Places for kids to dress up

Children dressing up in period costume at Sutton House, London — Children dressing up in period costume at Sutton House | © National Trust Images/Rob Stothard

Enjoy a family day out and step into the shoes (and clothes) of an Anglo-Saxon warrior, the lady of the manor or a Victorian scullery maid, with our pick of the top places for dressing up.

Castle Ward, County Down: At Castle Ward, children have a choice of costumes. Will they become a Victorian boy or girl and play games from that time? Or will they transform into farm animals in the barn?Be a Victorian for a day
Killerton, Devon: Visit Killerton and you’ll walk through a secret wardrobe into a world of costumes. Don't forget to finish it off with a hat or stylish scarf. Which era will you choose?See the secret wardrobe

Visitors dressing up in period costume at Lyme Park, House and Garden, Cheshire — Visitors dressing up in period costume at Lyme Park, House and Garden | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Lyme Park, Cheshire: Take the kids back to Edwardian times at Lyme Park, where they can dress up in brilliant costumes, and play with toys in the Edwardian nursery.Get into costume
Petworth House, Sussex: Our first mission for children entering Petworth House is to find the wardrobe that says ‘Open me’. Inside you'll find costumes linked to paintings in the house.Find a costume in a painting
Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire: At Snowshill Manor, you can choose from a variety of handmade costumes to dress up in. Charles Wade, who was an avid collector, started a costume collection at Snowshill at the age of 14. Try on costumes in the new Turquoise Cellar dressing room, which has a long mirror and photo frames to help capture the moment.Dress up at Snowshill

Getting into character at Tyntesfield, Somerset — Children getting into character at Tyntesfield, Somerset | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Sutton Hoo, Suffolk: Children can transform themselves into Anglo-Saxons for the day at Sutton Hoo, complete with helmets and swords. They can also try their hand at archaeology and build their very own Anglo-Saxon house or den.Become an Anglo-Saxon
Tredegar House, Newport: The dressing up box at Tredegar House holds a great range of Restoration, Victorian, 1920s and 1930s costumes. Which era will your youngsters choose?Reinvent yourself at Tredegar

A man and child explore the ruins of Fountains Abbey. The man is holding the little girl as they look up at the stone walls of the abbey.

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