Summer events at Chiltern Open Air Museum Family event

Special events and activities that breathe life into history!

The Chiltern Open Air Museum has an exciting programme of special events over the summer months. Experience epic re-enactments and wander through living history encampments. Discover vintage vehicles, heritage crafts and family activities. Enjoy summer celebrations and learn about the traditions of the Chilterns.

• Heritage Crafts Weekend – 25/07/2026
  Step into the past and discover traditional skills at Heritage Crafts at Chiltern Open Air Museum, a hands-on, family-friendly celebration of historic craftsmanship. Watch skilled craftspeople demonstrate age-old techniques such as blacksmithing, woodworking, spinning and other traditional rural crafts.

• Rogues and Highwaymen – 01/08/2026
  Journey back to the 17th and 18th centuries and discover a world of highway robbery, crime and punishment. Meet infamous characters from the age of the highwayman, hear tales of daring escapes and ill-gotten gains, and learn how law and order struggled to keep pace on Britain’s roads.

• Britain at War – 08/08/2026
  Explore how conflict shaped Britain across multiple eras, from medieval soldiers and the turmoil of the English Civil War, through the Napoleonic Wars, to the global conflicts of the First and Second World Wars.

• Tudor Merriment – 15/08/2026
  Enjoy a day filled with Tudor music, dance and traditional entertainment as costumed performers bring the sights and sounds of the 16th century to life. Watch skilled craftspeople demonstrate period techniques, discover how people lived, worked and celebrated, and take part in games and activities enjoyed by Tudors of all ages.

• Victorian Weekend – 22/08/2026
  Travel back to the 19th century and meet the colourful Ragged Victorians as they reveal what life was really like for working-class families in the 1800s. Experience authentic Victorian re-enactment as costumed interpreters bring the sights and sounds of the era to life.

• Viking Raid – 30/08/2026
  Step into the early medieval world as Viking raiders clash with local defenders in dramatic combat displays. Watch skilled re-enactors demonstrate authentic weapons, armour and battle tactics, and discover how these feared seafarers lived, fought and raided across Britain.