July and August 2011 – A full programme of events for children and family visitors to the historic Greenwich National Maritime Museum (NMM) and Queen’s House (QH). For Royal Observatory, Greenwich and Peter Harrison Planetarium events please contact the Press Office on 020 8312 6790/6732/6545

Summer highlights

The National Maritime Museum opens its brand new Sammy Ofer Wing on 14 July and to celebrate the Museum will be hosting a programme of events throughout the school holidays exploring what the sea means to its young visitors.

The Sea and Me

Summer school holidays:
Monday 25 July–Friday 5 September 2011
Visit the new Voyagers gallery and discover more about how the sea has played a central part in people’s lives throughout history and today, and add your connections to the sea with a programme of holiday activities. Alongside a display of beautiful objects and innovative digital displays, Voyagers also features a specially designed children’s play area.

Creative cargo: ideas trolley
The sea represents many things to many people and evokes a wide range of emotions. Explore how the sea affects people from different places and times by writing, drawing and talking about what you discover in the Museum’s new Voyagers gallery.
Drop-in workshop
Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout August only
Times: 11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.00
Venue: NMM – Voyagers gallery
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

The last time I saw the sea…
Make a 3D scene to remember the last time you saw the sea. Where were you? Who were you with? What were the sights and sounds around you?
Drop-in workshop
Dates: 25 July – 5 September 2011 (except 23 August)
Times: 11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.00
Venue: NMM – Propeller
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Neptune: King of the Seven Seas
Explore the galleries with Neptune and find out why sailors in years gone by feared his oceans.
Interactive performance
Dates: Mondays (25 July – 29 August) and Fridays (29 July – 2 September)
Times: 12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00
Venue: NMM – Stanhope Entrance
Ages: Suitable for ages 6+
Admission: Free

Voyagers of discovery
Go on a voyage with people from history and create a story about how you would like to make a world-changing discovery about the sea.
Family trail
Dates: 25 July – 5 September
Venue: NMM – collect a trail card from one of the Museum entrances
Ages: Suitable for ages 6+
Admission: Free

Giant Rhymeathon
Come along to sing your favourite rhymes with your family and friends, and meet the team from Greenwich Libraries.
Dates: 15 July
Times: 10.00 – 12.00
Venue: Queen’s House lawns
Ages: Suitable for under 5-s
Admission: Free

Play Tuesdays: big blue sea
Activities inspired by the many moods of the big blue sea for little sailors to enjoy with their family and friends.
Timed sessions; collect free tickets from the admissions desk
Dates: Tuesdays (26 July – 30 August)
Times: 10.30 | 11.30 | 13.00 | 14.00
Venue: NMM - Optic Light
Ages: Suitable for under-5s
Admission: Free

Weekly events

(these events also run outside of school holidays)

Explore Saturdays
Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that will bring maritime history to life.
Dates: Every Saturday
Times: 12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for ages 6+
Admission: Free

Discover Sundays
Be inspired by our maritime past and explore your personal connections to the sea. Ask staff where the activity is today.
Dates: Every Sunday
Times: 11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Play Tuesdays
Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the Museum through making, music, dance and stories.
Timed sessions; collect free tickets from the admissions desk
Dates: Every Tuesday (themed sessions during school holidays)
Times: 10.30 | 11.30 | 13.00 | 14.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for under-5s
Admission: Free

Galleries

All Hands and The Bridge Interactive Galleries
These family-friendly galleries are ideal for younger visitors, allowing them to explore maritime skills and technologies past and present, from deep-sea diving to steering a ship into port. Step aboard ‘The Bridge’ and discover the art of navigation and communication at sea. Become the captain of a ship and try your hand at manoeuvring into port using the state-of-the-art bridge simulator. Equipped with the very latest technology used to train real seafarers, the simulator brings to life the excitement, difficulties, hazards and skills of handling ships at sea. You could find yourself at the helm of a fishing boat navigating buoys in New York Harbour, following a helicopter rescue mission to a sinking vessel, navigating a frigate into position off Sydney shores or steering a P&O ferry into port in Dover. Over in the All Hands gallery, children can have a go at everything from sending a semaphore signal to cargo loading, and even firing a canon.
Admission: Free

General information

National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House are open: 10.00 17.00 daily. During the summer, the Royal Observatory will be operating extended opening hours – see the website for details.

General admission to National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House is free. Admission to the Royal Observatory’s historic Flamsteed House, Time Galleries, Meridian Line Courtyard and Meridian Building is £10 for adults (£7.50 concessions). Entry for children under 16 is free. The £10 entry is an annual pass (visitors are able to return as many times as they like within 12 months for no additional charge). Admission to the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre which houses three state-of-the-art modern astronomy galleries is free of charge.

All events included here are free of charge to all visitors unless stated.

The Museum is located a short walk from the Cutty Sark DLR, and Maze Hill and Greenwich train stations. The closest tube stations are North Greenwich (to change to local buses) and Canary Wharf (to change to DLR), both on the Jubilee line.

For updated information prior to visit please visit our website www.rmg.co.uk or phone (020) 8858 4422.

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Issued May 2011 by the National Maritime Museum Press Office.

For further information or images please contact:
National Maritime Museum Press Office
Tel: 020 8312 6545/6732 | 07960 509 802
Email: press@rmg.co.uk