Easter Holidays 2020
We cruise to six different piers on the River Thames linking some of London’s most popular attractions. There’s a wide range of family events taking place this Easter from Easter Egg hunts at the Old Royal Naval College to family workshops at the Cutty Sark & the British Museum.
Our cruises to the Thames Barrier also start on the 30th March 2020 & continue until the end of October. A cruise to the Thames Barrier is a great extension to your river cruise & passes round the O2, beneath the North Greenwich Cable Car & through the Thames Barrier before cruising back upriver.
What's on during the Easter Holidays?
Categories
Family Activities
Stop Colonel Blood from Stealing the Crown Jewel
Tower of London
Tower of London
Tower of London
About the Tower of London
The Tower of London takes its name from the White Tower which was constructed in around 1078 by William the Conqueror. Over the last 900 years the Tower of London has served a number of uses including a fortress, armoury, royal palace, royal mint, treasury, menagerie, prison & more recently the home to the crown jewels. The Tower is guarded by the Yeoman Warders who were formed by King Henry VII in 1485.
What's On This Easter
The Crown Jewels (officially name: The Crown Regalia) have fascinated the public since they were first displayed in 1669 however in 1671 Colonel Thomas Blood attempted to steal the jewels from the Tower of London.
Travel back in time to 1671 & join an interactive story telling of Colonel Blood’s attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. Expect hands on activities & immersive story telling in Historic Royal Palaces latest Family Trail at the Tower of London.
Easter Events
Colonel Blood & The Crown Jewels | 4th April 2020 – 21st June 2020
Robbery At The Tower | 4th April 2020 – 19th April 2020
Hunt for Eggs at the Old Royal Naval College
Old Royal Naval College
Old Royal Naval College
Old Royal Naval College
About Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is Sir Christopher Wren’s riverside masterpiece, built in the 17th Century as the Royal Hospital for Seamen on the site of the Tudor Palace of Placentia. The Old Royal Naval College boasts beautiful surroundings & some of the most magnificent interiors in London. The Painted Hall in King William Court is home to the largest painted ceiling in Europe, a Baroque masterpiece by Sir James Thornhill depicting over 300 years of English aristocracy & British Naval Power. The Chapel of St Peter & St Paul in Queen Mary Court has a beautiful interior designed by James ‘Athenian’ Stewart. Visitors to the Old Royal Naval College can enjoy tours of the Painted Hall & the grounds & visit the cafe & gift shop located in King William Court.
What's On This Easter
This Easter the Old Royal Naval College will be arranging an Easter Egg Trail through their iconic grounds between the 10th – 13th April. In addition to the Easter Egg Trail the artist Nick Ellwood is hosting an exhibition of hand drawings telling the story of characters from the Old Royal Naval College’s 500 year past.
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance will also be performing Haydn’s The Creation on the 8th April.
Easter Events
Easter Egg Trail | 10th April 2020 – 13th April 2020
Nick Ellwood Exhibition | 4th April 2020 – 31st May 2020
Hadyn’s The Creation by Trinity Laban | 8th April 2020
Rediscover the British Museums Collections Through Technology
The British Museum
The British Museum
The British Museum
About The British Museum
The British Museum was created by an act of Parliament in 1753 & opened to the public in 1759. The museum combined the collections of Sir Hans Sloane with the Cotton, Harley & Royal Libraries creating a vast collection of historic & scientific objects. The museum is housed in a collection of buildings entered through a magnificent Greek revival building designed by Sir Robert Smirke. Today The British Museum is free to visit & is home to more than 60 free galleries where you can enjoy tours, talks & family activities. You’ll also find a range of shops & five restaurants at the museum.
What's On This Easter
Families can learn about Roman Britain & Emperor Claudius through museum objects before building their own wall in Minecraft. Colour the Collection allows families to redesign the colour schemes of the museums most famous objects, many of them were brightly coloured to begin with. Egyptian Photo Booth uses technology to turn visitors into Egyptian characters including Pharaohs & Gods.
Easter Events
Colour the Collection (Age: 5+) | 11th April 2020, 11:00-16:00
Build Roman Britain in Minecraft (Age: 7+) | 12th April 2020, 11:00-16:00
Make a Manga Comic (Age: 7+) | 18th April 2020, 11:00-16:00
Egyptian Photo Booth (Age: 5+) | 19th April 2020, 11:00-16:00
Digital Little Feet (Age: Under 5) | 25th April 2020, 11:00-16:00
Explore Egyptian Mummies (Age: 5+) | 26th April 2020, 11:00-16:00
Hunt for Eggs at the Old Royal Naval College
Cutty Sark
Cutty Sark
Cutty Sark
About Cutty Sark
Visit the last remaining tea clipper, Cutty Sark. Originally built at Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 she spent her working life transporting cargo including tea from China and wool from Australia. She has now been fully restored and is an award winning visitor attraction.
What's On This Easter
Cutty Sark have a wide range of family activities lined up for Easter 2020. Sea SIGNS will involve craft activities, storytelling & the opportunity to meet characters from Cutty Sark’s historic past.
Fly The Flag is a family workshop teaching the use of Signal Flags on ships.
Fantastic Flowers celebrates Cutty Sark’s visits to Wales with daffodil making workships.
Dashing Dragons is an artist-led dragon making workshop inspired by Cutty Sark’s journeys to China & Wales
Easter Events
Sea SIGNS | 6th April 2020
Fly The Flag | 7th April 2020
Fantastic Flowers | 4th April 2020 – 11th April 2020
Dashing Dragons | 16th April 2020 – 18th April 2020
Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre
About Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre is home to Royal Festival Hall & The National Theatre & they operate a wide range of indoor & outdoor events throughout the year.
Easter Events
Plant Pots in Paper Bags (Age: 5+) | 4th April 2020 – 17th April 2020
Family Tree Trail | 4th April 2020 – 19th April 2020
Soundpit (All Ages) | 4th April 2020 – 19th April 2020
Family Folk Club | 9th April 2020, 13:00 & 11th April 2020, 13:00
Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales (All Ages) | 4th April 2020 – 11th April 2020
Craft an Eco Mobile | 9th April 2020 – 16th April 2020
Clay Time (Age: 5+) | 10th April 2020 – 15th April 2020
Build A Jam Jar Lantern | 11th April 2020 – 14th April 2020
Pedal Power Disco | 13th April 2020
River Cruises
Cruise Through the Thames Barrier
Top: The Thames Barrier | Bottom: Delta Span in the maintenence position.
Top: The Thames Barrier | Bottom: Delta Span in the maintenence position.
About The Thames Barrier
The Thames Flood Barrier is one of the largest movable flood defences in the world. Since its completion in 1986 the barrier has been closed 182 times (accurate as of February 2018). 95 of these closures were to protect against tidal flooding & 87 closures were to protect against tidal/fluvial flooding.
Thames Barrier Cruises
Our Thames Barrier Cruises depart five times each day from Westminster Pier calling at St. Katharine Pier & Greenwich Pier before cruising through the barrier. These river trips are a unique opportunity to see the Thames Barrier up close & learn more about its role protecting over 125 kilometres of London from flooding.
Departures
Daily Departures – 30th March 2020 – 1st November 2020
Departures from Westminster Pier, St. Katharine Pier & Greenwich Pier
Art & Exhibitions
Tudors To Windsors: British Royal Portraits & Faces of a Queen
The Queen's House
The Queen’s House
The Queen’s House
About The Queen's House
About the Exhibition
Royal Portraits have been used for centuries to showcase the monarchy in all its grandeur & splendour. Tudor To Windsors: British Royal Portraits is a landmark exhibition curated by Royal Museums Greenwich which brings paintings from their own collection together with paintings from the National Portrait Gallery & private collections. The exhibition will explore how royal portraiture has changed & includes works from famous painters such as Sir Peter Lely & more modern artists such as royal photographer Cecil Beaton.
In addition to Tudors To Windsors, Faces of a Queen is another exhibition which brings together the three Armada Portraits of Elizabeth I for the first time in their 430 year history. Visitors can compare the similarities & differences between the three paintings from Royal Museums Greenwich, Woburn Abbey & the National Portrait Gallery. Like many Tudor paintings the armada portraits are full of hidden meaning & metaphor which when combined portray Elizabeth I as the iconic figurehead we see today.
Exhibition Dates
3rd April 2020 – 31st August 2020
British Baroque: Power and Illusion
Tate Britain
About Tate Britain
In 1889 the sugar merchant Henry Tate offered the government his collection of 65 British paintings to be displayed to the public. Due to a lack of space for British art at the National Gallery Tate provided £80,000 to build the National Gallery of British Art. The new gallery was designed by the architect Sidney R. J. Smith & built on the site of the old Millbank penitentiary. The gallery opened in 1897 with 245 works of art in eight galleries & quickly became known as the Tate Gallery. The gallery officially became known as the Tate Gallery in 1932 & then the Tate Britain in 2000 after the opening of the Tate Modern inside the old Bankside power station. The Tate Britain displays over 700 artworks, is free to visit & also has the Djanogly Café, Rex Whistler Restaurant & a wide range of exhibitions & events take place throughout the year (some exhibitions charge an entry fee).
About the Exhibition
British Baroque: Power and Illusion is the first exhibition by Tate to explore Baroque art in Britain. Baroque was popular during the 17th century & notable examples in London include the ceiling of The Banqueting House, painted by Peter Paul Rubens for Charles I & the Painted Hall at the Royal Hospital For Seamen (now the Old Royal Naval College), painted by James Thornhill. The exhibition displays works by a number of leading artists including James Thornhill, Gofrey Kneller & Peter Lely.
Exhibition Dates
4th February 2020 – 19th April 2020
Examples of Baroque Art: Top: The West Wall, Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College | Bottom: The Apotheosis of James I, The Banqueting House
Examples of Baroque Art: Top: The West Wall, Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College | Bottom: The Apotheosis of James I, The Banqueting House
George IV: Art & Spectacle
Buckingham Palace: The Queens Gallery
Coronation portrait of George IV, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1821
Coronation portrait of George IV, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1821
About The Queens Gallery
The Queens Gallery at Buckingham Palace displays regular exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection. Families can explore the exhibitions with family activity bags & visit the family activity room.
About the Exhibition
George IV had the shortest reign of the Georgian Kings, just 10 years (1820-1830). At the time of his accession in 1820 he had already ruled for 9 years during his fathers illness, a period known as the Regency. George is often remembered as an excessive drinker who spent vast sums of money & accumulated enormous debt during a time of great austerity. He is also remembered for his poor relationship with his with, Queen Caroline of Brunswick. Despite these faults George had excellent taste in the arts & allowed the change to a constitutional government.
During George’s time as Prince of Wales he amassed such vast collections of art including Dutch & Flemish masters, porcelain, intricate goldsmiths work, books, prints & weapons that he could barely fit all of the items in his London home at Carlton House. After George’s accession he set about transforming Buckingham Palace & Windsor Castle to house his prized collections & he also built the magnificent Brighton Pavilion. George IV: Art & Spectacle is a special exhibition curated by Royal Collection Trust which brings together items created by the finest artists & craftsmen to tell the story of one of our most magnificent kings.
Exhibition Dates
15th November 2019 – 3rd May 2020
English (UK) 
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