School Visit
Admission Charges for Schools & Parties of 15 or more
House on The Hill Toy Museum – School Visit
Just when you thought it was safe to enter the Toy Museum!
Children | Adults | OSP’s | |
Toy Museum | £6.00 | £7.00 | £6.50 |
Castle | £7.00 | £8.50 | £8.00 |
Combined | £8.50 | £10.50 | £9.50 |
Download our Teachers Pack from the Castle website here
All prices include VAT @ 20%
One adult free for every fifteen children with every pre-booked party
(except during special events weeks)
WHAT CAN WE SEE WHILE WE’RE THERE?
The Toy Museum is located adjacent to the Castle and is the largest in the world, with at least 80,000 exhibits on display from late Victorian times up to 1990’s. How better to see the illustration of the social history of our times portrayed through toys, books, games, music, entertainment and family amusement. The museum also houses a WWI & WWII Blitz and Battle of Britain display, Showbiz Collection and a Rock ‘n’ Roll exhibition. Also included in the Toy Museum site is our Dinosaur park where you can see life sized dinosaurs and try your hand at fossil hunting in our Palaeontology House, can you find the velociraptors claw?Mountfitchet Castle is a Norman Motte and Bailey Castle and Village, re-constructed on its original historic ancient site, complete with many different buildings, siege weapons and animals roaming freely throughout the 10 acre site, providing a unique insight into community life in Domesday England.
DO WE HAVE TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?
Yes, all parties must pre-book, initially by telephone and then by confirmation either by filling in our School confirmation form.
Or by email: info@stanstedtoymuseum.com
Or letter to: Mountfitchet Castle, Stansted, Essex. CM24 8SP.
IS IT SUITABLE FOR ALL AGE GROUPS?
Yes, both attractions are suitable for all age groups, from infants upwards.
DO WE NEED A GUIDED TOUR?
No, in the Castle all exhibits are clearly signed and as you enter each building, an informative commentary is activated by sensor. In the Toy Museum, just follow the footsteps!
DO YOU HAVE ANY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS?
THE HISTORY OF TOYS – We can provide a box of labelled toys and a laminated ‘talk’ to read out to the children.
THE HOME FRONT – We now have an educational box of original WWII items designed to teach children of all ages about the Home Front, including the Blitz, Evacuation, Rationing, Blackouts, Air Raid Shelters and the like. This is provided with laminated information sheets to read out to the children.
Teachers information packs are available to download on our website under the Schools menu. Here you can also download full activity worksheets prior to your visit. Click here to open the Downloads page.
ARE THERE PARKING FACILITIES?
Yes, there is a large Car and Coach Park serving the Castle. This is operated by the Council, and the current 2015 daily charge per coach is £6.00. Cars are charged £1.20 for a three hour stay.
EATING ARRANGEMENTS
The Castle has a tea room which seats approximately 50 people, as well as an outdoor, covered picnic area which can accommodate approximately 120 people. The tea room sells a range of sandwiches, toasted baguettes, cakes, cookies, popcorn and ice cream, as well as a selection of hot and cold drinks.
The Toy Museum has an indoor seating area which can accommodate 25/30 people, which visiting groups are welcome to use to eat their sandwiches.
DO YOU HAVE A SOUVENIR SHOP?
Yes, Mountfitchet Castle visitor centre has a souvenir shop, offering a wide variety of gifts and souvenirs starting from as little as 50p. The Toy Museum does not have a shop, but groups are more than welcome to use the one in the visitor centre which you pass through on your way to and from the Toy Museum. Goody Bags are available from £3.50 – please telephone for details.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO SEE EVERYTHING?
This depends on the age of the children and whether they are completing Activity Sheets or sketching exhibits etc, but a good average time is 2 hours at the Castle and slightly less at the Toy Museum. Many schools combine a visit to both the Castle and the Toy Museum on the same day.
TEACHERS’ PRE-VISITS
Teachers are welcome to visit the Castle and Toy Museum prior to their school visit. We ask you to pay in the normal way, tell the reception staff you are a teacher and they will sign your ticket on the reverse. Then, on the day of the actual school visit, re-present the ticket and your money will be refunded in full. Alternatively, if you have received your confirmation of booking form, bring this along with you and you will be admitted free of charge. Maximum of two teachers allowed per school free of charge.
BOOKING CONDITIONS
We expect that all visiting parties of children be adequately supervised.
Booking is made initially by telephone and then by written confirmation within 2 weeks of the telephone call.
Once a booking has been made as above, we expect the party to honour that booking.
IMPORTANT: All confirmed bookings are binding. Cancellation of a confirmed booking will be subject to the full amount due.
We do not normally ask for a booking deposit, but require a cheque, credit card or cash in full payment on the day of the visit. A VAT invoice will be issued in return. However, where very large numbers are involved, a non-returnable deposit may be requested.
RISK ASSESSMENTS
KEEP IN TOUCH
Let us have your email address and we will keep you up to date of our special events, news and shows. Mountfitchet Castle and the House on the Hill Toy Museum are constantly updating their website with news, events and stories. In order to keep teachers and group leaders informed of our latest news and events we are compiling a confidential email database so that we can send out e-newsletters twice a year.
Email us at register@mountfitchetcastle.com to be included on the database.