Parents can put their eggs in one basket this Easter with Bath Preservation Trust's selection of free activities with museum entry across three attractions.
Bath Preservation Trust is offering free drop-in activities with entry at its historic museums No.1 Royal Crescent and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy during the Easter holidays, designed to inspire creativity and keep young minds thinking and learning. Children get free museum entry, and must be accompanied by a paying adult. While Beckford’s Tower museum remains closed, the team will be running an Easter activity in the Tower’s secret garden.
From 1 - 16 April 2023 (excluding Mondays) at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, children can create their own planet suncatcher, perfect to make the most of the sunshine as the days grow longer and fill their rooms with colour!
A few minutes’ walk from the popular playground at Royal Victoria Park, the Herschel Museum of Astronomy is one of the city’s lesser-known highlights. In this attraction, which occupies the former home of William and Caroline Herschel, visitors can learn all about the startlingly talented brother-sister duo, whom between them made several important discoveries. Caroline made history by discovering eight comets and becoming the first female astronomer in the UK to be paid a salary, and William doubled the size of the known universe through his discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781, and there is so much more to their story. Stand on the flagstones upon which William once paced as he created his own telescopes by hand, and visit the music room to learn about William and Caroline’s other talents. You can even look up into the sky from the very spot where William discovered the planet Uranus in the museum garden! The museum recently acquired a handwritten draft of Caroline’s memoirs, thanks to generous funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of National Libraries, facilitated via Christie’s Private Sales. This item is now on display for the first time – another great reason to visit this year!
Running 1 – 16 April (excluding Mondays), the exhibition gallery at No.1 Royal Crescent will become an arts and crafts space where children can weave an Easter basket with colourful ribbon and wool; perfect to collect and store their Easter eggs.
In addition to the Easter fun, No.1 Royal Crescent is running a special Conservator Challenge trail throughout the year to introduce children to the perils of pests and pollution. The trail will take families around the house to find museum pests and hazards, and stop them in their tracks! This year’s core programme theme across the museums is Conservation In Action; interactive activities such as the Conservator Challenge introduce this theme to younger visitors in an engaging way.
No.1 Royal Crescent is a fascinating museum decorated and furnished just as it might have been during the period of 1776-1796. Featuring historic furniture, paintings and objects that reveal what life was like for Bath’s fashionable residents – both upstairs and downstairs – in one of the city’s most exclusive and desirable addresses, there is also an award-winning immersive experience (which can be enjoyed as part of a paid self-led or guided tour) that brings the house to life. Using a blend of film and sound, visitors will get a very real sense of what it would have been like to live there.
Booking is not required to enjoy these family activities, which are free with museum entry. Children will enjoy free museum entry when accompanied by a paying adult.
No.1 Royal Crescent and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy introduced a new annual pass system this year, to simplify the ticketing structure and offer return visitors far greater value for money. The former Day tickets and on/off peak prices have been removed in favour of offering individuals and families a pass valid for a whole year, with children able to enjoy free entry. Priced at just £15 for an individual adult at No.1 Royal Crescent and £12 at the Herschel Museum or £22 for a joint pass, with under-18s going free at both venues, the new annual pass offers holders unlimited visits for 12 months after purchase.
Beckford’s Tower remains closed to the public while it undergoes extensive repairs and updates, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other donors. During the Easter Holidays the team will run an outdoor Easter activity in the Tower’s secret garden: ‘Beckford's Secret Spring Garden Trail.’ Families can come and find “spring flowers” – created from recycled plastics by a local artist - in Beckford’s Secret Garden, then take home a craft idea to make their own flowers at home. This will be a free activity running at Beckford’s Tower from the 1 April to the 16 April over the Easter Holidays.
Claire Dixon, Director of Museums for Bath Preservation Trust says: “Spring is an exciting time of year for families with lots to see and do, so we’re delighted to be providing free fun for children throughout the Easter break. As always, our activities are underpinned by learning objectives, to encourage children to learn through play and creativity. The new annual passes are also an exciting way for us to bring value, especially for local residents who are best placed to use their passes continually throughout the year, improving on the value of previous Discovery Card discounts and offering everyone a great reason to keep coming back."
For more information about these free Easter holiday activities (including times and dates) plus their host venues, visit https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk/, https://herschelmuseum.org.uk/, and https://beckfordstower.org.uk/.
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