Heritage Open Days 2026

The Open University Archive will be taking part in the annual Heritage Open Days. The Heritage Open Days are held every year in September across England and include hundreds of free events across many organisations.

Wednesday 16th September

Exhibitions and displays

On the 16th September, special exhibitions and displays of OU Archive materials will be available to view in the Betty Boothroyd Library Building. The exhibitions and displays will be available from 9am to 4pm on the ground floor of the Library, including the Library Atrium, the Archive Research Room and the Presentation Room.
 

Archive Cinema

In the Library atrium lecture theatre space, three compilations of clips from Open University programmes will be shown:

09:30 - 10:15: OU Historical Events
10:30 - 11:10: Milton Keynes in OU programmes
11:30 - 12:30: OU Teaching

12:45 - 13:30: OU Historical Events (repeat of earlier session)
13:45 - 14:25: Milton Keynes in OU programmes (repeat of earlier session)
14:35 - 15:25: OU Teaching (repeat of earlier session)

Campus tours

Two in-person campus tours will start from the Tree of Learning sculpture in the Library atrium. Identical in content, the tours will focus on the history of the Walton Hall estate and will include St Michael’s Church and the Legacy Garden. Each tour will last between 1 hour and 90 minutes.
Tour 1: 12:00

Tour 2: 13:30
There is no booking required for the campus tours or the displays and exhibitions on the 16th September.
 

Thursday 17th September 

Jennie Lee evening event

Join us for an evening at The Open University celebrating the first public statue of the politician Jennie Lee, unveiled in 2026 by Milton Keynes City Council outside Milton Keynes Central train station.

Born in Fife, Scotland in 1904, Jennie became MP for North Lanark in 1929. She was one of the first women to be elected to the House of Commons and was also the youngest member of the House at that time, aged just 24. Jennie was made Minister for the Arts in 1964. Her seminal White Paper for the Arts was produced in 1965 insisting that the arts should be central to everyday life and publicly supported for the benefit of all.

In February 1966, she produced the landmark White Paper on the University of the Air, laying the groundwork and effectively founding The Open University. She faced challenges to The Open University concept but fought for a university that was both open to everyone and which operated to the highest standards. Jennie’s actions have benefitted millions of people globally ever since. She died in November 1988 as Baroness Lee of Asheridge.

To mark the installation of her statue in central Milton Keynes, and also the 60th anniversary of Jennie’s White Paper, this event offers space to reflect on her enduring impact on education, the arts, politics and social change, and her relationship with the University she helped to shape.

The programme will feature a varied line up of speakers, including Jennie Lee sculptor Andy Edwards, who are drawn from across the OU and beyond. 
Further details of the event will be added on this page nearer to the event date.

The event will be delivered in a hybrid format, allowing people to take part in the way that suits them best. Tickets are available to attend the event in-person at the Berrill Lecture Theatre on the OU campus in Milton Keynes. Online tickets are also available, enabling participants to join remotely from anywhere.

The event will take place from 17:00 – 18:00.

To book an in-person or online ticket for the event, visit the Eventbrite booking page.
 

FAQs for the 16th September Library events

For frequently asked questions about the 17th September Evening event, including parking information – visit the Eventbrite page.

How do I get to the Open University Heritage events and is parking available?

Visitors for the events on the 16th September can use any of the OU's free car parks on campus. Directions to the campus and a campus map are available on our campus information webpage. The events will take place in the Betty Boothroyd Library Building on the ground floor. Campus tours will start from the Tree of Learning sculpture in the Library atrium.
 

Is there an online version of the tour?

The campus tours are in-person events held for Heritage Open Days on the OU campus, but there is also an online campus exhibition on the Digital Archive where you can take a virtual tour of the campus. There is also a History of Walton Hall online exhibition where you can learn about the pre-OU history of the Walton Hall estate.
 

Does the tour cover the whole campus?

No, the usual tour route includes the Library, St Michael's Drive and Walton Drive to Walton Hall, the Legacy Garden, then across to the Jennie Lee Building, over to the church (and inside the church) where the tour will finish. The tour leaders will then walk back to the Library building. The tour route is subject to change.
 

Will the tours be accessible?

There is partial wheelchair access - the tour does not include steps but will include the churchyard where the ground is uneven in places. There is on-site disabled parking available as well as on-site accessible toilets. Assistance dogs are welcome.
 

Will the tours run in the event of bad weather?

We will aim to run the tours in bad weather - please come prepared with an umbrella and suitable clothing/footwear.