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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

Visit Colchester

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Visit Colchester

Official Tourism Service for the Colchester City Council area.

Contact us for the best advice on where to go, things to do, where to watch, listen, join in, eat, drink, stay and enjoy in and around Colchester

The centre offers hands on advice and information resource.
- Access to wheelchair users and people with disabilities as well as pushchairs.
- A large retail area for local souvenirs, gifts and treats.
- A range of gifts, souvenirs and treats made by l

ocal companies, artists and craftspeople under the 'Colchester Collection' name - unique to the information centre.
- New electronic information services.
- Ideas on things to do and places to visit locally.
- Tickets for local events.
- Bookings for guided tours.
- Help with your travel plans.

04/09/2026

That's no moon... oh wait... It's a space exhibit! 🌚 Colchester Castle Museum is offering half price entry for on Saturday 5th September 🍌Minions go free!

03/09/2026

We’re now officially in Autumn according to the meteorological calendar 📆

😎It might feel like some Summer is over too soon but there is still plenty to look forward to as we enter “cosy season” ☕️🧣🪵🍂

In we can’t wait for long walks, delicious roast dinners, wandering around galleries, bracing cycle rides and exploring the area’s rich heritage as we ease into the new season.

02/09/2026

It's Invasion Colchester this weekend! You don't have to step into a Tardis to travel back in time 😵‍💫

Here at Visit Colchester, we have our very own time overlords 👑⌛...our historical tour guides 😎💁‍♀️

🥾Each week, our guides take their tour groups on a journey through time... to the Roman Conquest, the bustling Dutch Quarter during the cloth trade, the gruelling Siege of Colchester, and much, much more!

Tours are led by fully qualified city guides, meaning your tour is guaranteed to be well-paced, entertaining, and factually accurate ✨👌

Turn up and pay on the day or book online via the link in the comments 👇

Image credits: Visit Colchester

01/09/2026

👏A show-stopping second week of Colchester Castle Summer Series performances has come to a close for 2026 🥹 What a time has been had!

We have LOVED welcoming visitors to Colchester for this fantastic series of concerts 🙌🫶 Our staff have been on hand to answer questions about parking, entry locations, and tickets, while plenty of city maps and tourist information have been shared ℹ️💁‍♀️

Events like these showcase Colchester at its very best, welcoming visitors (and locals!) from near and far and highlighting our city's unique blend of heritage, culture, and knack for hosting star-studded concerts! 🤩👨🏽‍🎤

🥳 We're thrilled to hear that the Colchester Castle Summer Series will return next year and can't wait to welcome even more visitors to our historic city in 2027! Until then, there's still plenty to discover in Britain's First City 🏰❤️

Image credits: Brad Sheldrick (left), Eleanor Jasper (top right), Visit Colchester (right middle, bottom)

Colchester Events Colchester Events Visit Essex In Colchester

31/08/2026

Welcome to Colchester’s Heritage Open Days!

From 11th - 20th September thousands of sites across England are hosting FREE events to celebrate our fantastic history, heritage and culture.

This year Colchester and the surrounding villages have 50+ sites are open with tours, trails and talks where you can learn more about our local history, including some exclusive events some exciting exclusive events available for one day only, so don’t miss out!

For more information and itineraries check out our dedicated web page www.visitcolchester.com/whats-on/heritage-open-days or pick up one of our pamphlets at the visitor centre.

Image Credits: St Mary's Hall (1) St John's Abbey (2) Colchester Town Hall Moot Hall (3) Colchester Town Hall Law Courts & Old Library (4) Cuckoo Farm Studios (5) St John the Baptist - Layer-de-la-Haye (6) University of Essex Albert Sloman Library (7) Mersea's Roman Barrow (8)
Visit Essex Heritage Open Days In Colchester

30/08/2026

Peake's House! A Heritage Open Days special✨

🏠🇳🇱Peake's House is in the heart of the Dutch Quarter of Colchester. Originally three timber-framed cottages, it has retained many original features including mullioned windows, exposed beams and its original street plan. It is even thought to have been in use during Colchester's cloth trade which boomed in the this area during the 14th and 15th Centuries 🪡

You can hire this as a holiday let via the The Landmark Trust 😎 and enjoy it's carefully restored interior which stays faithful to its origins.

Take a sneaky peek 😏at this beautiful building when it's open for Heritage Open Days this year! Details in the link in the comments 👇

📸Image credits: (left) Visit Colchester, (right) John Miller, Landmark Trust

The Landmark Trust Visit Essex In Colchester

29/08/2026

🤩We're coming up to a mega-month in the Colchester calendar! 📆

Here are just a few of the events you can enjoy coming up!

📌Invasion Colchester 🦸
📌Chappel Beer Festival at East Anglian Railway Museum 🍻🚂
📌Heritage Open Days across Colchester, Marks Tey, Boxted and Wivenhoe 🏛
📌 Colchester Festival of Rice and Spice
📌Visit Colchester's Art in the Open guided tour 🖼
📌ALB Festival 👩🏼‍🎤
📌Suzie Ruffell and Ivo Graham stand-up comedy at St Botolphs Priory 🎤

With so much taking place all over the District, make sure you check our helpful guide to planning the month ahead over on our website with dates and plenty more info ℹ (link in the comments)

Image credits: Visit Colchester all except Chappel Beer Festival image (credit East Anglian Railway Museum)

East Anglian Railway MuseumEast Anglian Railway Museum Chappel Beer Festivals Heritage Open DaysHeritage Open Days ALB Festival Colchester Arts Centre In Colchester Visit Essex

28/08/2026

The Siege of Colchester! A sad and gruesome part of Colchester's history...

📜💥 The deafening roar of cannon fire of the finally fell silent on 28 August 1648. After 11 gruelling weeks under siege, the Royalist Army surrendered, bringing one of the most dramatic and destructive chapters in Colchester's history to an end.

What began as a campaign to rally support became a conflict that reshaped the town within its Roman walls and beyond, leaving scars that can still be traced today.

🏛️ Now, 378 years later, Colchester is a very different place. Yet the Roman Walls remain standing, and evidence of the Siege is still visible across the city if you know where to look.

👀 Intrigued? You're in luck! Discover this fascinating chapter of Colchester's past for FREE during Heritage Open Days by joining a guided walking tour and uncovering the stories hidden in the streets around you.

📆 Sunday 13th September
⏰11am
📍Meet at Colchester War Memorial

💻Not available to join the tour? Don't fret! Find a FREE Siege trail and more information about this fascinating time in history on our website (link in comments) 👇 Alternatively, you can purchase this trail for £1 from our Visitor Information Centre 🛍

🏰✨

27/08/2026

There's still time to WIN Free tickets to The Minories Minories' Banksy exhibit, featuring an impressive collection of the world-renowned artist's works! 🎨

You can find the Street Art Trail on the In Colchester app, explore the city centre, and find 9 hidden street art gems waiting to be discovered. Once you've tracked them all down, solve the secret code to win a family ticket to the exhibit!

Address

Hollytrees Museum, High Street
Colchester
CO1IUG

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441206282920

Website

http://www.visitcolchester.com/

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