allfreenofeesWHAT THE RULES SAY
Some of the best days out in England cost nothing at all.
Check what is free
FREEsince 2001
Free entry to national museums, free library books and a free festival of hidden buildings are not special offers. They rest on a long-running policy, an Act of Parliament and a festival rule. Knowing where the line sits helps you spot what is free and what may still carry a charge.
Updated
THE SHORT ANSWER
Each one is free for a different reason.
A policy, a law and a festival rule.
MUSEUMS
Free entry to the permanent galleries at all DCMS-sponsored national museums began on 1 December 2001. In September 2026 the government said it would keep universal free entry to their permanent collections.
See the numbersLIBRARIES
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 bars English library authorities from charging to lend printed books to people they serve, or to read them in the library. Reservations and late or damaged returns can be charged.
Check the small printOPEN DAYS
Heritage Open Days runs for 10 days each September across England. It is built on free access: every event must be possible to attend entirely for free.
Plan a free dayGeneral information only, not financial advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a regulated financial adviser or a free money-advice service.
A QUICK FREE-OR-FEE CHECK
Pick something you might do on a day out or at your local library. The answer shows what the rules say, and the bar shows how likely a charge is.
Applies to England. Council library details vary, and museums outside the national group set their own prices.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
One figure on museum visits,
one on how far the open days have grown.
+151%
Rise in visits to London museums that used to charge
Ten years after free entry began, DCMS reported that visits to the London national museums that previously charged had risen by 151 per cent, and those outside London by 148 per cent.
NATIONAL MUSEUMS · DCMS 2011
5,000+
Events now, up from 701 at launch
Heritage Open Days began in 1994 as England's part of European Heritage Days. It has grown from 701 events at launch to over 5,000 today, run by volunteers and organisations across the country.
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS · SINCE 1994
The 15 DCMS-sponsored national museums include the British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Science Museum Group, Tate and the V&A (Museums Association, September 2026).
FOUR WAYS TO USE IT
None of this needs a membership or a voucher. It is about knowing which doors are already open.
Head for the permanent collections, which are free to enter. Check before you go whether a special exhibition you fancy is part of them.
If you live or work in the area, or study there full time, the council must lend you printed books free of charge. Return them on time to avoid any late charges.
Heritage Open Days runs for 10 days each September. Some events ask you to book ahead, so check each listing before you set off.
Donations are welcome but should never feel compulsory. Cafés, shops, car parks and ferries can still have their own prices.
WHY IT IS FREE
Museum entry is free because of government policy: universal free entry reached England's national museums on 1 December 2001, after Wales and Scotland that April. Library loans are different. Section 8 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 forbids library authorities from charging to lend printed books to the people they serve.
Heritage Open Days is free by design. The festival's own rules say no event can be purely about fundraising and that visitors must be able to attend the event described entirely for free. Its organisers say about two thirds of visitors give a donation when they see the chance.
Questions
No. Free entry covers the permanent galleries of the national museums sponsored by DCMS, such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate and the V&A. Other museums set their own admission prices.
Free entry to the permanent galleries at all DCMS-sponsored national museums began on 1 December 2001. In Wales and Scotland universal free entry was introduced in April that year.
Not for a printed book lent to someone the library must serve, meaning people who live or work in the area or are in full-time education there. The 1964 Act does allow charges for reservations and for late or damaged returns.
England's largest festival of history and culture, founded in 1994 and held for 10 days every September. Buildings and places, many usually closed to the public, open their doors and all the events are free.
The event itself is free. Organisers may ask for donations, sell refreshments that are extra to the event, and keep existing car park or ferry fees.
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