The Beamish museum has opened a themed pop-up emporium, offering a unique retail experience in Durham city centre.
The Beamish Emporium, located in the Prince Bishops Place shopping centre and open daily, is a unique project for the museum.
In the pop-up attraction, customers can enjoy an immersive Beamish experience, shop for gifts and souvenirs like sweets and toys, see museum collections, and visit an Edwardian selfie studio.
Samantha Shotton, Beamish’s chief operating officer, said in a release: “At Beamish, being part of communities is at the heart of what we do, so having the opportunity to take Beamish into Durham city centre and connect with people in this way is fantastic.
Unique retail experience by Beamish
“Our team has worked together to create a taste of the Beamish experience in this pop-up store – it’s great to be able to welcome people in to find out more about the museum and our work, see some of our brilliant Beamish products and take part in activities, perhaps even wearing an Edwardian hat or Suffragette sash for a photo opportunity.”
The emporium opened after receiving funding from Durham County Council, and council leader Amanda Hopgood said the project “will help to strengthen visitor numbers this summer and create an even more vibrant atmosphere in Durham”.
Richard Toynbee, centre manager at Prince Bishops Place, said the pop-up venue “will bring an element of experiential retail to Durham, creating an engaging and historic shopping experience like never before”.
He added, “Families, customers and visitors of Durham can step back in time and embrace the history of our city, experiencing the living museum of the north right here at Prince Bishops Place.”
Earlier this month, Beamish opened a 1950s cinema, toy shop and record store in its 1950s town. The new experiences were followed by the recent debut of the Drovers Tavern in the 1820s landscape.
Later this year, Beamish will open Georgian workers cottages for overnight visitors.
Images courtesy of Beamish
