The flagship Newcastle University museum on the edge of the city centre, combining the old Hancock natural history collection with the university's archaeology holdings. The Hadrian's Wall gallery is the centrepiece — fragments, altars, a reconstructed temple, and a full-length scale model of the wall — and a good preparation for seeing the real thing further west.
Other highlights include the Egyptian mummies, a Tyneside-themed natural history hall, a planetarium with daily shows, and a large interactive dinosaur display popular with families. Entry is free; allow two to three hours.