Heritage Open Days

England's biggest heritage festival returns from the 11-20 September 2020. See hidden places and try out new experiences - all for FREE! Heritage Open Days runs in partnership with the National Trust and with generous support from players of People's Postcode Lottery.
It is organised by a huge network of people who share a passion for places, history and culture. Locally, over 2000 organisations and some 46,000 volunteers organise thousands of site openings and events, jointly attracting over 1 million visitors. They make Heritage Open Days England’s biggest voluntary cultural event.
In 1991 the Council of Europe and the European Commission set up European Heritage Days to raise appreciation for Europe’s rich and diverse cultural assets and their need for care and protection. The central principle was as simple as it was compelling: to throw open the doors to historic monuments and buildings, in particular those normally closed to the public. Established in 1994, Heritage Open Days is England's contribution to this larger event. Expanding and diversifying from 701 events at its launch to over 5,000 today! Heritage Open Days continues to flourish with more events every year, reflecting the rich and diverse cultural heritage of England and its communities.
Mission: Our mission is simple - To celebrate England’s fantastic history and culture by offering free access, every September, to places that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.
From castles to city halls, follies to factories, tunnels to tower tops, police cells to private homes, workshops to woodland walks, the variety of places and ways to discover them are endless. Heritage Open Days shows how all our stories have shaped the England that we know today.
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