The Word
Museums & Science Centres · South Shields, Tyne & Wear
No reviews yet
Closed — opens tomorrow at 9am
🏠 Indoor🆓 Free entryEducational☔ Rainy-day friendly
What’s there
- Café on site
- Limited parking
- Baby changing
- Buggy friendly
Access & inclusion
- Step-free access
- Changing Places toilet
- SEN friendly
The Word Car Park: 40 spaces incl 7 disabled bays + 2 EV charging points, limited free parking up to 3 hours (ticket required). Mill Dam Car Park (limited free) within 5 min walk; more town-centre car parks 5-10 min walk.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
The Word is the National Centre for the Written Word, a stunning state-of-the-art library and cultural centre in the heart of South Shields. It offers an incredible range of free activities for families and children including StoryWorld — an immersive storytelling experience — a FabLab with 3D printers and laser cutters, interactive tables, a dedicated gaming zone, a media wall, and a library of over 70,000 books. Regular events include the Summer Reading Challenge, author visits, workshops, and creative sessions for all ages. The on-site café serves hot and cold refreshments.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
- Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
- Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
- Wet wipes
- Small first aid kitPlasters solve more days out than anything else here.
- I-spy book
- Sick bagsYou only forget these once.
- Hair bobbles
- Travel games
- Kids' headphones
- Loose changeLockers and old-fashioned car parks.
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Reviews
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