North East museum launches new rail exhibitions in multi-million pound extension
S&DR200, the international festival celebrating the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, will present a series of exhibitions at Stockton's Preston Park museum.
The exhibitions, named 'Tracks of Change', aim to allow visitors to play and learn while exploring the impact and legacy of the birth of modern railways.
All aboard exhibition. (Image: NE NEWS) This comes after Preston Park received a multi-million pound extension and investment into wider park improvements.
The 'Tracks of Change' showcase is made up of a series of exhibitions including All Aboard, Corridors, Gateway to the World and, later, Perfume.
All the exhibitions will be free to attend as part of museum admission.
Corridors
Corridors demonstrates thousands of preserved flowers, many of which were grown in the museum's own garden, suspended delicately from the ceiling in an immersive display.
The display takes inspiration from how the original Stockton and Darlington Railway line ran through Preston Park.
Rachel Law's Corridors exhibition. (Image: NE NEWS) Through exploring the shared human need to connect with each other and how that need can impact the land we inhabit and our connections, visitors will be offered a tranquil moment of contemplation in the floral garden.
This installation reflects the artist's, Rebecca Louise Law, commitment to collaborative art.
Corridors opens on September 13.
All aboard
Inside this interactive exhibition created specially for children, families will be able to take part in a journey of playful discovery to understand the railway's historical story.
All Aboard exhibition. (Image: NE NEWS) Little engineers, designers and drivers can get hands-on in the giant replica train and themed play zones.
All Aboard opens on September 13.
Gateway to the World
In this significant collection of paintings, the exhibition highlights the role the railway played in creating tourism for all, regardless of class.
Gateway to the World is expected to open in September.
Perfume
Known for his innovative approach of blending light, sound and technology, contemporary visual artist, Yann Nguema is creating a sensory experience based on scent.
This immersive experience is inspired by the seed distribution and pollination when trains travel through the countryside.
Perfume is scheduled for January 2026.
Rachel Law's Corridors exhibition. (Image: NE NEWS) Throughout 2025, community groups, school pupils, care home residents and visitors to S&DR200 festival venues across the county have been involved in a mass participation art project.
The project involved decorating peg dolls, representing their favourite train journey.
Thousands of these designs will also be showcased in a unique exhibition opening at Preston Park Museum on September 13 and will run until October 12.
Memory of a Journey. (Image: NE NEWS) Councillor Nigel Cooke, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for the Environment, Leisure and Culture, said the Council are "thrilled" to be launching the multi million pound museum exhibitions space.
He added: 'Opening the new exhibition space with Corridors by Rebecca Louise Law sets out our ambition for the future of the museum.
'And with a fun and adventurous new play scape, All Aboard, part of our opening offer, we hope there's something to entertain people of all ages.
'The new exhibition space will offer people the chance to see national and touring exhibitions on their doorstep, saving people the cost and hassle of travelling far and wide to enjoy different cultural experiences.
'Not only do we want visitors to discover the international significance of our railway heritage through these exhibitions, but we want people to come to Preston Park to have a lovely day out.'
Rachel Law's Corridors exhibition. (Image: NE NEWS)
Niccy Hallifax, S&DR200 Festival Director, said: 'It's fantastic to see both internationally renowned and national artists featured in this ambitious exhibition series at Preston Park Museum.
"Combining major creative talent with contributions from local artists and community groups brings real depth and meaning to Tracks of Change.
'From powerful new commissions to historically important paintings that reveal how the railways shaped the world we live in; this is a celebration of innovation past and present.
'We hope the series will inspire the next generation of creatives while showcasing the museum's new state of the art exhibition space.'
All Aboard exhibition. (Image: NE NEWS) Alongside the new exhibition space, visitors can enjoy a new museum cafe, improved gift shop, and explore the new store.
Wider park improvements, including the refurbishment of the Aviary, have also started.
Plans have been announced for an S&DR200 mural inside the structure.
Recommended reading:
How has the first year been for Hopetown Darlington railway museum since reopening?
Steaming to the future as family-friendly interactive exhibition opens in Darlington
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of modern railway, get yourself a copy of our official commemorative bookazine.
An improved play area, toilets and park café, with new seating, a new entrance and an outdoor seating area, are now complete and open.
A new car park, offering almost 100 extra spaces has also finished.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Some U.S. airlines are allowing free flight changes amid weather delays. What to know if you're traveling Wednesday and Thursday.
Over 2,500 flights are delayed, with nearly 500 canceled within the U.S. on Wednesday. Some major U.S. airlines are allowing passengers traveling to, from or through specific airports in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this week to change their flights free of charge due to expected delays from forecasted weather conditions. 'A large area of warm and moist air already present across the eastern U.S and into [the] Deep South will be an ingredient for scattered showers and thunderstorms that are expected to be most active from late afternoon into the evening hours,' the National Weather Service said in a Wednesday update. 'Heavy rain can be expected to accompany the stronger storms through the next couple of days in these areas.' As of 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, there were over 2,500 total flight delays, and nearly 500 were canceled, flying into, within or out of the U.S., according to data from Flightware. Delta, JetBlue and Southwest airlines issued travel advisories on Wednesday, alerting passengers that their flights in and out of certain hubs could be delayed, diverted or canceled and offered customers the opportunity to change their flights at no extra cost. Travelers can monitor their flight status through their airline's app, or they can enter their flight information on Flightaware to see if it's on time or delayed. Here's what else to know for each of those airlines: Delta The airline issued a travel advisory on Aug. 13 for flights traveling to, from and through the following cities: Baltimore, Md. (BWI) Boston, Mass. (BOS) Newark, N.J. (EWR) New York, N.Y. (JFK) New York, N.Y. (LGA) Philadelphia, Pa. (PHL) Washington D.C. – Dulles (IAD) Washington D.C. – Reagan (DCA) White Plains, N.Y. (HPN) Delta passengers who were booked to fly on Wednesday, Aug. 13 or Thursday, Aug. 14, can rebook their flight at no charge on or before Saturday, Aug. 16. JetBlue The airline issued a travel advisory for the following five New York metro airports for passengers traveling on Wednesday, Aug. 13: Islip/Long Island, N.Y. (ISP) New York, N.Y. (JFK) New York, N.Y. (LGA) Newark, N.J. (EWR) Westchester County, N.Y. (HPN) JetBlue is allowing ticket holders who booked their flight on or before Tues, Aug. 12 to reschedule their flights for free through Saturday, August 16. Southwest The airline issued a travel advisory warning that weather-related disruptions could affect flights at these 12 East Coast airports from Wednesday, Aug. 13, through Thursday, Aug. 14: Albany, N.Y. (ALB) Baltimore/Washington, Md. (BWI) Boston (Logan), Mass. (BOS) Hartford, Conn. (BDL) Long Island/Islip, N.Y. (ISP) Manchester, N.H. (MHT) New York (LaGuardia), N.Y. (LGA) Philadelphia, Pa. (PHL) Portland, Maine (PWM) Providence, R.I. (PVD) Washington D.C. – Dulles (IAD) Washington D.C. – Reagan (DCA) 'Customers holding reservations to, from, or through the city(s) listed above on the corresponding date(s) who want to alter their travel plans may rebook or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying additional charges,' Southwest said. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
These Airlines Have Issued Travel Waivers Today For Major East Coast Hubs Amid Tropical Storm Erin
Due to forecasted heavy rain and thunderstorms along the East Coast, and with Tropical Storm Erin likely to become the season's first hurricane, major U.S. airlines are allowing passengers flying in or out of hubs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to change their travel plans at no extra cost. Summer thunderstorms are a common cause of flight delays. getty Southwest Airlines has a travel advisory allowing passengers scheduled to fly in or out of 12 east coast airports Wednesday or Thursday to rebook without a penalty for travel within 14 days. Delta Air Lines issued a travel advisory covering nine airports in major Northeast and Mid-Atlantic hubs—Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington—allowing passengers ticketed to fly Wednesday or Thursday to rebook at no charge for travel through Saturday, Aug. 16. JetBlue Airways has a travel alert covering five New York metro airports—John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark, Islip and Westchester County—letting passengers ticketed for travel Wednesday to reschedule for free through Aug. 16. 'A large area of warm and moist air already present across the eastern U.S. and into the Deep South will be an ingredient for scattered showers and thunderstorms that are expected to be most active from late afternoon into the evening hours,' according to the National Weather Service. 'Heavy rain can be expected to accompany the stronger storms through the next couple of days in these areas.' How Can Air Travelers Stay Updated On Flight Delays And Cancellations? As of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, more than 930 flights in the United States were delayed, according to data from Flightaware. This is not unusual in the summer. Travelers flying Wednesday and Thursday afternoon should check their flight status before heading to the airport to make sure it is operating on time. Passengers with flights covered by an airline travel waiver may consider rebooking to a later date without having to pay a change fee or fare difference. Travelers can download the carrier's app to monitor for updates or plug their flight information into FlightAware and click the 'Where is my plane now?' link just under the flight number. The tool lets flyers see if their plane is running ahead of schedule, on time or behind schedule—typically before the airline announces a delay or cancellation, which can save valuable time if rebooking is necessary. Tropical Storm Erin will 'likely become a hurricane by late Thursday or early Friday' according to the most recent update from the National Hurricane Center. As of Wednesday morning, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and is moving across the Atlantic Ocean at a speed of roughly 20 mph and will impact portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by this weekend. Most forecast models do not show the storm making landfall in the United States. Further Reading Tropical Storm Erin Expected To Become First Major Hurricane Of 2025 Atlantic Season: What To Know (Forbes)
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Fox News
Great white shark lurking near Northeast vacation spot, drone video shows
A drone video captured a great white shark lurking in the waters of a vacation spot in the Northeast. Police in Scarborough, Maine, which is located just south of Portland, confirmed this week that the shark was spotted off the state's coastline. "On Monday, August 11, 2025, Scarborough's Marine Resource Officer received a report of what appeared to be a large shark near Richmond Island and Scarborough Beach," the town wrote on its Facebook page. "Follow-up observations were conducted, and on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Marine Resource Officer obtained drone video footage showing a possible great white shark, estimated to be 10–12 feet in length, off the southern end of Richmond Island in the vicinity of Higgins Beach and Scarborough Beach," it added. Police also said the shark was seen in the area off Pine Point Beach on Tuesday morning. Town officials said they were alerting the public for "situational awareness." The Maine Department of Marine Resources says on its website that "while the relative risk of a shark encounter is very small, risks should always be minimized whenever possible in any activity on the water." It recommends that swimmers stay close to shore, avoid areas where there are seals or schooling fish and limit splashing. "Avoid shiny jewelry when in or on the water" and "Avoid swimming at dawn/dusk when lighting is low," the Department adds.
