#HeritageIsOpen: ten new places to visit this summer
We’re celebrating summer with our #HeritageIsOpen campaign, highlighting events and openings at heritage places that have received support thanks to National Lottery players. Find out how to get involved.
With the opening of places like the transformed gardens at the Natural History Museum, you're in the right place if you're looking for your next heritage attraction to visit.
Where will you visit?
Natural History Museum Gardens
Rest and connect with nature in the heart of London by exploring the gardens at the Natural History Museum. The five-acre site has been reimagined into an accessible, free-to-visit green space which explores the story of how life on Earth has changed over time.
The garden is part of the Urban Nature Project, which we've supported with £4.9million in funding. What's more, free ice creams are up for grabs on Saturday 20 July for the first 100 people who bring a National Lottery ticket.
Opening 18 July
Hopetown Darlington
Discover fascinating railway heritage in the North of England at Hopetown. You’ll learn stories of engineering, ideas and invention from Darlington’s history.
The former Head of Steam Museum site has undergone refurbishment and now houses a new exhibition space, archive and open store. A digital animation using virtual and augmented reality of the entire site has been created, as well as a bespoke children's play area designed to link with the site's heritage.
Open now
Saltdean Lido
If you’re looking for a different type of heritage visit, dive in and visit the stunning Saltdean Lido, a 1930s Art Deco lido in Brighton.
The site was saved from demolition and underwent a significant restoration project following a National Lottery award. Visitors can now swim, relax and explore the fascinating heritage of the Grade II* Listed lido.
Open now
Peacemakers Museum
In Derry/Londonderry, The Peacemakers Museum located in the Gasyard Centre enables visitors to learn of the story of the City's Bogside community from 1972–2007, including the many ways its people contributed to the transition from conflict to peace.
The museum will include artefacts and archive footage, oral history interviews with fifty local residents, installations on local landmarks and a replica interior of a 1970s house.
Opening 22 July
Greenwich Park
Spanning over 183 acres, explore one of the largest green spaces in south-east London, Greenwich Park.
The park has been undergoing a restoration to protect the disappearing 17th century landscape. To celebrate the project coming to completion, a series of events are taking place over the summer, including free bandstand concerts and pollinator walks. You can see all the events on their website.
Open now
The Story Durham
The Story Durham is a new home for County Durham’s historic collections. Mount Oswald, a Grade II Listed manor house, has been transformed into a new visitor attraction that tells the story of County Durham through interactive exhibitions and activities.
The collections include notable items like the Bowes-Lyon and Londonderry family archives, as well as industrial plans relating to the coal, iron and steel industries and early locomotive development.
Open now
1950s exhibitions at Beamish Museum
Head over to Beamish Museum to discover life as it would have been in the 1950s. New 1950 town exhibits have opened as part of the wider Remaking Beamish project.
These include a toy shop with examples from Beamish’s collection, an electrical store and a new record store. You can also visit the Grand Cinema, giving visitors the chance to view films, period newsreels and adverts.
Open now
Norwich Castle
Norwich Castle celebrates the opening of stunning new entrance spaces as the first phase of the National Lottery supported Royal Palace Reborn project is completed.
You will see spectacular views of the east wall of the Keep, which has been hidden for decades, and will now be opened up for visitors to enjoy.
Opening 22 July, with remaining parts of the castle due to open later this year.
Runnymede, National Trust
Visit the site of the sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215 at National Trust’s Runnymede and Ankerwycke.
The Runnymede Explored project has transformed sites in Surrey improving accessibility and increased community engagement. It now contains a new footpath around the site, memorials, and an audio trail delving into the hidden heritage.
Open now
Kilmartin Museum
This month saw the official reopening of Kilmartin Museum in Argyll and Bute in the west of Scotland. The redevelopment received £3.7m from the Heritage Fund and includes artefacts and interpretation covering 12,000 years of human history in Kilmartin Glen.
Visitors can also explore a temporary exhibition gallery, creative and learning space and a Monument Trail exploring some of the 800 ancient monuments in the glen.
Open now
Celebrate #HeritageIsOpen throughout the summer
Since 1994, we’ve supported more than 52,000 heritage projects. If you are visiting any project we’ve supported over the last 30 years, remember to join in the conversation and use the hashtag #HeritageIsOpen and tag us @HeritageFundUK on social media.
