24/07/2025

Explore a range of activities to keep everyone entertained over the summer break!

The National Justice Museum in Nottingham is gearing up for a fun-packed summer holiday, with plenty of activities and events for the whole family to enjoy. With the introduction of a brand new, great value annual pass, there’s always something to keep you coming back. From Saturday 26 July to Sunday 31 August, there’s a whole range of activities happening regularly across the many floors of this expansive and historic city centre building.

The museum is well known for their interactive historical trial re-enactments, brought to life by their team of talented costumed interpreters. In a new trial for summer 2025, starting on Saturday 26 July, take on the curious case of John Fenton. In 1860, Fenton was hanged on the steps of the Shire Hall for the robbery and murder of his half cousin, Charles Spencer. Two pistols belonging to Fenton were found near the body, and blood stains were found on his clothes. Fenton pleaded innocence, claiming the blood belonged to a hare, and that he had lent the pistols to someone else. But the chemist who analysed the blood stains claimed they were human, not animal. Did they make a mistake, or had John really done the unimaginable? Take on the role of jury, witness, or even defendant, and see if you can change the history books.

On Monday 28 July, the museum opens their brand-new exhibition, 30 Objects Representing Justice, created to mark the museum’s 30th anniversary. Chosen by staff and the communities they work with, 30 Objects Representing Justice invites you to explore a powerful selection of artifacts from the National Justice Museum’s collection. Spanning over 800 years, the objects range from the everyday to the extraordinary: including the police hat worn by the first female Assistant Chief Constable, Alison Halford, leather handcuffs used on women, and a half-used bottle of brandy given to those awaiting execution. 

As part of the exhibition, explore the objects you see through the faces they contain with our accessible and family-friendly trail, Faces of Justice. No booking needed, just collect a trail sheet inside of the museum’s free exhibition space and start exploring.

Every Tuesday from 10.30am – 3.15pm, make your way to the gaol’s exercise yard to get hands-on with the unique carvings etched into the walls there. Find out about a few of the museum’s former residents, who left their names scratched into the wall. To protect this historic site, these carvings have been made into replica plaques for you to do your own rubbings to take home. Learn what brought that person to the Gaol, what their sentence was, and what happened to them once they left. 

On Wednesdays, join our Victorian prison warder for a 45-minute tour of the building, exploring the key areas they would have worked in during their time at the gaol. These tours at 10.30am and 4pm, and are first come first served, but don’t worry if you miss it – with the museum’s new annual pass, you can come back again for free!

Thursdays let you get hands-on with history in special object-handling sessions from 1-3pm. Discover rarely seen items from our fascinating collection, each linked to the 30 Objects Representing Justice exhibition, and uncover the powerful stories they hold about justice, power, and resistance. 

From Saturday 2 to Monday 25 August, take part in a brilliantly bonkers museum trail, part of the national Grimwood Museum Adventure with Kids in Museums and Simon & Schuster Children’s Books. The Grimwood Museum Adventure celebrates the release of Rock the Vote!, the fifth book in the brilliantly anarchic comedy-adventure series Grimwood, by bestselling author-illustrator Nadia Shireen. Spot Grimwood characters hiding around the museum, elect a new Mayor of Grimwood and design them their very own campaign poster! Complete the trail and get a free Grimwood sticker. Plus, enter a special competition – one lucky winner will receive a signed Grimwood book bundle and a Double National Art Pass + Kids, courtesy of Art Fund.

Keep an eye on the museum’s website and social media for the latest updates and new activities. With their great value annual pass, there are so many reasons to take a step into history this summer.