Heritage Open Week 2009

October 2009

Events, talks, walks and activities aimed at the whole family will be held at venues across Bath and North East Somerset as they celebrate Heritage Open Week during half term, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. And it’s all free to local residents!

Heritage Open Week has been organised for local people by Bath & North East Somerset Council for over 20 years and is designed to recognise the amazing range of collections and activities available in Bath and North East Somerset. A record 24 organisations are taking part over the 9 days of Heritage Open Week, and this year the theme is Great Ideas. There will also be a trail for children to follow around the all venues taking part.

Witness a Magic Lantern Show at the American Museum and gaze at the stars with the Herschel Museum of Astronomy who are hosting an evening Star Party. Discover the Great Ideas invented in Bath at the Museum of Bath at Work and find out what the Romans did for us at the Roman Baths. Become a leaf taxonomist at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Society, go fossil collecting with the Radstock Museum and visit the new information centre at the Botanical Gardens and take part in a Heritage Hunt in the park. Walk around Combe Down village and discover the source of Bath stone, then follow the spooky Halloween trail at Prior Park – there is so much to do every day….

The Council’s Head of Heritage Services Stephen Bird said, “Bath and North East Somerset has an unrivalled array of museums and heritage sites which record the history and character of the district. Open Week is our own ‘museumsfest’ – an opportunity for everyone to explore and celebrate this rich inheritance.”