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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.

Enhance the magic of the day with a Santa Experience – an exclusive meeting with Santa himself! This must be pre-booked due to limited spaces (FULLY BOOKED).

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.

Tickets including the Santa Experience – FULLY BOOKED

Tickets without the Santa Experience

Standard whole-site admission (pre-book or drop in).

All tickets include the Festive Fun Family Trail, plus entertainment, crafts and decorating a Christmas biscuit.

Book A Family Christmas on the Hartlebury Castle website.

Can you find all the festive mice hiding around the Castle?

 “When the lights go off and the doors are closed, the sound of tiny feet echoes through the Castle. The mice come out to play! By morning, they’ve gone away…or have they? Can you find the ones who’ve been left behind?”

Get into the Christmas spirit as you explore the Castle and follow a tale of Merry Mischievous Mice. Our nutcracker friends from previous Christmas trails will also be returning, alongside stunning decorations for all the family throughout the Bishop’s Palace and Worcestershire County Museum.

Whole-site admission to Hartlebury Castle applies to all visitors + £1 for the trail, or free as part of A Family Christmas (Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December).

Book whole-site admission tickets now.

Christmas opening times: open up to and including Tuesday 23 December.

Hartlebury Castle is then closed until 31 January.

We look forward to seeing you again from Sunday 1 February 2026!

At The Commandery

Big Snowman Search

A blizzard of snowmen has arrived at The Commandery! ❄️

Can you find them all hidden around the building? Once you’ve spotted them all, head to the Christmas craft room to create your own tree decoration to taken home with you. There’ll be Christmas-themed colouring sheets and puzzles to enjoy too!

£3.50 for trail and activities. 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 (£1 for trail still applies) – find out more and plan your visit.

The Commandery is closed on: 24, 25 and 26 December.

It is open on: 27, 28, 30 and 31 December.

The Commandery is closed throughout January. See you on Sunday 1 February 2026!

At Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

Bags of Fun Christmas Crafts

Get the festive creativity going with Christmas crafts with very merry Bags of Fun! 🎄

Make your own Christmas decoration, design a jolly Christmas card, and create a lovely paper wreath to hang up at home.

Pick up your activity bag from the shop 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. Free entry to Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.

Calling all mystery-solvers! 🕵️ Enjoy a festive family trail with a puzzling twist…

Explore the Art Gallery and Museum, stopping along the way to solve fun puzzles.

Your answers will reveal parts of a secret Christmassy message. Head to the Art Gallery and Museum’s shop to tell them the decoded message to get a small prize!

£1, purchase from the shop. Free entry to Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.

The Art Gallery and Museum is usually open: Tuesdays to Saturdays: 10am – 4pm. Sundays: 10am – 3pm.

Christmas opening times: closed 24 – 26, 29 December and 1 January. Open 27, 28, 30 and 31 December.

Have fun! 

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