Classic jukebox factory tour, Leeds
England’s Heritage Open Days run from 8 to 17 September encompassing more than 5,000 volunteer-run events, tours and openings, all of which are free. For this year’s festival, Sound Leisure, which has been manufacturing classic jukeboxes since 1978, will be offering tours of its Leeds factory and showroom, with the chance to meet the team who hand-build these retro wonders.
14 September, 10am, booking required
Behind the scenes at the BFI Archive, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
Delve into the British Film Institute archives on a guided tour of the John Paul Getty Junior Conservation Centre in Berkhamsted, with access to the film vaults and library, plus a programme of curatorial talks and demonstrations of the history of projection.
17 September, 10.30am-4pm, no booking required
Gothic Temple, Stowe Gardens, Buckinghamshire
Visitors to Stowe Gardens will be offered a rare chance to see inside the 18th century Gothic Temple. Restored by the Landmark Trust, the folly is normally rented out as a holiday let, but its circular rooms, domed mosaic ceilings and turrets will be open to prebooked visitors for one weekend.
16 and 17 September, 10.30am-4.30pm. Admission to the Gothic Temple is free, but needs to be booked. Normal National Trust entrance prices apply for access to Stowe Gardens, apart from Sunday 17 September when the gardens will open free of charge
Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, Glasgow
The atmospheric Britannia Panopticon will be showing off its collection of theatrical artefacts, props and costumes as part of Glasgow’s Doors Open Days festival, which runs from 11 to 17 September. Sample Victorian treats at the world’s oldest surviving music hall and watch screenings of Lumiere film from the 1890s.
15 and 16 September 11am-5pm and 17 September, 12pm-5pm, no booking required
Drop-in day at the Isokon Building, Hampstead, London
London’s Open House Festival will run from 6 to 17 September, opening the doors of some of the city’s most notable residential and public buildings and shining a light on some of its hidden corners. Don’t miss the chance to take a peek inside the Isokon Building, a Grade-I listed 1934 residential block of flats in Hampstead, designed by Canadian modernist architect Wells Coates.
16 and 17 September, 11am-4pm, no booking required
Hidden Heritage Graffiti Trail, Oxford
Discover the secret history behind Oxford’s graffiti on a self-guided trail which takes in everything from ancient carvings in church pews to contemporary street tags. Street artist Mani will be running upcycling workshops showing how to customise your old clothes and tote bags with stencils.
Available any time, no booking required
Joint Shankill and Falls Road Tour, Belfast
Hear the stories of activists and former prisoners from both sides of Northern Ireland’s sectarian divide on a three-hour walking tour of Belfast, which takes in both the Falls Road and Shankill Road. This is one of nearly 200 free tours, events and openings taking place across Northern Ireland between 4 and 10 September as part of European Open Heritage Days.
9 and 10 September, 10am-1pm, booking required
Behind the scenes tour of the Tyne Tunnels, Tyne and Wear
The Tyne Tunnels carry thousands of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles beneath the River Tyne each day. Visit the control room on this access-all-areas tour before taking a journey through the tunnels (transport provided), with a chance to walk into the emergency escape tunnel.
9, 16 and 17 September at 10am and 1pm, check for cancellationsC
Guided tour of Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden, Flintshire
More than 200 Welsh sites and landmarks will be running special tours, talks and free entry as part of the Open Doors – Wales festival, including Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden. Built as a memorial to prime minister William Gladstone, it’s one of only a handful of major residential libraries in the world. Take a tour of the beautiful Reading Rooms, which house 150,000 books and go behind the scenes in the strong rooms.
16 September, 10am-2pm, booking required
Appleton Tower: School of Informatics, Edinburgh University
Edinburgh University’s Appleton Tower has been at the cutting edge of new developments in AI and computer science. As part of Scotland’s Doors Open Days festival, it will be offering tours of the world-leading School of Informatics, including a visit to the study suite on Level 9 which offers far-reaching views of the Edinburgh skyline.
23 September, 11am-2pm, booking required.
• This article was amended on 6 September 2023. An earlier version included an image that was not part of the Oxford Hidden Heritage Graffiti Trail.
