National Museums Liverpool is putting on a packed programme of family events this October, with Halloween crafts, storytelling, dance workshops and Black History Month celebrations running across its museums and galleries throughout the month and the half-term holiday.
Venues taking part include the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery, with activities for toddlers, children, teenagers and adults.
Halloween fun at National Museums Liverpool
From 20 to 31 October, Winnie the spider and her friends move into Little Liverpool, the children’s gallery at the Museum of Liverpool. The Halloween-themed play space is designed for children aged 0 to 5 to explore with their parents and carers.
Sudley House gets a spooky makeover on 30 and 31 October, with crafts, face painting and curious objects for families to handle.
For grown-ups, Sudley After Dark on Saturday 31 October is an after-hours lantern-lit tour of the historic house, with theatrical storytelling and a few atmospheric surprises along the way.
Half-term family activities
On Wednesday 28 October, a family dance workshop at World Museum introduces the traditional dance of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, with uplifting music and colourful costumes. The session has been adapted for all ages.
The next day, Thursday 29 October, World Museum hosts Beatlemania: National Museums Liverpool at 40. Inspired by the Beatles gold disc on display, families can design their own record sleeves based on classic Beatles artwork, get up close to 1960s memorabilia in an object-handling session and enjoy music throughout the day.
Budding strategists can head to World Museum’s Egypt gallery on Saturday 24 October for Mind Games, where visitors can learn and play chess and the East Asian game Go, with members of Liverpool Chess Club on hand.
Storytelling, music and Latin American culture
Magaly Flores leads a free Spanish storytime for children aged five and over at the Walker Art Gallery on Saturday 17 October. Part of Big Art for Little Artists, the session features El Pequeño Salvador Dalí by Anna Obiols.
World Museum also hosts the La Feria Festival Takeover on Saturday 10 October, celebrating Latin American cultures with live music, dance, storytelling and hands-on activities across the galleries.
The Liverpool Irish Festival Family Day returns to the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 24 October. The free event, co-hosted with Liverpool Irish Festival, runs from 11am to 4pm with live Irish music, dancing, traditional performance and creative activities for all ages.
Black History Month events in Liverpool
Guided tours at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 10 and Thursday 29 October celebrate inspirational Black Scousers, from community leaders and activists to artists, athletes and pioneers.
On Saturday 17 October, the museum stages Laroche, a historical drama written and directed by Dr Carlette Norwood. It tells the true story of Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche, a Haitian-born engineer and the only known Black passenger aboard the Titanic. The performance is recommended for adults and children aged 11 and over.
World Museum’s Spotlight Day on Sunday 25 October explores Ancient Nubia, a civilisation in what is now Sudan that rose to challenge Egypt and eventually ruled the whole Nile Valley.
Events for teenagers and young people
Young people aged 16 to 25 can join the Youth Engagement Forum at the Walker Art Gallery on Sunday 11 October to help shape future events and projects. Future Voices at the Museum of Liverpool offers a stage for music, poetry and spoken word in the atrium on Sunday 25 October, with further dates on 29 November and 20 December.
On Sunday 1 November, Muse-zine at World Museum invites 16 to 25 year olds to make art inspired by the museum collections, experimenting with zines and printmaking in a friendly, supportive setting.
Something for the grown-ups
Parents looking for their own creative break can try candle-making workshops at Sudley House on 9 and 10 October or at the Lady Lever Art Gallery on 16 and 17 October. The Walker Art Gallery runs a drop-in Sketching for Wellbeing session on Tuesday 13 October, and 18 to 30 year olds can design their own tarot cards with artist Nicole Marnell at a crafts club social at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 3 October.
The team behind the award-winning Old Dock Tour also runs tours beneath Liverpool ONE to see the world’s first commercial enclosed wet dock, as well as Walking the Waterfront, which traces the Pier Head’s history from medieval harbour to global port.
Full details of all events are available on the National Museums Liverpool What’s On page.
