Since 2005 significant improvements have been made to The Bowes Museum. Its roof has been fully renewed making the building watertight; the ground floor has been totally renovated, providing introductory galleries, an enlarged café and gift shop and a new reception area; new galleries have been created on the 1st and 2nd floors; and a new paintings store, library and reading room have been built; a gallery devoted to English Interiors 1500 - 1900, and a redeveloped park. Supporters have included:
Heritage Lottery Fund
One NorthEast through the County Durham Economic Partnership
English Heritage
Northern Rock Foundation
The Monument Trust
The Foyle Foundation
DCMS / Wolfson Museum and Galleries Improvement Fund
Garfield Weston Foundation
European Regional Development Fund
Designation Challenge Fund
Durham County Council
The Shears Foundation
County Durham Foundation
The Friends of The Bowes Museum
The Headley Trust
The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust
Sir James Knott Trust
Mercers Charitable Foundation
Welton Foundation
Idlewild Trust
Margaret Phyllis Mewhort Trust
Fenwick Ltd
P T Settlement
The Bill & May Hodgson Charitable Trust administered by Dickinson Dees