The Farrell Centre

About The Farrell Centre

The Farrell Centre is Newcastle University's centre for architecture and cities, opened in 2023 in the Sir Terry Farrell Building on Eldon Place and named after the architect-planner Sir Terry Farrell, who gave his archive and a donation to found it. Admission is always free, and alongside its exhibitions, talks and tours it keeps an Urban Rooms space on the upper floor with a small play area of books, crafts and building blocks, which makes it a genuinely useful stop with young children right at the top of the shopping streets.

For families it runs free Little Builders sessions for under-fives, with story time, den building and craft activities led by its education team, as well as a rolling programme of free family days and drop-in play on selected days. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, and being a couple of minutes from Eldon Square and Haymarket it pairs naturally with a trip into town or a visit to one of the nearby museums. Check the centre's pages for the current family programme and session times before you go, as the free sessions run on particular days rather than continuously.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature The Farrell Centre.

Baby and Toddler Groups in Newcastle City Centre

The city centre is short on traditional church-hall toddler groups, but it has some of the best free early-years sessions in Newcastle. A guide to baby and toddler sessions in and around the middle of town, from museum play sessions and library rhyme times to the Farrell Centre, and how to find a neighbourhood group.