St. Mary's Heritage Centre is a unique and innovative visitor attraction incorporating libraries, arts and heritage in one venue. 

Sitting high above the River Tyne close to the Sage Gateshead, the centre opened on the 16 December 2008 following a £1.2m transformation, funded by Gateshead Council, the European Regional Development fund and the heritage lottery fund.

The interior of the Grade 1-listed church has been completely stripped out to return it as far as possible to its former state, and is open to the public with a programme of exhibitions and activities including a family history section focusing on the church and the nearby area.

St. Mary's Heritage Centre welcomes visitors to learn the history of Gateshead, and provides a spectacular venue for events, family history research and educational activities.

A series of display panels tells the fascinating story of Gateshead from its early days as a Roman settlement to modern times.

With historical records and documents relating to St Mary’s Church, and a selection of photographs and maps of Gateshead, the Heritage Centre is the perfect place to explore your family history. Experienced and knowledgeable staff are available to help with all your enquiries.

A wide range of activities are offered regularly, including children’s activities, concerts and performances, local history talks and coffee mornings. 

To find out more about forthcoming events and to book tickets online please go to www.gateshead.gov.uk/whatson.

Opening hours

As opening hours are subject to change due to private venue hire we recommend that you contact us prior to your visit.

St Mary’s is closing to the public at 3pm on Friday 16 June.  On Saturday 8 July, the centre is closing to the public at 1pm. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Normal opening hours

Days                         Opens   Closes 

Tuesday - Saturday   10am      4pm 

Sunday and Monday  -                -

Access and parking

Walking

St Mary’s Heritage Centre is approximately a 10 minute walk from Gateshead Transport Interchange.

Public Transport

Quaylink buses run up to every 10 minutes during the day and stop directly outside the gates of St Mary’s. Visit www.simplygo.com for details.

Parking

A small number of parking spaces are available for building users with further parking available at other sites nearby.

Accessibility

The car park and interior of the Heritage Centre is fully accessible for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.

The graveyard is not fully accessible.

Disabled toilets and baby changing are available