The most famous venues in British sport are to be thrown open to the public to mark the start of a four-year cultural preamble to the London Olympics.

Among those taking part in the special open weekend are the All England Club, the home of the Wimbledon tennis championships, and, it is expected, Lord's cricket ground. Visitors will be able to explore the grounds freely and walk where their sporting heroes have trod.

The event, which begins on September 26, kicks off the £40 million Cultural Olympiad, which aims to involve the whole of Britain in the Games through a series of creative events. It is also an extension of London's successful Open House initiative, which offers the public an intimate view of the capital's architecture.

Museums revealing hidden treasures for the first time include the Tate and the V&A in London, the Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields, the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth and the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Visitors to Tate Britain, in London, may even get a chance to see Lord Coe, an Olympic 1,500metre champion and chairman of the Games organising committee, take part in Martin Creed's Work No. 850, which features runners sprinting inside the gallery.

Among the other 500 Olympiad events taking place over the weekend are a pyrotechnic performance of Stories from the Sea in Weymouth, the venue for the Olympic sailing events, and a fireworks display at Blackpool Tower, lit up in the London 2012 colours and accessible at 1948 prices - the last time Britain hosted the Games.

At the launch event yesterday, organisers claimed that the Cultural Olympiad would lead to the largest ever co-ordinated opening of Britain's buildings, archaeological sites and heritage locations in 2011. Jude Kelly, London 2012's cultural chairwoman, said: “In this country we have some of the most highly respected cultural institutions ... As we promised in our bid, they will help in the largest celebration of our cultural life in living memory.”

The Games organisers promised in their bid to give culture a central role to reflect the belief of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, that the Games should be the “wedding of sport and art”.

Events to be held over the next four years include a World Shakespeare Festival, a £7 million commission of artists' work around Britain, a night carnival in London and a £600,000 disability arts project.

The Cultural Olympiad does not come under the £9.3billion public cost of the Olympics. Its funding is a piecemeal amalgamation of existing Lottery grants, government money and donations from Olympic sponsors.

A survey from Opinium Research suggests that two thirds of people do not want to see Olympic success funded at the expense of other good causes.

Highlights

— Blackpool Tower fireworks at 20.12 on September 26

— Olympic Hour with Lord Coe at Tate Britain, London

— Windsor Castle lit up by Duke of York

— Mini Greek Games, Lincoln

— Youth Music Voices, Barbican, London

— HMS Belfast, Life Below Decks, London

— Free ballet classes for adults at English National Ballet, London

— Billy Bragg busking on the South Bank

— London Philharmonic open rehearsal

— BBC open day

— Behind the scenes at Imperial War Museum

— Royal College of Music masterclasses

— ENO open rehearsal