Our museums, Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house, Windermere Jetty Museum and Abbot Hall are offering free entry this March. So, whether you enjoy visiting historic houses, have an interest in interior design, are interested in engineering, love boats or simply want to admire the stunning views of the lake and fells, come and visit us this week.
Bring along a National Lottery ticket or Scratchcard (physical or digital) to receive free entry for up to one adult and one child (5-15 years old) at one of our attractions between 7-15 March 2026 as part of the National Lottery Open Week. You can book a ticket online in advance on our website using code BWOPENWEEK for Blackwell, WJOPENWEEK for Windermere Jetty Museum or AHOPENWEEK for Abbot Hall. Alternatively, you could simply turn up on the day and redeem this offer. Just remember to bring your National Lottery product with you.
If you’ve never been before, now is the time to discover Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house. It is located just five minutes’ drive outside Bowness town centre with views overlooking the lake. It is a historic house that tells the story of design, social reform and its unusual past as a family holiday home and school. As well as the permanent collection of furniture, textiles and artworks displayed in the rooms, it has temporary art exhibitions, a tea room and free parking. The current exhibition Frances Priest: Motif | Line | Colour links beautifully to the setting and explores the power of ornaments to tell stories. Entry to the grounds, house and exhibition are all included in the offer. To learn more about this unique building and the objects inside, there are daily volunteer led guided tours at 11am and 2pm.
Windermere Jetty Museum you can enjoy a full day out on the shores of Windermere. There is a permanent collection of rare boats and curious objects including the worlds earliest example of a mechanically powered boat, Dolly, which even features in the Guinness Book of Records! During the Open Week visitors can enjoy exploring the museum galleries, listen to a daily talk at 11.30am by one of the onsite boat builders, solve the clues on the Code Breaker challenge, admire Windermere from a different perspective through the lens of Juliet Klottrup in her solo An Archive exhibition, or simply take in the views in the Lakeshore café or sheltered seating outside. Dogs on leads are welcomed outdoors and in the café.
Get ready for a creative day out at Abbot Hall art gallery in Kendal. The gallery will begin the week with a public unveiling marking the return of the beloved Oval Form (Trezion) sculpture by Barbara Hepworth. Uncover themes of migration, metamorphosis, and transformation in Turner Prize winner Simon Starling’s solo exhibition, Boat Works. Discover stories connected to South Lakeland’s heritage in the Collection Galleries displays alongside a free digital guide available on the Bloomberg Connects app.
