Discover the secrets of Britain’s Codebreakers at Bletchley this ‘Twixmas’

Twixmas – the period between Christmas and New Year, typically 27-30 December

With a diverse range of wonderful Christmas activities on until 5 January 2020 (closed 24, 25 and 26 December) you won’t need to crack a code to get into the festive spirit at Bletchley Park this Twixmas. Free for the under-12s, the former top-secret home of Britain’s Codebreakers, now a vibrant museum, has a packed calendar of interactive exhibitions and events that tell the story of this historic site.

Are the kids ready for a top-secret mission? The Christmas Code Crackers trail is available upon arrival (£1 each), challenging them to find adorable crocheted squirrels on an action-packed trail around the park, full of code breaking activities and puzzles.

Christmas is a time full of surprises, but what could be hiding in the centre of the Bletchley Park maze? Head to the Stableyard and see if you can solve a puzzle to find out and don’t forget the selfie!

There is plenty for a full day out including exploring the grounds, restored wartime buildings and park with interactive multimedia guides for all the family. Visitors can also visit the Mansion and codebreaking Huts, which are adorned with vintage 1940s style decorations. The heritage site offers on-site catering including a range of festive food and drink including mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate.

Visitors only need to pay for entry once to enjoy a free annual pass allowing them to return again and again to enjoy free on-site activities, one-day events and changing displays.

Dawn Barlow, Head of Operations at Bletchley Park said: ‘Twixmas here at Bletchley Park couldn’t be more perfect for families of all shapes and sizes. With so much to see and do, it’s the perfect way to do something together during the festive season whilst learning about work that helped change the course of history!’

A new display traces Bletchley Park’s peacetime transition ‘From GC&CS to GCHQ’, featuring photographs, never-before-displayed objects and little-known stories of Codebreakers who continued to work for GCHQ post-war. Head over to the D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion experience and discover the top-secret role Bletchley Park played in the planning and implementation of D-Day.

Discover more about the large number of machines that were used at Bletchley Park including the Enigma cypher machine, teleprinters and the Bombe machine. Tours are also available to discover more about the people behind the machines that helped break the Enigma cipher at Bletchley Park during WW2.

For a full list of What’s On visit the Bletchley Park website: bletchleypark.org.uk/whats-on.