Visit over 50 historic buildings and private spaces not usually open to the public on Sunday 13 September 2026, 10am-4pm.
Heritage Open Day in King’s Lynn is a huge, free annual event making the town’s fantastic history, architecture and culture accessible to all.
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- The Old Library
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- All Saints Church North Runcton
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- Thoresby College
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- The Valiant Sailor
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- Pilots’ Office
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- King Street
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- South Gate
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- Old Gaol House, Stories of Lynn
Everyday Histories is the theme of the day, exploring the varied and often overlooked stories of ordinary working people and their daily lives.
Two properties opening for the first time in 2026 help bring this to life.
The former Tudor Rose Hotel pub rang its final ‘last orders’ in 2017. Now known as Woolmarket House, visitors can visit the former bar with its fine moulded beams and wood mullioned windows in this now private home, B&B and gallery space.
St Joseph’s House on London Road offers a rare opportunity to see the interior of a beautiful brown brick Grade II listed house dating from 1825. People may remember it as a doctors’ surgery, but it’s a home again and you can step back in time with plenty of restored original features including a Georgian staircase and secret garden.
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- St Joseph’s House, 96 London Road by Peter Berthoud
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- Woolmarket House by Richard Lewisohn
Experience the highs and lows of working people in Lynn with access to the World War II air raid shelters beneath the Tuesday Market Place, climb the observation towers at the Pilots’ Office and Clifton House for views of vessels on the river, or visit the Borough Archives to learn about the Fire Brigade in the late 1800s.
Dr Paul Richards will give a talk on “Lynn’s working classes 1500–1900: People & Places” and the Town Guides will be running free walks sharing rich insights into Lynn past and present.
Hop aboard vintage buses for free rides between sites and there will be over 200 classic vehicles parked in the Tuesday Market Place for Classic Car Day.
Look out for pop-up performances throughout the day including traditional folk music, battle re-enactors, Morris dancers and singers and younger visitors are encouraged to pick up a limited-edition colouring book of iconic King’s Lynn buildings.
Programmes will be available soon from the Tourist Information Centre – open every day 10am–4.30pm – and the Civic Society Heritage Open Day webpage is being updated for 2026, so watch this space for all the listings and activities plus the bus timetable.
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