“Included with admission” – three little words, savvy ways to save.
With the school holidays in full swing, it's the perfect time for a reminder of just how great Richmond's attractions are, and how, with a bit of clever planning, you can win at managing the summer break, without crashing the family economy.
So, if you’re looking for cost-effective ways of keeping small people busy during the school holidays, read on...
At The Green Howards Museum you get unlimited repeat visits for a whole year when you buy your museum adult admission (£5), and under 10s get in absolutely FREE. So, if you’ve got a few under 10’s in your life, your adult admission works out at less than £1 a week over the summer break to bring them all in, unlimited times over the holidays. It’s valid for 12 months from issue, so that's the half terms and Easter 2023 covered too. Here's what's included with young museum visitors in mind…
- THE QUIZ. Famously tricky, but do it as a team and claim your reward
- COLOURING STATION. Try getting the little ones past the paper and pencils
- CODE BREAKERS TRAIL. Spot the QR codes dotted around the museum. Scan them to access added extras like an interview with our very own First World War flying ace, or an intriguing ‘dead or alive, you decide’ mystery photograph
- CARTOONS. A step by step drawing guide from famous cartoonist (and Green Howard soldier) Fred May
- UNIFORMS. Try them for size
- DOT DOT DOT. Send a message in morse code
- HOW’S YOUR MEMORY? Try and complete a battlefield sketch using just the power of your mind, then relax, pull up a chair and match a pair of Georgian gents in this classic parlour game
The grounds of Richmond Castle offer a great green open space to let off steam, as well as the perfect place for a quiet picnic in stunnning surroundings. It's an English Heritage site, so members get in free, as do under 5s if you are a non-member paying a one-off admission (from £6.30). The exhibition area is well worth a look, and youngsters will like spotting all the other Richmonds of the world picked out on their giant map.
The Richmondshire Museum tells the story of the people who shaped the area over hundreds of years. Children go free, and a getting yourself a season ticket (£7.50) means you can bring them in unlimited times until the end of October.
Over at The Georgian Theatre Experience, youngsters can get up close to the panto props like the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk or Mother Goose from the Theatre’s first in-house panto back in 2010. With the chance to see the theatre from all angles - in front of and behind the curtain, above and below the stage, they've even been known to tread the historic boards and perform a quick song or soliloquy.
The Station is free to enter, and it's great to imagine it what it must have been like when trains were pulling into the platform, and buying your ticket for travel in what's now the cinema box office.
Throughout the holidays, The Station team are offering an All Things Wild and Wonderful activity trail between 10am and 4pm. Spot the wild things hiding around The Station, solve the puzzle and win a prize. Trail booklets are £1 per child, and are jam-packed with games, competitions and activities. Available from The Station Shop.
There's also special 'Draw along live' event with Liz Million (charges apply) on 20 August. Find out more here.
And if you've been enjoying all that The Station has to offer, why not stay in that area and walk, or ride bikes along what was once the track to Easby Abbey - another English Heritage site, but this one's free to enter and offers endless opportunities for hide and seek amongst the extensive ruins.
For more ideas and information about things to do in Richmond, visit the EXPLORE section.