Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history & culture, taking place every September and involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Stories are told, traditions explored and histories brought to life. The festival provides members of the general public with the chance to see usually hidden places and try out brand-new experiences. And what’s more, it’s all absolutely FREE...

The event returns this year from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September - and here are just some of the venues you can explore around the region...

Wolverhampton and Black Country

Aldridge Transport Museum | Shenstone Drive, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8TP
Explore a fascinating collection of historic buses and commercial vehicles at this road transport museum, which showcases vehicles that were built in or operated across the West Midlands. Alongside the buses, a range of transport-related artefacts and smaller vehicles help to tell the story of the region’s transport heritage.

The museum offers easy wheelchair access and the chance to step aboard selected buses for a glimpse of what public transport was once like. Subject to availability, visitors may also be able to enjoy short rides on one of the museum’s vintage buses.

Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September | 10.30am-4pm, pre-booking not required

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Dudley Museum at The Archives | Dudley Museum at The Archives, Tipton Road, Dudley, DY1 4SQ

Step into the world of Black Country industry and explore the lives of the workers who helped shape the region’s industrial heritage. Through artwork from Dudley Museum’s collection, visitors can uncover the stories, skills and everyday experiences behind the factories, foundries and workshops of the past. A guided talk offers further insight into these fascinating artworks and the people they portray, while free craft activities for children make this an enjoyable experience for visitors of all ages.

Saturday 12 Sept | 11am-2pm, pre-booking preferred

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Galton Valley Pumping Station | Galton Valley Pumping Station, Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick, B66 1AQ

Take a stroll along the Old Mainline Canal and visit Galton Valley Pumping Station, a small but fascinating museum located beside the towpath in Smethwick.

Once used to regulate water levels between the Old Mainline and New Mainline canals, the station now tells the story of its important role in the canal network, as well as the lives and work of the people who depended on it. Packed with local history, it offers an interesting insight into Smethwick’s canal heritage and industrial past.

Saturday 19 September | 11am-3pm, pre-booking not required

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Wolverhampton Art Gallery Stores Tour | Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street, WV1 1DU

Go behind the scenes at Wolverhampton Art Gallery with a special tour led by the Collections Officer. Home to more than 20,000 artworks and objects, the collection features everything from pieces reflecting the Black Country’s industrial heritage, to works by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. Learn how the collection has grown since the late 19th century through donations, acquisitions and pioneering collecting policies, and gain a rare insight into items usually kept out of public view. Please note that the stores are not wheelchair accessible.

Wednesday 16 September | 11am-12pm, pre-booking required

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Wolves Museum | Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, Molineux Stadium, WV1 4QR
Follow the colourful story of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wolves Museum, which charts the club’s illustrious history, from its role as a founder member of the Football League to its status as one of the game’s most influential teams. Visitors can explore dedicated displays, historic artefacts and an evolving timeline showcasing the club’s greatest triumphs and challenges.

The museum also features a Wolves Women section, a film celebrating more than 150 years of the club’s history, and a Hall of Fame honouring legendary players. Suitable for all ages, it offers a fascinating insight into both the club and the city it represents

Tuesday 15 & Wednesday 16 September | 10.30am-4pm, pre-booking preferred

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Shropshire

Benthall Hall, Broseley, TF12 5RX
Step inside this beautiful Tudor home, on the site of which the Benthall family has lived for more than 1,000 years. The house was built in 1535, features mullioned windows, an impressive carved oak staircase, decorated plaster ceilings and oak panelling, and boasts a fascinating history that spans the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution.

Visitors can explore the carefully restored plantsman’s garden, kitchen garden and Victorian glasshouse, complete with seasonal crocuses, roses, orchids and cherry trees.

A special exhibition celebrates Victorian polymath George Maw, once a tenant at Benthall Hall and a leading figure in the encaustic tile industry.

Saturday 12, Monday 14 & Sunday 20 September | 12pm-4pm, pre-booking not required

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Broseley Pipe Works
Broseley Pipe Works, Duke Street, Broseley, Telford, TF12 5LX
Explore two historic factories which were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and discover the lives of ordinary women who worked in the ceramic industries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 
Visit Broseley Pipe Works and Coalport China Museum to uncover stories of generations of workers through archive material, including a recently donated wages ledger from Broseley. In partnership with Findmypast, visitors can also begin researching their own family history and learn more about the people who lived and worked in Ironbridge Gorge.

Friday 11 - Sunday 13 & Friday 18 - Sunday 20 September | 10am-4pm, pre-booking required

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Shropshire Museums Collections Centre, 7-9 Parkway, Ludlow, SY8 2PG
Go behind the scenes at Shropshire Museums Collections Centre and see the remains of five woolly mammoths discovered at a quarry in Condover in 1986.

During this curator-led tour, visitors can view the Ice Age giants in their purpose-built stores and learn how they were discovered and excavated with help from the local community.

The experience is suitable for all ages | Sat 12 Sept | 10am-11am,  pre-booking required

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St Alkmund’s Church Tower Tour | St Alkmund’s Church, Church Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1LB
Take the opportunity to climb the tower of the Grade I listed St Alkmund’s Church and enjoy spectacular views across the surrounding countryside. Along the way, explore each level of the parish church, including the ringing room, clock mechanism and church bells, before reaching the roof.

At the top, diagrams help identify the major landmarks visible from the impressive vantage point.

Friday 11 & Saturday 12 September | 10.30am, 11.15am, 12pm, 2.15pm, 3pm and 3.45pm, pre-booking required

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Tour of Wenlock Abbey | Wenlock Abbey, Bull Ring, Much Wenlock,  TF13 6EN
Enjoy a special afternoon at Wenlock Abbey, beginning with a guided tour of the remarkable Grade I listed building and including an intimate performance in the Great Hall. Acclaimed impressionist and comedian Alistair McGowan will perform alongside his wife, singer Charlotte Page, and pianist Lana Bode, presenting a personal selection of popular songs and lesser-known poems by Noel Coward.

Set within the historic former Cluniac priory, this unique event combines heritage, music and entertainment in an atmospheric setting. Advance booking is essential, with limited places available.

Sunday 13 September | 2.30pm-4.30pm, pre-booking required

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Staffordshire

Brampton Museum: Costumed Tours | The Brampton Museum, Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 0QP
Step back into Victorian England with a series of short, costumed tours of Brampton Museum and its recreated Victorian street. Hear about the family who lived in the house during the 1890s and discover more about the businesses that once formed part of Victorian Newcastle. For this special event, visitors can also take a peek inside Pidduck’s watch & clock shop, listen to its clocks chime and handle some of the historic objects.

Saturday 19 September | 11.30am-4pm, pre-booking preferred

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Biddulph Grange Garden Open Gates | Biddulph Grange Garden, Grange Road, Biddulph, ST8 7SD
Follow in the footsteps of an 1850s visitor to Biddulph Grange Garden and explore the wider estate once shaped by landowner & horticulturist James Bateman.

Take the Bateman Walk into the adjacent churchyard, complete the mile-long route to the cave, or wander along Lime Avenue to St Lawrence Church, where Bateman once preached. For a longer adventure, head through the Long Walk gates and into Biddulph Grange Country Park, now managed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust... The open gates offer a rare chance to explore these historic landscapes beyond the garden itself.

Friday 11 & Saturday 12 September | 10am-5pm, pre-booking not required

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Everyday Histories: Showpeople Of North Staffordshire | 25 Merrial Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 2AE
Explore the colourful world of North Staffordshire’s travelling showpeople and discover the families who bring the excitement of the fair to communities across the region. Through photographs, memories, stories, film and talks, learn about their traditions, resilience and remarkable history, celebrating the generations behind the rides, shows and attractions. The event also highlights local connections to Philip Astley, the North Staffordshire-born pioneer known as the father of the modern circus.

Friday 11 - Saturday 12 & Thursday 17 - Saturday 19 September | 11am-4pm, pre-booking not required

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Kinver Edge & the Rock Houses | Holy Austin Rock House, Compton Road, Kinver, Stourbridge, DY7 6DL
Step inside the quirky Holy Austin Rock Houses, where families lived until the 1960s, and experience these unusual homes carved directly into the red sandstone. Explore the restored dwellings, settle by the fire and hear stories from volunteers about the people who once lived there.

Visitors can also enjoy a freshly baked cream tea or light bites in the tearoom... Outside, explore Kinver Edge, with heathland, woodland and sandstone landscapes, as well as spectacular views across several counties from the Iron Age hill fort.

Saturday 12, Friday 18 & Sunday 20 September | 10.30am-3.30pm, pre-booking not required

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Stoke Minster, Glebe Street Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 1LP
Explore the fascinating history of Stoke Minster, a site that has served the people of Stoke-on-Trent since the 7th century. Take guided tours of the Minster and grounds, see the tombs of famous Spode and Wedgwood potters, admire Minton tiles and exquisite stained glass, and explore the memorials and tiles that tell the stories of generations of local people. Visitors can also climb the 32 steps to the belfry for a demonstration of the bells, enjoy drone photography revealing hidden views of the Minster and Six Towns, and try newly launched self-guided walks.

Friday 18 September | 10am-2pm, pre-booking not required

For further information on Heritage Open Days across the region, visit heritageopendays.org.uk