Dig into summer at National Coal Mining Museum
Younger visitors will discover how mining communities entertained children during difficult times by playing seaside games and building sandcastles at the Museum’s beach, alongside captivating performances from the Museum’s Living History team.
Families will enjoy getting crafty with the seaside theme at the free daily Makers’ Shed, with changing weekly activities including making puppets and classic Yorkshire flat caps. These fun drop-in sessions will highlight how community events supported miners in the strike.
Over the six-week holidays, tickets can be booked for children to learn new skills and develop their STEM subject knowledge in weekly workshops.
For Caphouse Creators, children (7-12 years) can make a colourful glockenspiel, their own Pithead Bath soap and a poseable puppet, inspired by the seaside classic Punch and Judy.
Over at STEAM Club, children (11-16 years) will create art using sunlight, make designs with natural ochre, and try their hand at ice cream making.
Every Friday in August, families (7+ years) can get their thinking caps on with a Minecraft-themed escape room challenge. From solving riddles to cracking codes, quick thinking is required for groups to problem-solve their way to victory.
An exciting variety of walks and tours are also running throughout the summer holidays. Discover the shadows of industry hidden in the landscape on a Heritage Walk, learn about the Museum’s innovative water treatment system, and take on a mining role in the Lister-Kaye Tunnel as part of Hope Pit Explore every Sunday.
Some special one-off events are also coming during the holidays.
For Yorkshire Day, on Thursday, August 1, the Museum will be celebrating in “t’proper Yorkshire way” with themed crafts and pop-up activities, including some very Yorkshire dogs on site.
All ages can enjoy a day of interactive science experiments facilitated by CHaOS (Cambridge Hands-On Science) on Saturday, August 10, and find out how a rocket works and what sound looks like.
For those that want to get more involved with the Museum, Volunteer Open Days are running on Friday and Saturday, August 9 and 10 – a great opportunity to discover the flexible opportunities available around the Museum.
A great day out in all weather, the Museum’s summer offer runs from July 20 to September 1 and is open Wednesday to Sunday.
During the six-week holidays, a charge of £5 per car is payable on arrival and includes access to the site, the Beach and unlimited rides on the Paddy Train.
Lynn Dunning, CEO said: “We have a jam-packed offer this Summer, celebrating how communities pulled together to support each other during the Miners’ Strike. With themed crafts and hands-on activities, all ages will experience history brought to life when they visit us this summer. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy – come rain or shine”.
Brass bands have been taking it in turns to perform at the museum during recent weekends as part of a Summer Series - final performances will be by Holmfirth’s Hade Edge Band on Saturday, July 20, with 45-minute sets in the atmospheric Pit Yard, between 11.45am to 4pm. For more details visit www.ncm.org.uk/whats-on/summer-series.
The series highlighted the importance of brass bands within coal mining communities, demonstrating their ability to unite people and provide a creative outlet for miners.
The Museum’s free exhibition, 84/85 – The Longest Year, runs until the anniversary of the end of the strike, Monday, March 3, 2025, with refreshed displays and a supporting events programme throughout the year.
The exhibition focusses on the experiences of miners and their families, giving a voice to three different points of view: striking miners, those that went back early and those that didn’t strike at all.
The Museum, the former Caphouse Colliery, is on New Road, Overton, the main road between Wakefield and Huddersfield.
National Coal Mining Museum’s attractions include underground tours, exhibitions, pony discovery centre, nature trail, adventure playground, café and more.
It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm (winter hours until March 24) and 10am-5pm (summer hours from March27).
Entry to the the museum is free but, as an independent charity, donations are appreciated.
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