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Christmas at the museums!

Have a magical family Christmas with Museums Worcestershire! 🎄

Check out what’s on during the festive period at Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle, The Commandery, and Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.

At Worcestershire County Museum, Hartlebury Castle

Hartlebury Christmas

A Family Christmas returns to Hartlebury Castle this December! Enjoy a magical December day out in the Worcestershire countryside where the castle and museum will be dressed for Christmas… 🎄

The weekend is more jampacked with festivities than ever and the Castle will be alive with seasonal music and enchanting decorations. Mother Christmas will be waiting to greet families throughout the event.

Explore the Castle and Museum to discover all the hidden nutcracker soldiers along with their Christmas stockings!

Families can also get stuck into Christmassy crafts and entertainment including biscuit decorating, balloon modelling and circus skills with Looby and Joey the Juggler. The festively decorated Victorian schoolroom will be ready and waiting for children to write those all-important letters to Father Christmas.

A winter walk around the historic moat is a lovely addition to the day; stop off at the bird hide to see what wildlife you can spot on your way to the fantastic woodland playground. Refuel with a coffee, hot chocolate and homemade food at Hayley’s Kitchen café or settle into the lovely Orchard Picnic Area which has accessible benches.

Take some nature home with you as Hartlebury Castle’s volunteer gardeners have been busy making beautiful wreaths which you can purchase to adorn your door this Christmas.

A Family Christmas is the perfect way to get the festive season going for children – and grown-ups too!

Admission info

Entertainment and craft activities: 11am – 4pm.

Whole-site admission applies for the event and can be booked here. Grotto meetings with Father Christmas are fully booked, but there’s plenty to enjoy over the weekend!

There’s no additional charge for the nutcracker trail on this weekend (usually 50p).

Can you find all the nutcracker soldiers standing on guard all around Hartlebury Castle? See if you can spot their all-important stockings ready for Christmas morning too…

This festive family trail will take you around the Bishop’s Palace and Worcestershire County Museum.

Pop into Hayley’s Kitchen Café for a cosy warming drink and homemade food when you visit.

The trail is 50p + whole-site admission to Hartlebury Castle. It’s free to follow as part of A Family Christmas, a weekend of family fun and  festivities, on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December (admission still applies for this event).

Plan your visit to Hartlebury Castle.

Hartlebury Castle is open until Sunday 22 December inclusive (closed Mondays).

It is then closed from Monday 23 December until Friday 31 January inclusive.

We look forward to seeing you again from Saturday 1 February 2025!

The Commandery

Reindeer Roundup! Christmas at The Commandery.

Santa’s reindeer have escaped and they’re hiding all around The Commandery!

Can you round them all up in time for their special journey to deliver the children’s presents? Each reindeer will give you an ingredient for a Christmas pudding to record along the way.

You can also make your very own Christmas pudding bauble to take home with you and hang on the tree.

Admission info

Drop in; no booking needed. £3 for Reindeer Roundup trail and craft. General admission also applies and can be paid for on arrival or booked online.

You can get free admission to The Commandery if you have a season or Worcester Residents’ pass (£3 for activities still applies) – find out more and plan your visit.

The Commandery is open as usual until Sunday 22 December inclusive (closed Mondays).

Closed from Monday 23 to Thursday 26 December.

Open Friday 27 – Sunday 29 December. The Commandery is then closed for the month of January.

We look forward to seeing you again from Saturday 1 February 2025!

At Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

Arctic Activities

Bags of Fun are back – and this time we’re heading for the snowy and icy lands of the Arctic!

Create your very own pop-up polar bear, a wonderful walrus, and bring to life a beautiful winter landscape using tissue paper and card.

Pick up your activity bag and head upstairs to the Activity Space in the museum, which is fully equipped for young creatives to get going on their making.

Each bag has multiple themed activities inside. There are colouring and puzzle sheets to enjoy too.

£2.50; purchase from the shop.

Clues about eight Arctic animals are hidden around the Art Gallery and Museum… can you find the clues and figure out which animal it links to?

Write down and draw which animal you think it is on your trail sheet!

£1; purchase from the shop.

Become a festive elf yourself at the Art Gallery and Museum and make your own present to give to someone this Christmas!

Will you choose to decorate a flowerpot, vase, canvas bag, or pencil case?

Make your own wrapping paper and card to go along with it, enjoy a story, and make your own reindeer food too!

There will be two sessions on the day:

  • Session 1 – 10.30 – 11.30am
  • Session 2 – 12noon – 1pm

There are limited spaces, so please book to guarantee your spot.

The session is £6 per child; entry is free to the Art Gallery and Museum, so you can enjoy exploring before or after the workshop.

The Art Gallery and Museum is open until Tuesday 24 December inclusive (closed Monday 23 December / closed Mondays and bank holidays).

Closed Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December.

Open Friday 27, Saturday 28, Sunday 29, Tuesday 31 December (closed Monday 30 December).

Closed Wednesday 1 January. Open from Thursday 2 January as normal.

Have fun! 

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