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Heritage Open Days guide 2026 - Wakefield Museums and Castles
Heritage Open Days guide 2026
Wednesday, August 19, 2026Heritage Open Days is back across England, 11 to 20 September!
Every September thousands there are thousands of free events exploring local history and culture across the country. It's your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences. Even better, every event is free!
Wakefield Museums and Castles runs a programme of special events for Heritage Open Days every September.
Read on for our handy guide to all Heritage Open Days events across our sites. All events are free, but booking is required for some of them.
Talk: Pontefract hermitage and dispensary
Friday 11 September, 2pm to 3pm
Adults 18+
Fully booked - waiting list available
Have you ever walked past Pontefract Dispensary and wondered what stories it hides?
Join the creative team behind ‘The Dispensary and Hermitage: Celebrating Pontefract’s Unique Heritage’ for a fascinating talk and insight into this digital interpretation project.
Learn more about the dispensary, and the 14th century hermitage it’s built on top of. See virtual reality and immersive technologies bring these spaces to life.
Heritage Open Days: Sandal Castle tour
Saturday 12 September, tours at 11am and 1:30pm
Adults 18+
Free - booking required
Discover the history of Sandal Castle on this tour around the castle grounds and ruins.
Join our volunteers for a fascinating journey through 500 years of history.
There will be two routes around the grounds available for attendees with different levels of mobility.
Heritage Open Days: Dungeon Tours
Saturday 12 September: tours at 10:45, 11:30, 13:30, 14:15, 15:00
Saturday 19 September: tours at 10:45, 11:30, 13:30, 14:15, 15:00
Ages 6+
Free for Heritage Open Days - booking required.
Join us for a free tour of the Pontefract Castle dungeon!
Soak in the atmosphere of this eerie underground space.
Discover the many uses of the dungeon. See where English Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock.
Free tickets can also be booked on the morning of the tour from the castle gift shop, subject to availability. Online tickets will not be available on the day of the tour.
Talk: Pontefract Castle - this is your life!
Thursday 17 September, 2pm to 3:15pm
Adults 18+
Free - booking required
Join us for a whistlestop tour through Pontefract Castle’s fascinating history!
Discover some of the most interesting and intriguing stories from the castle’s past.
Heritage Open Days: Museum Store tours
Friday 18 September - 11am to 12pm (Adults 18+ only)
Friday 18 September - 2pm to 3pm (Adults 18+ only)
Saturday 19 September, 10am to 11am (Adults 18+ only)
Saturday 19 September, 11:30am to 12:30pm (Families with children aged 8+)
Wakefield Museums and Castles store (Ossett)
Adults 18+ (Fri / Sat); families (Sat 11:30am)
Free - booking required
Go behind the scenes and discover some of the wonders of Wakefield Museums and Castles Collections.
Led by experts in the collections team, delve into a treasure trove of objects from Wakefield’s past. Find out how our team keep them safe.
Finish with a quick look at some highlights from the collections. These include treasures from our social history, archaeology and costume collections. Be amazed by medieval stonework, world-leading sports equipment, and fantastic plastics!
Heritage Open Days: Pontefract tales storytelling
Saturday 19 September
SEND session: 10:30am to 11:30am
Ages 6+ sessions: 1pm and 2pm
Free - booking required
Join Beccy from StoryTrails for an interactive storytelling session. Discover stories about everyday people from Pontefract’s past, doing extraordinary things!
Book your free tickets and enjoy masterful storytelling together as a family.
Explore all upcoming events
Browse all of our upcoming events on our What's On page. There's something for everyone! Where will your next adventure take you?