Nottingham Castle has reopened to the public after it was forced to shut in November nearly 18 months after launching a £31 million redevelopment in 2021.
The attraction has been mostly closed to the public since the trust running it went into liquidation. The site is now owned by Nottingham City Council.
For the opening, the council has announced a new general admission price of £12 per adult for a ticket for a year, as well as free entry for up to three accompanied children aged 15 and under.
“We are looking forward to seeing people reconnect with a site that is so important to local people and to the city, and to welcoming visitors from further afield who are discovering it for the first time,” said Pavlos Kotsonis, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning at Nottingham City Council.
“We feel sure that the reinvigorated visitor experience throughout the site will encourage people to come back time and time again, with the new ticket allowing people to pay £12 once and visit all year round.”
Following the redevelopment, Nottingham Castle features a new visitor centre and café at the entrance, a Hood’s Hideout adventure playground in the dry moat, and new signs around the grounds for visitors to explore the medieval site.
Highlights also include redesigned galleries, a new temporary gallery, and a revamped Brewhouse Yard revealing Nottingham from the 1500s to 1900s.
£31m redevelopment for UK castle
Annette Thornley, the business development manager at Visit Nottinghamshire, said the reopening “is a great boost for the tourism economy in Notts, supporting businesses and jobs throughout the wider city and county”.
“Nottingham Castle is an important landmark in the city centre, both for residents and visitors to the city,” added Alex Flint, Nottingham Business Improvement District chief executive.
“We are very keen for it to become a successful city centre attraction and will support collaboration amongst partners and business stakeholders in the city to enable this.”
