CATEGORY · A HUDDLEPIN LIST
Castles, Historic Houses & Heritage in Nottingham
Nottingham has proper history on its doorstep. Wollaton Hall has a dinosaur gallery inside its Grade I mansion and 500 acres of deer park to walk it off in, tickets from £18 with under-15s included. Green's Windmill is free to enter, right in Nottingham, with a working mill to climb and a science centre for wet afternoons. Out at Ravenshead, Newstead Abbey spreads across 300 acres with a play park and trails, and kids go free with a paying adult. For free days, Bestwood Country Park has hilly trails and an old engine house with no entry or parking charge. Southwell Minster asks a £5 donation and is dog-friendly if you want the grounds as much as the building. Toddlers do best somewhere with space to wander, like Newstead or Bestwood; older kids will get more from Wollaton's dinosaurs or a longer trip out to Southwell's Workhouse and Infirmary, where costumed characters and kids' trails bring the Georgian buildings alive from £7.50, with free parking a short walk off.
28 places 3 upcoming events 11 free to visit
What's on: castles, historic houses & heritage
Places for castles, historic houses & heritage
from £3.82Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Ashby de la Zouch
Ruined Hastings Tower, siege tunnel and Ivanhoe-famous courtyards - a climb-and-explore castle day near Ashby.
ToiletsParkingPicnic areaDog friendly+1 more
FreeBestwood Country Park
Nottingham
Walk the hilly park trails, poke round the winding engine house and picnic - free entry and parking.
Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféFree parking+7 more
Bolsover Castle Visitor Centre & Café
Bolsover
A hilltop castle with a wooden play castle outside, a dressing up box, and 107 steps to climb inside the real one.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+11 more
Bromley House Library
Nottingham
A members' library in an old Nottingham townhouse, with a children's library and tours that let non-members peek inside.
Booking requiredMembership schemePublic transport nearbyWi-Fi
Canalside Heritage Centre
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
A recreated Victorian lock cottage by the River Trent, with lunch in the gardens if the weather's playing along.
CaféFood on sitePicnic area
FreeCromford Mills
Cromford, Derbyshire
A free mill yard, shops and exhibition, with paid tours telling the story of the world's first water powered cotton mill.
CaféGift shopPicnic area
FreeDerby Cathedral
Derby
Free to walk round, with a tower tour worth booking and monuments that'll keep older kids busy for a bit.
ToiletsCaféGift shop
from £3Framework Knitters Museum
Ruddington · ages 0+
Real Victorian knitting frames still working, a go at a vintage knitting machine, and a free-to-enter café even on closed days.
Birthday partiesCaféGift shopGroup bookings+5 more
FreeGlenfield Tunnel
Leicester
Seasonal guided walks into a historic 1829 railway tunnel near Leicester - free with donation, book via LIHS.
Booking required
FreeGreen's Windmill & Science Centre
Nottingham · ages 0+
Free-entry restored windmill, science centre and garden in Nottingham, climb the mill (when not under repair), try science experiments, and let the kids run round the community garden.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more
from £12.50Jewry Wall Museum
Leicester
Roman bathhouse ruins and interactive museum on St Nicholas Circle - adults from £12.50, kids free through Oct 2026.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shopBooking required+3 more
from £12.50King Richard III Visitor Centre
Leicester
Museum on the Greyfriars dig site telling Richard III's story - adults from £12.50, under-4s free.
CaféGift shopWheelchair accessibleToilets+1 more
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Kirby Muxloe
Unfinished brick castle with moat and patterned gatehouse - English Heritage tours on select dates near Leicester.
ParkingPicnic areaDog friendlyBooking required
from £2Laxton
Laxton
A village that still farms medieval open fields, with a short film and information boards explaining how it all works.
Group bookings
FreeLeicester Cathedral
Leicester
A free-to-enter cathedral with a Richard III history gallery, guided tours and quiet corners worth a wander with kids.
ToiletsCaféGift shop
FreeLeicester Guildhall
Leicester
Free 600-year-old timber Guildhall with medieval galleries and a family quest - open daily near the Cathedral.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shop
Lincoln Castle
Lincoln · ages 0-13
Climb medieval castle walls and see the original Magna Carta in the vault below.
ToiletsCaféGift shopParking
from £12.95Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln · ages 0-16
Explore a huge medieval cathedral with a free floor tour, an exhibition gallery and hands on craft activities for kids.
ToiletsCaféGift shopWheelchair accessible
from £14National Tramway Museum
Matlock
Ride vintage trams down a rebuilt period street, then loose the kids in a woodland sculpture trail while you eat into a free return visit.
Free parkingParkingGift shopFood on site+6 more
FreeNewarke Houses Museum
Leicester
Free social-history museum with toys, a 1950s street and gardens - limited Saturday and holiday opening, so check dates.
School visitsGroup bookingsPicnic areaLockers
from £18Newstead Abbey
Ravenshead
A 300-acre estate near Nottingham with a play park, trails and a house walkthrough, kids go free with a paying adult.
Baby changeBooking requiredBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more
FreePickford's House
Derby · ages 0+
Free Georgian townhouse museum on Friar Gate - rooms, toys and a garden shop, Tue-Sat 10-5.
Bike parkingFree parkingGift shopParking+2 more
Renaissance at Kelham Hall
Newark
A grand Victorian hall near Newark that's really a wedding venue, with guided tours on selected days if you fancy a look inside.
Booking requiredCard onlyDog friendlyFree parking+4 more
FreeSouthwell Minster
Southwell
Southwell - free-entry minster (£5 suggested donation), dog-friendly grounds and carved stone leaves for kids to spot.
Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+10 more
FreeSt Mary Magdalene Church Newark
Newark
Pick up a free kids history trail and hunt characters from Lady Godiva to Joan Howson inside Newark's Grade I parish church - no entrance fee.
ToiletsBaby changeWheelchair accessibleCafé+2 more
from £7.50The Workhouse and Infirmary
Southwell · ages 0-16
A rare, atmospheric Georgian workhouse and Victorian infirmary near Southwell, kids' trails and costumed characters bring the history alive, with free parking a short walk away.
Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+13 more
Thoresby Park
Newark
Newark - Thoresby Park estate with play park, courtyard cafe, woodland walks and a free military museum.
Booking requiredCaféGift shopIndoor play+6 more
from £18Wollaton Hall & Deer Park
Nottingham · ages 0-15
A dinosaur gallery inside a Grade I mansion, plus 500 acres of deer park to walk off the museum legs.
Baby changeBlue badge parkingBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more
IN SEASON AROUND NOTTINGHAM
Good to know: castles, historic houses & heritage in Nottingham
Are any of them free?
Yes, Bestwood Country Park, Cromford Mills, Derby Cathedral, Glenfield Tunnel and 7 more are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £2 at Laxton. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Which ones are indoor?
Bromley House Library, Cromford Mills, Derby Cathedral, Framework Knitters Museum and 9 more are indoor, good to keep up your sleeve for a rainy day.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find castles, historic houses & heritage in Ashby de la Zouch, Nottingham, Bolsover, Beeston, Cromford and 10 more. Every place we list is in or around Nottingham, and each listing has the full address and directions.
More ways to plan a day out
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