New ticketing arrangements reveal adults pay £12 for all-year access, 15 and under go free

Nottingham City Council is proud to announce that Nottingham Castle will reopen once again to visitors on Monday 26th June, bringing Nottingham’s heritage back to the heart and soul of the City.

Brand new admission arrangements mean that an adult pays £12 once and can visit all year, while accompanied children 15 years old and under go free with each paying adult (up to 3 children) – making it a great, affordable family-friendly day out. Advance bookings are now available from the new Nottingham Castle website www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk. The new admission arrangement will include access to the grounds, Brewhouse Yard Cottages, Robin Hood Adventures and Rebellion Galleries and the castle museum, unlimited for the 12 month period.

The announcement comes as part of International Museums Day this week, and after the castle grounds hosted a sold-out screening of the Eurovision Song Contest final and crowds of visitors enjoyed the King’s Coronation and Coronation Concert screenings in May.  Nottingham Castle has since announced a final grounds-only ‘Medieval Legends’ open day on the Bank Holiday weekend of Saturday 27 – through to Monday 29 May. Pre-booked tickets can be bought for £1 in advance on the Visit Nottinghamshire website: www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/whats-on/medieval-legends-at-nottingham-castle-p675641

Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “I am delighted to be able to announce that Nottingham Castle will open again on Monday 26th June. Nottingham without its castle is like Robin Hood without his merry men, so it’s going to be fantastic to have it back at the heart of our city’s life.

“We’ve already seen with the Coronation events and the sold-out Eurovision event that people are eager to return to the site – and we’re very keen to welcome them back. With the final chance for a grounds only sneak preview with the new ‘Medieval Legends’ open day, visitors of all ages can discover the grounds of the Castle during the bank holiday at the end of May ahead of the full reopening of the site.

“We hope this announcement will come as welcome news, as we have endeavoured to listen to what visitors didn’t like about the Trust’s admission arrangements, and I believe the simpler pricing and exceptional value we are announcing will help to encourage visitors, near and far, to come back again and again.”

The City Council was handed the historical site back by Liquidators for Nottingham Castle Trust which declared itself insolvent last November. A decision was taken by the Council’s Executive Board on 21st March 2023 to work towards reopening the whole site in June managed directly by Nottingham City Council as part of its Museums and Galleries service.

Following the site’s £31m redevelopment, there is a new visitor centre and café at the entrance, a Hood’s Hideout adventure playground in the moat, as well as interpretative signage around the grounds to discover the site of the lost medieval castle. Inside the Ducal Palace, the galleries now offer modern, interactive experiences, including the Robin Hood Adventures and Rebellion Galleries and redesigned galleries for permanent collections of local art and crafts, and touring exhibitions.

The council will continue offering two fascinating cave tours – Mortimer’s Hole and King David’s Dungeon – at £5 per person, as well as opening the reinvigorated Brewhouse Yard area. The new Land Train will operate between Brewhouse Yard and the Ducal Palace at weekends and during the peak holiday season. The council will develop a programme of events, exhibitions, gallery talks and school visits, and offer the site for events such as weddings and corporate functions.

Opening times will be 10am to 5pm daily February to October and 11am to 4pm daily November to January. Free disabled parking will be available on-site, subject to advance booking and availability. Admission is £12 per adult and accompanied 15 years and under go free (three per adult) – ‘pay once, visit all year.’

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “We’re pleased to hear that Nottingham Castle will soon be reopening its doors to visitors – it’s a great asset to the city and a place for people to celebrate the rich history and creativity of Nottingham.

“This much-loved visitor attraction is home to important museum collections, great art and unique historic buildings, and we look forward to it reopening with Nottingham City Council at the helm.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Having supported the restoration and conservation of this very important historic site, we are looking forward to seeing Nottingham City Council re-open the gates to the Castle in June. We are heartened that visitors can enjoy this important beacon of the region’s rich cultural heritage once more.”