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Join Which? TravelNational Lottery Open Week 2026: how to get entry to hundreds of attractions for 25p
Buy a lottery ticket and get free access to National Trust sites, the Eden Project, Edinburgh Zoo and more
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, English Heritage sites, RSPB areas, castles and museums. The offer applies to any visitors presenting a lottery ticket between 7-15 March 2026.
That means if you participate in a National Lottery game, you’ll be able to visit as many of the Open Week venues as you like between those dates.
The offer works with any Lotto ticket, Scratchcard or Instant Win Game, but we’ve found this year’s cheapest option at just 25p, to help you maximise your savings.
The list of venues includes some of the UK’s biggest, such as the Eden Project, which would ordinarily cost adults £42 for entry (£38 in advance).
You could also visit Culzean Castle, rated Which? members’ favourite in our best UK attractions survey (admission is usually £8 for adults). Also listed are Fountains Abbey and Kingston Lacy, both (usually £23.10 for adults), along with Quarry Bank, Stourhead, Anglesey Abbey and Dover Castle – all rated within Which? members’ top 10 favourites.
New listings for Open Week 2026 are added daily, and 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 £32 million raised for Good Causes every week, by offering free entry, discounts and special offers'.
How do I get a free day out with the National Lottery?
Just make sure you’re presenting one Lotto ticket, scratchcard or Instant Win game per person at the entrance of a participating venue – the cheapest available that we saw was the Prize Ball Instant Win game for 25p, available online or via the free National Lottery app.
The ticket 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, no matter how old it is.
Just be aware that not all venues permit free entry for the entire week, some are limited to specific days during 7-15 March and some simply have reduced entry pricing.
Keep in mind that some venues may have capacity limits and be extra busy. So it might be worth trying to visit at a non-peak time or pre-booking, which is an option at some venues (see more on this below).
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Does Open Week 2026 include Mother’s Day?
The final day of the National Lottery Open week lands on Sunday 15 March, which is Mother’s Day. Some venues, such as National Trust properties, are excluding this date from their offers, while others, including English Heritage properties are offering free visits, and sometimes special events, on Mother’s Day.
You can find out which venues have special offers for Lotto ticket holders on this day by going to the full venues list – use the ‘date’ dropdown tool, and filter results to Sunday 15 March. You can also select the region of the UK you’re interested in visiting, and the category of venue (such as museum/gallery, family friendly, or film/cinema).
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.
You can prebook English Heritage sites using the code NLOPENWEEK26.
For National Trust sites there is no code. Where prebooking is available, do so using the following instructions:
1. Visit the web page for the National Trust site you want to visit, and select ‘Book a visit’.
2. When checking out, choose an ‘Affiliate organisation member or passholder’ ticket. This means you won’t be asked for card details and can complete your booking for free.
4. Make sure to bring both your booking confirmation and your lottery ticket with you on the day.
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 free hot drinks and cakes at cafés, discounts in gift shops and restaurants or half-price tours, workshops, lectures, and performances. 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 sports venues, or get access to participating art galleries, theatres and cinemas.
Visit top-rated National Trust and English Heritage locations for free
Many of Which? Members’ top-rated attractions are available to visit for free during Open Week – take a look at the list below.
Many of them are National Trust sites — which are open from 7-14 March, and a lottery ticket permits one free adult admission along with up to four children:
You can also visit English Heritage site, Dover Castle, which is among Which? members’ favourite days out. With your lottery ticket you’ll get free entry from 7-8 March and 11-15 March, and there’s a free tour on 12 March. To prebook English Heritage visits use the code NLOPENWEEK26.
More Open Week 2026 offers: museums, galleries and other cultural attractions
Edinburgh Zoo + Highland Wildlife Park — two for one tickets
World Rugby Museum — two for one tickets
Royal Air Force Museum — two for one tickets to the RAF museum’s flight simulator
Scottish Football Museum — 50% off entry on weekdays (excluding Thursday) with code LOTTERY50
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium — 50% off dome shows with discount code Openweek26
Royal Scottish National Orchestra – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall — 50% off tickets to Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony with code LOTTERY50
Historic Royal Palaces – Hampton Court Palace — 50% off tickets with code LOTTERY50
Poole’s Cavern — 50% off tours with code THANKYOU50
Yorkshire Sculpture Park — free entry 7-8 and 10-13 March
Giant’s Causeway — free entry 4-14 March
