VISITORS to the Alexander Keiller museum in Avebury will be given a free pass today to celebrate World Heritage Day.

The site achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 1986 due to its importance in human history.

The National Trust is opening the museum, named after the famous 20th century archaeologist who excavated Avebury and the surrounding landscape, for the public to explore the artefacts and monuments for free.

Visitors to the museum can also see the newly-refurbished Barn Gallery which tells the story of the prehistoric people who lived in Avebury through an exhibition and interactive displays.

Hazel Barry-Scott, senior visitor experience officer, said: “This is a really good opportunity for people to come and have a look around, to go into the stone circle itself, and even touch the stones, before finding out more about them in the museum.

“We’re really proud of our newly refreshed exhibition in the Barn Gallery which has lots of new and up-to-date information for visitors to see, so it’s well worth a visit if you haven’t been for a while.”

Avebury is a globally-renowned archaeological site, its stone circle is the largest in the world and is surrounded by impressive monuments, some dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age. It is owned by the National Trust and cared for by English Heritage.

The museum houses one of the most important prehistoric archaeological collections in the country. Its opening hours are 10am-6pm, seven days a week.