This post was published in May 2022. Please check with Eden Camp direct for the most up to date information.
Eden Camp in North Yorkshire is somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time. We finally got around to it over Easter 2022. My family have a keen interest in history, especially the boys, and I knew it would be somewhere they'd enjoy. Not always an easy task with teenagers.
The museum is also dog-friendly and it was nice to be able to bring Fozzy along with us for a day out.
What is Eden Camp?
Eden Camp is a fairly unique attraction which allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds and smells of both life at home and life on the front line during the period of World War II.
There are 33 'huts' to walk around at your leisure. There are two set routes and I would recommend following one of these so you don't miss anything but you can come and go to the huts as much as you like and visit in any order.
Each hut focuses a different aspect of war - examples include 'women at war', 'the blitz', 'food during the war' and 'the rise of Hitler'. There is a lot of information to read in each hut and I think it would be impossible to read it all.
However you don't really need to read the info and as the museum is so immersive, simply walking around gives you a good feel for how life was.
As well as lots of information boards, there are mocked up streets and scenes to look at, things to smell, a blitz hut that you walk through as if your street has just been bombed and hands activities such as sitting in a mocked up submarine.
Some of the huts may be distressing to some which I will come onto later but these are very easily skipped. I would recommend Eden Camp for children in key stage 2 and above (so age 6/7+) and it's brilliant for teens, especially if they are studying Germany for History GCSE as Harry is.
Younger kids will still enjoy it here, I just don't think they would get *the* best out of it. Eden Camp is also one of those days out which definitely isn't just for kids, it would be perfectly acceptable to visit without them.
I'm just going to shoehorn this in here as there isn't really anywhere else to mention it but the loos at Eden Camp were super clean and I was impressed with them.
5 Reasons to Visit Eden Camp
1 - It's an interesting and educational day out and not too busy - it's easy to take things at your own pace with no rushing 
2 - Dogs are welcome
3 - It's an all-weather attraction (although wrap up on colder days)
4 - It's a good day out for older children
5 - Easy to get to by public transport, bike or car
Where is Eden Camp?
Eden Camp is located near Malton in North Yorkshire. It's around 90 miles South of Newcastle and should take just under 2 hours in the car.
Eden Camp is somewhere you can visit by public transport too. A bus stops outside of the museum, there is a train station 2 miles away and it's on a cycle route. Find out more about visiting by public transport here.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Eden Camp and would definitely recommend. Enjoy may be the wrong word as obviously, the focus of the museum isn't the most cheeriest of subjects.
However it was strangely uplifting as well as interesting and although there were sad parts, we didn't dwell on those too much and we left feeling like we'd had a good day out.
We spent around 3 hours there but didn't really spend long in the playgrounds and definitely didn't read everything. We could have stayed longer but needed to get back home as had theatre tickets. I think you'd struggle to spend any less than 2 hours there and should aim for 3-4 hours for a visit.
10 Tips for Visiting Eden Camp
1 - Pack a picnic
There is a cafe on site but I recommend packing a picnic. The car park is literally next door to the museum and you can come and go as you please to your car so it's very easy to leave stuff in the car until needed. It's always only ever a few minutes walk away.
There are lots of picnic benches and seating throughout the site as well as grassed areas.
2 - Plan your route
When you arrive at Eden Camp, you drive through the check in - kind of like some theme parks. Your tickets are checked and you are handed a map.
The map is useful and I recommend taking a few minutes to plan your route once you have parked up. We just kind of wandered in from the car park and ended up in hut 13 first which wasn't the wisest move. We then realised we should follow a set route.
You can start at hut one or follow signs for an alternative route going backwards. I would recommend the alternative route as it seemed a lot quieter this way. This is the route we ended up following. Click on the map below to zoom in.
I would recommend taking a pen and crossing off each hut as you visit so you don't miss anything. Each hut is very well signposted and the routes follow a one way system where you enter a hut at one end, exit at the other and then you will find the entrance to the next hut by the exit of the previous if that makes sense.
Basically, follow the correct route or alternative route. Don't just wander around at first.
You can find out more about the huts here.
3 - Go back to your favourite huts
Once you have visited everywhere, it is very easy to go back and revisit your favourite huts or somewhere you'd like to pop back into and read more of the information about that particular topic. The site isn't huge so you could break off and some of you revisit huts / others take the kids to the playground etc.... without getting lost pretty easily.
4 - Read the warning signs
Each hut has a clear sign on the door with a little about what to expect and what effects are used. Most of the huts are suitable for everyone but one hut mimicks walking through a black out and another is a walk through experience of the blitz with bombs and fire etc......
Some material may not be suitable for everyone either but these sections are again, clearly labelled and kind of tucked aways and easily skipped. There was one particular section sharing photographs from various Prisoner of War camps and it was harrowing. I'd never seen photos like this before and it really shocked me. It was good for us to see though and H, D and J visited this section too and we had a good chat about it all.
There is a lot to take in when walking around the huts but it is super easy to break up the day and I'd recommend doing this after when you need a little break.
There is a nice ice cream shop and you can stop for coffee too. There's no rush and it's nice to take your time here I think.
There are also various lighthearted photo opportunites scattered around the site which are fun to take part in.
You will find various traditional games including tin cans and hook the nose on the pig which you can just join in and play whenever you fancy / as you are walking past.
Plus there is a large Prisoner of War Exercise themed assault course (perfect for ages 5-12) where Dee and Jack made up a game of spies as we stopped for coffee.
There is a smaller playground for younger kids too and both have seating nearby.
Dogs are welcome in pretty much all areas of the museum (the playgrounds and some areas of the cafe are the exception) and I would recommend bringing your dog along for a day out.
They may find some areas a bit too much (eg the blitz hut or the blackout walkthough) but you can easily wait outside with your dog and take it in turns if needed. Fozzy loved it all and I would definitely take him again.
There are dog water bowls by the shop / ice cream kiosk.
7 - Combine with Ryedale Folk Museum
Ryedale Folk Museum is just 16 miles North of Eden Camp and you will pass it on your way back home. If you can spend the full day in the area, I'd recommend stopping by. The Folk Museum is in Hutten-le-Hole which is a beautiful little village. Find out more here.
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8 - Check for deals
We managed to get half price tickets for Eden Camp via Planet Offers and I'd recommend checking the usual deal sites regularly. I personally do think full price is worth it but if you know there are deals out there, it is probably worth waiting for / looking for a deal. I bought our tickets at the start of the year before they opened for the season.
9 - Bring the grandparents
Eden Camp is one of those days out which is perfect for bringing the grandparents or even great grandparents along to. The museum is all set in the 1940s and even the entrance staff are in character. It's a lovely trip down memory lane or a chance to remember and share some of the stories / photos from previous generations.
The museum tries hard to be accessible to all. Everything is on one level and accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs (some huts may have limited space for larger mobility scooters). You can hire wheelchairs from Eden Camp (free of charge) and braille sheets are available too.
The huts are not heated so I'd recommend older folk or those who feel the cold wear layers.
10 - Stay overnight
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Premier Inn Pickering offers free parking and family rooms from £29 per night and if you are looking for somewhere dog-friendly, Travelodge Monks Cross is just 14 miles away, offers free parking and is dog-friendly.
Why not make it a short break and book one of these nearby North Yorkshire Cottages for a couple of nights?
Find out more about visiting and book here: https://www.edencamp.co.uk/
If you enjoyed a visit to Eden Camp, you will love Kynren in County Durham and Puy du Fou (a historical themed theme park in France).
Looking for other days out in North Yorkshire? Check out the following posts:
Ideas for things to do in Whitby and Scarborough
The best family days out in North Yorkshire
Scarborough North Bay Attractions
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