Summer Holidays at the National Coal Mining Museum

Join us from Saturday 18 July until Sunday 30 August for a holiday themed summer of family fun!

Get ready for weeks of amazing entertainment with interactive family shows, hands-on craft workshops, pop-up beach with music, and classic giant holiday games, special events and performances, creative trails, horsekeeper talks plus much, much more.

Our summer offer is great value for families; just £10 per car, including amazing activities and unlimited Paddy Train rides for everyone (usually £2.50 per person) – weather permitting. 

Some workshops and tours carry an additional charge and can be booked online in advance, please see below for what’s on.

Please note: The Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

What’s On this Summer:

Time Tunnel

Wed-Sun

£5.50 per child, £6.50 per adult, pre-booking advised

Be transported through the centuries as you are taken through almost 200 years of mining history thanks to state-of-the-art technology. Led by a former miner you will travel through time and discover the incredible stories of coal mining through the centuries.

Makers’ Shed

Wed-Sun, 11am-4pm

Free as part of the summer offer, drop-in at Pony Discovery Centre

Join us for free crafts inspired by the work of Jason Wilsher-Mills and miners welfare trips to the seaside from a bygone era.

Science Show

Wed-Sun, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm

Blacksmith’s Workshop

Free as part of the summer offer

Step from light into darkness in this explosive, interactive science show packed with fascinating facts, dazzling demonstrations, and encounters with historical characters.

Paddy Train (weather dependent)

Wed-Sun, free as part of the summer offer

Explore the Museum in a whole new way and hop aboard the Paddy Train from Hope Pit to Caphouse Colliery.

Beach Time at the Coal Mine

Wed-Sun, 10am-5pm, Free as part of the summer offer (when the sun is shining)

Relax, play, and soak up the summer vibes at the beach. Build sandcastles, play games like Jenga and dominos or just relax in our tranquil setting. Come along, kick off your shoes, and make some special memories.

Horsekeeper Talk

Wed-Sun, free as part of the summer offer

Visit Eric, Ernie, Aladdin and Bud. Join us for our Horsekeeper talks at 12pm and see what they have to eat at 2.30pm. 

From Pit to Play Trail

Wed – Sun, free as part of the summer offer

Step into the shoes of miners and discover what working life was like, both underground and above! This fun, family-friendly interactive trail will take you on a journey across the museum, where hidden rubbing plaques are waiting to be found. Bring them to life by creating your own images, then finish your adventure by building a unique 3D dice game to take home. 

Minecraft Escape Room In A Box

Thu 23 July, Thu 6, Sat 8, Thu 20 Aug: 10.30am and 1pm

£15 per ticket (Up to 2 adults & 1 child) + £5 per additional child, pre-bookable

Join us for a Minecraft themed escape room challenge. Solve riddles, crack codes and problem-solve your way to victory.

Nature Crafts: Family Workshop

Wed 29–Fri 31 July & Wed 5–Fri 7 Aug: 11am–12.30pm

£10 per family, pre-bookable

Head out onto the Museum’s Nature Trail for a hands-on craft adventure, and get close to nature by making sun prints, hammer-printing organic materials onto textiles. Forage the forest floor to create beautiful clay tiles to hide in the trees.

Inspiring Animation

Wed 29-Thu 30 July,

Free, pre-bookable

Join artists Lenny and Whale to explore animation techniques. Design characters using paper-based drawing and collage approaches. Use digital drawing apps to develop your work. 

Yorkshire Day

Saturday 1 August, 10am-5pm, find out more

Free as part of the summer offer

Join us for a grand gala family fun extravaganza in the proper Yorkshire way, inspired by the vibrant Miners’ welfare galas of years past. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and experiences of real coalfield celebration.

Engineering Explorers

Wed 12–14 Aug: 11am–12.30pm

£10 per family, pre-bookable

Do you have what it takes to become a master mining engineer? Take part in a range of problem-solving challenges that spark curiosity and creativity!

Bath Bomb Making

13 August, 11am–12.30pm

£9 per child, pre-bookable

Join Forever Fizz for a fun bath bomb making workshop where creativity meets science. Create your own vibrant fizzy treats from scratch and discover how the ingredients react to create the colour explosion in your bath.

Wind in the Willows: Outdoor Theatre Performance

Saturday 15 August, 12pm, find out more

Free as part of the summer offer

Noisy Cow Theatre Co invites you to leave the modern world behind and join Mole, Ratty, and the formidable Badger on Kenneth Grahame’s classic adventure that has captivated hearts for over a century.

The Caphouse Brick Show

Sunday 23 August,

£4 early bird / £5 on the day (no entry before 12pm), pre-bookable

Get ready to unleash your imagination and join the building fun – a fun day out for fans of all ages! See LEGO brick-built masterpieces across a wide variety of themes and enjoy hands-on fun in a building zone.

Shrinking Pin Badges: Family Workshop

Wed 19–Fri 21 & Wed 26–Fri 28 Aug: 11am and 12.30pm

£10 per family, pre-bookable

Join us for a crazy colourful workshop, inspired by the vibrant storytelling tapestries of Jason Wilsher-Mills. Create your own pin badge that tells a story using Jason’s playful emblems, then watch it magically shrink before your eyes with heat.

Tours:

Pithead Baths Explore

Wed-Sun, 12pm, Free

Meet at Pithead Baths

Discover the daily routines of miners, from the start to the end of their day, in this fun family tour!

Captured History: Photography Walk

Sat 8 August: Young Snappers, free, pre-bookable

Join a special family friendly Photography Walk – and learn some basic photography techniques.