We associate autumn with thoughts of falling leaves, fruitful harvests, and cooling temperatures, but there are also some golden gems on your front doorstep. October is a great time to get exploring while still saving those pennies, so grab your coat and winter boots and experience autumn the right way. Check out our top five places to visit and take a peek at what they’ve got on offer…Guess what? They’re all free!

1. An Alternative Arts Centre

Autumn is the perfect time to get creative. Hosting a range of free events, workshops, and exhibitions, arts centres are the ideal place to release some creative energy…. Without the mess at home! This month, the Southbank Centre is hosting Cloud Fashion Workshops where, under the guidance of sustainable designer Mei-Hui Liu, you can craft your own accessories from recycled materials, create pompom and flower headdresses, and try on Mei-Hui Liu’s autumn designs. All to the music of a creative DJ soundtrack! Alternatively, if you fancy mixing Palaeontology with art, catch the Fossils and Fantastic Creatures Week at Warwick Arts Centre held from October 27 to November 3, 2018. With a different creative activity on offer everyday there’s something for the whole family to enjoy.

2. A Must-see Museum

Museums are an all-time favourite for a trip out on a gloomy day. From London’s Natural History Museum to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life there’s ample opportunity to turn October into a month of intrigue and discovery. Telling the story of the transatlantic slave trade and its contemporary legacies, the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool is an unmissable trip this autumn. This October, you can take part in a weaving workshop where you can create designs inspired by the Life in West Africa gallery.

3. Indoor City Gardens…

Sound odd? It shouldn’t! There are tonnes of free indoor city gardens around the UK and they’re the perfect place to sit and relax if you’re already mourning the summer. Did you know Canary Wharf has its own tropical oasis? The Crossrail Place Roof Garden boasts an array of exotic plants carefully arranged by hemisphere, as well as its own street food market. It’s free to visit and open daily until 9pm. The Winter Garden in Sheffield is another must. Located in the city centre, the Garden has over 2,500 plants from around the world and is one of the largest greenhouses in the UK!

4. An Autumn Equinox Site

Stonehenge isn’t the only ancient stone site in the UK. The Lake District has a gem of its own. This year’s autumn equinox takes place on September 23 at 2.54am. How better to welcome shorter days and longer nights than a trip to Castlerigg’s mystical circle of stones? If stones aren’t rocking your world…why not attend an autumn equinox bird day? This year, Essex Wildlife Trust is offering free guided tours around the reserve and the opportunity to catch a glimpse of returning migratory birds.

5. Harry Potter Places!

For fans of magic, take a stroll down ‘Diagon Alley’ the Oxford Street of the wizarding world -- in Edinburgh this Halloween. It’s not quite Hogwarts, but the Potter Trail will take you to the school that inspired it, the locations that informed the scenes, and the café where JK Rowling wrote the stories. The tour also has a historic twist... As you meander through the streets of Edinburgh, your robed guides will reveal the history of the wizards and witches that traded in the medieval city.