Saturday 27 October to Sunday 4 November 2018
Booty or brains? Young visitors to Castle Howard over the half term holiday will be invited to choose whether they prefer plundering for treasure or grey matter with a brand new event for Halloween 2018, which will see the grounds of the historic house overrun with pirates and zombies!
From Saturday 27 October to Sunday 4 November, zombies and pirates will be competing for supremacy in and around the historic house, as a story unfolds which reveals a few secrets about the origins of Castle Howard’s own zombie horde! Young visitors are invited to come in appropriate Halloween costumes for a fun visit with the lawless and undead.
“As our recruits will find out, it is not easy being either a zombie or a pirate, and we’ll be testing our visitors to make sure they reach the appropriate standard of piracy or zombification,” comments Jez Light of Culture Creative who has come up with the week’s gruelling training plan. “Only the most prepared will be able to uncover the secret that lies in Castle Howard’s spooky burnt out wing – solving our mysterious riddle, and changing the fate of one of our groups!”
90 minute interactive workshops will sit at the un-beating heart of the Pirates vs Zombies week, with start times of 11.00am and 2.00pm each day – culminating in twice-daily ‘battles’ between the rival factions.
Young visitors can also try their hand at craft activities, and follow indoor and outdoor trails to make the most of their day at Castle Howard. The adventure playground and boathouse café will also be open throughout the week – and, with fair winds and following seas, the Jolly Roger itself might sail on the Great Lake!
Tickets to the workshops are £9.00 per child (£7.50 for Friend of Castle Howard Child Members), with standard admission prices to the house or house and garden. For more information, or to pre-book a workshop, please visit www.castlehoward.co.uk
“Autumn is a spectacularly colourful time at Castle Howard, when the autumnal colours of the leaves on the estate creates a constantly changing landscape – ideal for anyone who loves the great outdoors, photographers looking to capture unique shots or artists looking for inspirational settings for painting,” adds head of marketing, Abbigail Ollive. “Our Courtyard Café and the Fitzroy Restaurant are open, too, for a warming bowl of soup, hot drink or meal for those making the most of the cooler autumn days.”
The gardens at Castle Howard remain open daily from 10.00am until 6.00pm (last entry at 5.00pm) with the house open 10.30am to 4.00pm (last entry). The house will close to the public on 4 November as it undergoes its annual transformation into a winter wonderland, re-opening for the Christmas season on Saturday 17 November. For more details, visit www.castlehoward.co.uk
