Got your summer diaries ready? Harewood House has just dropped the exact dates and details for its summer holiday line-up, and it is looking absolutely packed.
From massive car festivals and giant water fights to ancient warriors, hands-on gardening, and international performers, the historic estate has loaded its calendar with plenty of reasons to get out of the house.
Here is your ultimate cheat sheet to what is happening, when it is happening, and how much it will cost you.
The Daily Fun: Included in Your Standard Ticket (Or Membership!)
If you have already got a day ticket or a valid Harewood membership, you can rock up to these brilliant daily play zones and trails without paying an extra penny:
- Curtains Up! Outdoor Play (Daily, 10am–6pm): Head over to the Sun Sides field, where the grounds have been transformed into a huge theatrical playground. Kids can dress up, take to a pop-up stage, test out their circus skills, and jump into outdoor games with the lake as a backdrop.
- Wild Harewood: Family Den-Off (Weekly throughout summer): A proper, hands-on woodland challenge that pits your teamwork skills against the elements. Families head deep into the woods to build a natural shelter entirely out of branches and leaves, testing at the end to see if it can withstand the weather.
- Spot Simba the Pug Trail (Daily, 10.30am–3.30pm): Grab a free activity sheet in the Entrance Hall and take on an I-Spy quest through the grand State Floor. Little ones will love hunting for hidden replicas of celebrated photographer Cecil Beaton’s mischievous pet pug, Simba, tucked away in secret corners.
- Epic Woodland Playlands (Daily, 10am–6pm): Full access to Harewood’s three main outdoor play spaces. Run wild across the climbing towers, bridges, and zipwire at the Adventure Playscape, get lost in the twisting pathways of the Woodland Wonderland Willow Maze, or explore the Sylvascope treehouse hidden in the canopy.
Special Date-Led Events (Also Free with General Entry!)
Mark these dates in your calendar for extra workshops and activities that won’t cost you anything extra on the day:
- Little Gardeners (Every Tuesday throughout the school holidays): Have the kids ever fancied joining the estate’s grounds team? This interactive session lets families step into the shoes of a real gardener, where children get to decorate a compostable plant pot, scoop soil, and sow a seed to take home and watch grow.
- Snaps Through Time Talk (Every Tuesday throughout the school holidays, 2.30pm): Meet in the Entrance Hall to join Harewood’s Collections Care Team. They will be sharing cool history facts about the world’s earliest cameras and giving out handy, practical tips on how to rescue and preserve your own old family photo albums at home.
- Thomas’ Terrace School (28–29 July, 11–12 & 25–26 August, 2.30pm): Ever fancied letting the kids loose on historic monuments? This hands-on activity on the Terrace gives younger visitors the chance to grab a sponge and help clean the outdoor statues, learning how to scrub off dirt and grime while protecting the ancient stonework.
- Tashi Lhunpo Monks Visit (10–15 August): For one week only, monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery are taking over various spots across the site. They will be bringing Tibetan Buddhist culture to life through free, vibrant public performances, sacred music, ceremonial dance, and interactive family workshops.
The Big One-Off Festivals & Specials Clubs
If you want to level up your visit, Harewood is also hosting some brilliant one-off ticketed events this summer:
- VW Festival (8–9 August): One of the UK’s biggest and most family-friendly Volkswagen shows is landing on the North Lawn. Expect a massive display of custom show cars, trade shopping stalls, excellent street food, bars, and live music all weekend. Tickets start from a bargain £7.50, and it is completely free for Harewood members.
- Harewood Holiday Club (4–6 & 25–27 August, 9am–4pm): A drop-off day camp designed to get 7 to 11-year-olds completely stuck into nature, history, and art. It costs £40 per child per day, with action-packed themes including heritage crafts (4th), Anglo-Saxon warriors (5th), campfires (6th), bug hunting (25th), a Victorian seaside day (26th), and an epic giant water fight finale on August 27th.
- Tree Toddlers Summer Special (13 August, 10.30am–12pm): A beautiful sensory nature-play session hidden away in the woods at the Sylvascope treehouse. It is built specifically for under-5s and their grownups to connect with the outdoors, celebrating sunshine and a woodland in full bloom. Tickets cost £12 for a joint adult-and-child ticket.
