

Please note that hiring a space within the museum for a wedding or private event does not grant exclusive access to the entire museum. Guests will only have access to the specific area(s) hired for the event, during the times specified in the booking agreement.  The rest of the museum will remain open to the public and other visitors during regular operating hours. We do not provide an AV technician within this fee. 

Do you offer a Day Delegate Rate? 

We can’t offer a delegate day rate because we work with several caterers and suppliers. Venue hire and catering costs are therefore quoted separately. 

What are the minimum numbers required to hire the venue? 

Minimum numbers will depend on your confirmed numbers, we do not impose a minimum spend on catering and all final numbers are due 14 days before the event date.  

Can I visit the venue before booking? 

Yes, we can arrange for you to have a show-around with our Sales & Events Team.  

Alternatively, you can take a virtual show-around of the majority of event spaces. Please see the links below: 

Great Hall  

Science Maze Gallery 

Story of the Tyne Gallery 

Turbinia Gallery   

Can we hold our preferred date? 

Yes, we can hold a date for up to 14 days while you decide. If another customer enquires about booking the same space and date, we will send you an email to offer you a first refusal. You will have 24 hours to respond to this email and either confirm your booking or release the date. 

Do you have any restrictions?   

Yes, we do have some restrictions. The restrictions we put in place are there to preserve the building and collections. Discovery Museum’s restrictions include: 

• No smoking – cigarettes, e-cigarettes or vapes 
• No naked flames, candles or candelabras (LED candles and battery-operated candles are permitted) 
• No glitter or confetti. Biodegradable confetti can be used outside the venue’s entrance. Confetti cannot be thrown inside the venue  
• No dry ice 
• No smoke machines  
• No sand  
• No animals may be admitted, except for assistance animals 
• No white or blue tack on the woodwork in the Great Hall 
• No planted greenery. The museum contains delicate collections which can be affected by pests. Therefore, plants in pots must not be brought into the museum. Cut flowers/greenery will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• Helium balloons are not permitted in the venue. Only weighted balloons are allowed as decorations
• Please contact us if you wish to bring wooden items or furniture into the museum.

Are there timing restrictions for my event? Can I leave something overnight? Can I bring something in early? 

Please arrive at the start of your specific hire period. If you need additional set-up time, please indicate this on booking and your event coordinator will be able to quote you appropriately. It may be possible to drop off items the day before your event if there are no other bookings in the space. All items must be taken offsite at the end of your event.  

Do you have a cloakroom?  

We do not have a specific cloakroom, however we do supply coat rails on request. 

Food and Drink

What happens if some of our guests have dietary requirements? 

We require all dietary information at least two weeks before the event date and they will be catered for with an appropriate meal.  

Can you provide a bar?  

Yes, we have a bar in the Great Hall, which can be included in your booking. This bar comes with a minimum spend of £250 plus VAT. If you have booked a dinner event, the bar is included in the venue hire price.

 We do not offer drinks on consumption or corkage.

What time will the bar close? 

Last orders at the bar will be 30 minutes before the end of your event, with everybody leaving the venue at the agreed time.  

Room decoration and set-up

Do I need to hire crockery, glassware and table linen? 

All crockery, cutlery and glassware is included in the venue hire price. Table linen is priced at £10 + VAT per cloth. Please state your preferred colour of black or white when booking table linen.

Do you have a floor plan of the Great Hall? 

Yes, please view the floor plan of the Great Hall here (PDF, 105KB).

Do you have a stage?  

The Great Hall has a built-in stage of 9.23m(L) x 3.79m(W) x 0.45m(H). 

Do you have a dance floor?  

We do not supply dance floors but you are welcome to hire this in. 

Where can my suppliers load in equipment? 

We have a loading entrance at the southeastern corner of the building for suppliers to make deliveries and collections.  This can be accessed from Westmoreland Road.

Discovery Museum has two lifts that can access all floors: 
A Lift (goods lift) – L: 1880 mm, W: 1500 mm, H: 2020 mm
G Lift (customer lift) – L: 2000 mm, W:1380 mm, H: 2100 mm 

Audio-visual and Wi-Fi access

Do you have Wi-Fi in the museum?   

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums does not have its own Wi-Fi network, however, there are a number of free public Wi-Fi networks that are accessible throughout the museum including GoDigital_WiFi, Newcastle-Public and GovWifi. No password is required to connect GoDigital_WiFi or Newcastle-Public. Please find instructions here (Word doc, 25KB) on how to connect to GovWifi. 

What AV equipment do you offer?  

In our Great Hall, the following equipment is included in the venue hire fee: 

• Projector and screen 
• Laptop
• PA system – music can also be played from a mobile phone or iPad. The connection is a 3.5mm headphone jack/socket. Please ensure you bring the correct adaptors and connection leads along with you. 
• Handheld microphones (up to three) 
• Lectern 

The Carpathia Room (20-40 pax), Northumbria Room (15 pax boardroom) and Mauretania Room (15 pax with set furniture) can be equipped with a TV screen & HDMI connection for presentations.  

All AV equipment must be booked in advance of the event taking place. 

Can I hire an AV company to install AV equipment for my event? 

Yes, but please note all suppliers must be covered by adequate commercial insurance, including public liability insurance to the minimum of £5,000,000 during the event. Your power requirements must be discussed and cleared with your event coordinator at least 14 days before the event date. Relevant and up-to-date PAT certificates must be made available if requested by your event coordinator for all electrical equipment brought into the premises. 

Entertainment

Can I hire entertainment? 

Examples of entertainment could include; DJ, band and/or singer, dancefloor, photo booths, artificial flower walls, and magicians.  

All suppliers must be covered by adequate commercial insurance, including public liability insurance to a minimum of £5,000,000 during the event. Suppliers must provide the venue with relevant and up-to-date PLI and PAT certificates before the event. 

We reserve the right to refuse the use of any entertainment or equipment at our discretion. 

How to get here and parking

Do you have onsite parking available? 

We do not have our own onsite carpark. There is limited pay and display parking available directly outside the museum in Blandford Square, but this tends to fill very quickly, especially on busy days such as school holidays. There is additional parking close-by the museum in Grainger Town multi-storey car park located on Waterloo Street (this is located opposite side of St. James' Boulevard to Discovery Museum). 

Is there public transport close-by / directions to venue? 

Yes, we are a 5-minute walk from Newcastle Central Station. For specific directions to our venue please click here.

Booking process and payments

Do we have to pay a deposit? 

Yes, a 30% deposit will be requested at the point of confirmation. The payment must be paid within 14 days of confirmation.  

How many other payments will be needed? 

After the deposit, we require the final balance 14 days before the event date.  

What is your cancellation policy?  

Cancellations must be made in writing, and refunds depend on the cancellation date: 

More than 6 months before: 20% of the deposit refunded. 

3-6 months before: 10% of the deposit refunded. 

Less than 3 months before: No refund of the deposit. 

Less than 10 days before: All charges for the event are retained. 

We may cancel a booking if the event is deemed inappropriate or payment timings are not met. In such cases, deposits are refunded, but TWAME is not liable for any incurred costs.