Heritage Open Days (HODs) is to return in September 2022 and will this year celebrate ‘Astounding Inventions’ across the country with the help of museums and heritage sites.
This year’s festival, which runs from 9th-18th September, will see participating heritage sites in England consider the history of inventions, industry, and innovation, from transporting visitors back to the industrial revolution, examining inventions, highlighting the legacy of a local inventor, or showcasing cutting-edge innovations.
Heritage Open Days is coordinated and promoted nationally by the National Trust with support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and run locally by a large range of organisations including civic societies, heritage organisations, local councils, and thousands of volunteers.
Last year’s festival, which ran with the theme ‘Edible England’ saw 1,528 organisers and 33,100 volunteers create a total of 3,445 in-person events alongside 421 online events. In total, the festival counted a total of 738,000 festival visits.
While events organised as part of Heritage Open Days are free, the organisation reports that last year two thirds of visitors made donations during the festivals.
Heritage Open Days was first established in 1994 as England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days and has since grown into the country’s largest heritage festival.
Organisations that wish to be involved in this year’s festival can register at the HODs website.
