Heritage Open Days is bigger than ever!

20 years of MK Heritage Open Days: over 300 free events showcase Milton Keynes at its very best

MK Heritage Open Days celebrates its 20th anniversary this September. This year’s festival is the biggest ever, with more than 300 free events delivered by 84 organisations over ten days, celebrating everything from ancient history to modern architecture and making it one of the largest Heritage Open Days festivals in England.

What began with just 15 events in 2006 has grown into one of the country’s largest Heritage Open Days programmes, proving once again that the old claim that Milton Keynes ‘has no history’ couldn’t be further from the truth.

From the 11^th to the 20^th of September there are 10 days packed with unforgettable free events. There’s something for everyone. Step back into the Middle Ages and enroll for sword school at Bradwell Abbey’s Medieval Fayre. Discover the story of hip hop culture in MK with exhibitions and film screenings. Explore our ancient churches, where you’ll find talks, tours and lots of tea and cake. Take in striking photography that celebrates MK’s modern architecture from Hotel La Tour’s new digital gallery up on the 14^th floor.

Families are spoilt for choice this year – get into the party spirit at the Mini Caribbean Carnival that’ll be popping up in Midsummer Place, visit the floating market at Wolverton’s first annual Canal & Rail Festival, get hands-on at Cotswold Archaeology’s open day, celebrate the harvest in a day of family-friendly fun at Bradwell Windmill, have a go at making your own creations inspired by Westbury Arts Centre’s beautiful garden sculpture trail, enrol as codebreakers at Bletchley Park, browse the Street Of Shops and explore toys from another age at MK Museum – the list goes on and on!

Living Archive MK co-ordinates MK Heritage Open Days on behalf of MK City Council. As Milton Keynes bids to become UK City of Culture 2029, MK Heritage Open Days provides the city’s biggest annual celebration of the stories, creativity and communities that make Milton Keynes unique.

This year, the 84 organisations taking part include: Arts Central, Black Sheep Collective CIC, Bletchley Park, Bradwell Windmill Project, Cotswold Archaeology, the Cowper & Newton Museum, Future Wolverton, KalaSanskruti UK, Men In Sheds MK, MK Arts Centre, MK City Discovery Centre, MK Gallery, MK Museum, the National Museum of Computing, the National Trust, the Parks Trust, Q:alliance, the Stables Theatre, Ukraine Appeal CIO, Unity Place, Westbury Arts Centre, We Are The Iroko CIC, Willen Hospice and many, many more.

MK Heritage Open Days simply wouldn’t happen without the dedication of dozens of organisations and hundreds of volunteers who give their time, enthusiasm and expertise to make the festival possible. Thank you to every one of them.

Whether you’ve lived here for fifty years or arrived last month, there’s never been a better time to discover the stories behind Milton Keynes. Pick up a free brochure from Milton Keynes libraries or Get Smart carousel stands in local supermarkets from early August, or browse the full programme online at https://www.livingarchive.org.uk/events/category/events

Download a copy of the brochure here

Please keep checking the Living Archive website Events page and our social media to keep in touch with any updates to the events.