A look at: National Lottery Open Week

There is no getting away from it, London is expensive. Tickets for the big attractions quickly add up for families visiting London. If your family is in receipt of Universal Credit and certain other benefits, many of the big attractions offer discounted tickets (for more information see our post on Universal Credit discounts on London attractions). But, if those discounts aren’t available to you, there are a number of ways that you can make your visit cheaper. If you are visiting London in March, look out for National Lottery Open Week, which is a fantastic opportunity to save money in London! Here we explore a bit more about the National Lottery Open Week.

What is the National Lottery Open Week?

National Lottery Open Week is an annual event that allows National Lottery funded venues across the UK to express gratitude to players who contribute to money that is raised to help projects and organisations nationwide.

The concept is straightforward: anyone who visits a participating National Lottery supported project during this period and presents a National Lottery ticket, Instant Win Game, or scratchcard (either physical or digital) can access special offers and experiences, which might include:

• free entry;
• discounted entry;
• two for one offers;
• special tours; and
• discounts in gift shops/cafes.

When is the National Lottery Open Week?

In 2025, National Lottery Open Week runs from 15 – 23 March (in 2024 it ran from 9 – 17 March). Although it is billed as a week of offers, many of the offers are available only on certain days during that time period (for example, on weekend days or during one weekend only).

Which attractions are participating in the National Lottery Open Week in London?

There are a number of attractions throughout London that participate in the National Lottery Open Week. In 2025 these include big well-known tourist attractions including:

• the Tower of London (50% off);
• Hampton Court Palace (50% off);
• Kensington Palace (50% off);
• HMS Belfast (2 for 1 entry);
• the Cutty Sark (2 for 1 entry); and
• the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

In addition, there are a host of other smaller or less well-known attractions that are also participating in 2025, including:

• the Charles Dickens Museum (free entry);
• the Florence Nightingale Museum (free entry);
• the Brunel Museum (free entry); and
• the Ragged School Museum (2 for 1 entry).

Whether you choose to save money on a big attraction or use the opportunity to visit a smaller attraction you might not have otherwise visited, the National Lottery Open Week is an excellent way to explore some more of London without breaking the bank.

Is it worth it?

If you want to visit one of the participating venues, then almost certainly, as the offers represent a significant saving based on the usual headline prices. For example, one of the participating venues is the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which offers 2 for 1 entry. Two adults and two children will save £36 (less the cost of the lottery tickets) on the headline price of £72. As another example, you could visit the Florence Nightingale Museum for free (plus the cost of lottery tickets). The usual price for a family ticket (two adults and up to four children) is £30.

TOP TIPS for the National Lottery Open Week:

• Read the terms and conditions for each venue carefully. Some require booking in advance, others offer only a limited number of tickets; and
• Don’t forget to buy your lottery ticket(s) and take them along. How many you need will depend on the terms of the offer.

If you visit somewhere for National Lottery Open Week with your family, let us know where you went and what you thought!

(cover image licensed via Creative Commons from ABPMedia)