Memberships

These are the two biggest heritage charities in the UK. Many families end up getting both, as they cover different types of history!

National Trust: Best for stunning, fully-furnished stately homes, massive manicured gardens, and nature reserves. (Bonus: Your membership gets you free parking at hundreds of beautiful National Trust beaches and hiking trails across the UK).

English Heritage: Best for ancient ruins, medieval castles, and battlefields. This is the pass that gets you free entry into Stonehenge, Dover Castle, Tintagel (King Arthur's legendary castle), and Hadrian's Wall.

If you love Royal history, this is a must-have.

This pass grants you unlimited access to some of the most famous buildings in the country, including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace (Henry VIII's home), Kensington Palace, and Kew Palace.

The Value: A single family ticket to the Tower of London is very expensive. If you go to the Tower once and Hampton Court once, this membership has already paid for itself.

If you have kids or teenagers, this is the ultimate entertainment pass.

The Merlin Pass gets you into the UK's biggest theme parks and attractions, including Legoland Windsor, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and the Sea Life Aquariums.

Note: They offer different tiers of passes (Discovery, Gold, Platinum) which dictate how many "blackout dates" you have during peak summer weekends, so choose the one that fits your schedule!

While the permanent collections at major UK museums (like the British Museum or V&A) are free, the special, temporary exhibitions usually cost £15 to £25 per ticket.

The National Art Pass gives you 50% off major exhibitions at the big London museums, plus completely free entry to over 240 paid museums, galleries, and historic houses across the UK.