Heritage NewsDesk: Get Involved and Hold Your Own Heritage Open Day

The 2026 Heritage Open Days will take place from 11 to 20 September. Heritage Open Days is England’s largest community-led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community, and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. All the events are free.

269 industrial heritage sites in England took part in Heritage Open Days (HoD) 2025, offering guided walks, talks, and exhibitions as well as hands on experiences. If you would like to take part then the HoD website has full details on how to list a site, event, and/or acitvity.

For further details on how to take part as an event and/or site organiser follow this link: Get involved

Heritage Open Days 2025

As in previous years, several hundred industrial heritage sites will be opening their doors for free to the public, whilst dozens more events, from talks to walks, will look at the stories of industrial archaeology, history, and the people involved across England. With the ‘Railway 200’ anniversary celebrations for the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825 culminating at the end of September, it seems appropriate that there are over a hundred railway-related sites and events available this year.