How to get free trips to the UK’s best attractions, castles and museums by spending 25p in March - Which? News (2025)

The National Lottery’s Open Week returns this March, bringing with it another chance to get unlimited free entry and cheaper tickets to hundreds of National Trust properties, castles and museums. The offer applies to any visitors presenting a lottery ticket between 15-23 March 2025.

That means if you spend just 25p on a lottery ticket, you’ll be able to visit as many of the Open Week venues as you like between those dates.

The list of venues include some of the UK’s biggest, such as the Eden Project, which would ordinarily cost £42 for entry (£38 in advance).

You could also visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, rated Which? members’ favourite UK attraction in our 2024 survey (admission is usually £21 for adults).

Also listed are Culzean Country Park, Quarry Bank and Stourhead – all rated within Which? members’ top 10 favourites in the same survey.

In 2024, more than 500 venues offered free and discounted entry as part of Open Week, and the list for 2025 continues to grow. Some venues may release offers closer to the time, so keep an eye on the full list for your favourite.

What is National Lottery Open Week?

The National Lottery says its Open Week is a 'way for National Lottery funded venues to say thank you to the players for the £30 million raised for Good Causes every week, by offering free entry, discounts and special offers'.

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How do I get a free day out with the National Lottery?

Just make sure you’re presenting one lottery ticket per person at the entrance of the venue – the cheapest available that we saw was the Prize Ball Red Instant Win game for 25p, available via the free National Lottery app. Keep in mind that some venues might have capacity limits and be extra busy, so it might be worth trying to visit at a non-peak time.

How does it work?

All you need to do is present a lottery card or scratch card at the entrance to participating venues (one per person). It can be digital or physical, and if you happen to have a ticket to hand from playing in the past, there’s no need to purchase a new one. If you do need to buy one, we found an Instant Win for just 50p on the National Lottery website, and an even cheaper one for 25p on the National Lottery app.

Can I book in advance?

It depends on the venue. You should be able to find the specific rules for each one by clicking through from the full venues list to the venue’s offer page, and scrolling down.

It’s worth bearing in mind that some venues allow an entire group to enter with a lottery ticket, whereas some allow one adult and all accompanying children. Others may require you to pay for tickets for those under 18+ (as this is the age requirement for participating in the National Lottery).

Where can I visit for free with a lottery ticket?

During Open Week, you can get free or low-cost entry to all listed venues, along with special extras such as discounts in gift shops and restaurants, or half-price tours. You can use the Open Week to visit a range of historical houses, castles and museums, head to natural beauty spots, take tours of famous sport venues, or get access to participating art galleries, theatres and cinemas.

Visit top-rated National Trust locations for free

How to get free trips to the UK’s best attractions, castles and museums by spending 25p in March - Which? News (1)

Many of Which? Members’ top-rated attractions are available to visit for free during Open Week. We’ve listed all the spots that were among Which? Members’ top 25 best rated below:

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Culzean Country Park – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Quarry Bank – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Stourhead – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Powis Castle and Garden – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Calke Abbey – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Croome – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Cliveden – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Mottisfont – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Tyntesfield – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

More Open Week 2025 offers for museums, galleries and other cultural attractions

How to get free trips to the UK’s best attractions, castles and museums by spending 25p in March - Which? News (2)

The Eden Project – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

World Rugby Museum – 2 for 1 entry – 15-16 & 18-23 March 2025

Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre – Free entry – 22-23 March 2025

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum – Free entry – 15-23 March 2025

Glasgow Science Centre – Kids go free – 15-16 & 19-23 March 2025

Edinburgh Zoo – Buy one get one free – 15-23 March 2025

Cambridge Museum of Technology – Free entry – 15-16 & 21-23 March 2025

Armagh Observatory and Planetarium – Half price entry – 15-23 March 2025

Florence Nightingale Museum – Free entry – 15-16 & 18-23 March 2025

How to get free trips to the UK’s best attractions, castles and museums by spending 25p in March - Which? News (3)

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How to get free trips to the UK’s best attractions, castles and museums by spending 25p in March - Which? News (2025)

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