From Halloween adventures to hands-on creativity, National Museums Liverpool is bringing families together this October with a lively programme across its museums and galleries.
Visitors can celebrate Black History Month and the Liverpool Irish Festival, enjoy spooky storytelling and crafts, or try something new through tour guides and performance. With activities for children, young people and adults, there is something for all ages throughout October and the half-term holiday.
Celebrating Black History Month
Discover the stories of Liverpool’s Black community through guided tours at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 10 and Thursday 29 October. The tours highlight inspirational Black Scousers, from community leaders and activists to artists, athletes and pioneers, and the contributions they have made to the city and beyond.
The programme also includes a performance of Laroche on Saturday 17 October, a powerful historical drama written and directed by Dr Carlette Norwood. The play tells the remarkable true story of Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche, the only known Black passenger aboard the RMS Titanic. Blending history, identity, and human drama, Laroche explores the life of a Haitian-born engineer navigating race, class, love, and belonging in early twentieth-century Europe. The performance is recommended for adults and children aged 11 and over.
At World Museum, a special Spotlight Day on Sunday 25 October transports visitors to Ancient Nubia and explores its story, from the birth of complex cultures in the region to a civilisation that was able to challenge Egypt for supremacy and eventually conquer its northern neighbour, uniting the whole Nile Valley under the rule of kings from what is now Sudan.
Irish culture and young voices
The sights and sounds of Irish culture fill the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 24 October as the Liverpool Irish Festival Family Day returns. Co-hosted with Liverpool Irish Festival, the free event brings together live Irish music, dancing, traditional performance and creative activities for all ages from 11am to 4pm.
Young people aged 16 to 25 can take part in the Youth Engagement Forum at the Walker Art Gallery on Sunday 11 October, sharing their ideas and helping to shape exciting events and projects for their peers across Liverpool and beyond. Meanwhile, Future Voices at the Museum of Liverpool gives young people a platform to share music, poetry and spoken word with audiences in the atrium on Sundays 25 October, 29 November and 20 December.
Halloween fun for all the family
A playful mix of spooky surprises awaits families this half-term. From 20 to 31 October, Winnie the spider and her friends take over the Little Liverpool children’s gallery at the Museum of Liverpool, bringing Halloween-themed fun for children aged 0 to 5 to explore with their parents and carers. Sudley House receives its own spooky makeover on 30 and 31 October, inviting families to enjoy crafts, face painting and curious objects to handle. A special after-hours tour on Saturday 31 October, Sudley After Dark, invites brave adults to explore one of Liverpool’s most fascinating historic homes by lantern light. Featuring theatrical storytelling and atmospheric surprises, it is perfect for curious history lovers and anyone who enjoys a good shiver.
Hands-on creativity and discovery
Crafts club socials are monthly workshops for people aged 18 to 30. At the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 3 October, visitors can meet new people and design their own tarot cards with local artist Nicole Marnell. Adults of all ages can also enjoy a sociable candle-making workshop at Sudley House on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October, or at the Lady Lever Art Gallery on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October, making a candle to take home. For a calming creative experience, the Walker Art Gallery hosts a drop-in Sketching for Wellbeing session on Tuesday 13 October.
On Saturday 24 October, Mind Games comes to World Museum’s Egypt gallery, where visitors can learn, play and test their strategic skills through games like chess and the East Asian game of Go, with members of Liverpool Chess Club joining the day’s activities.
A family dance workshop at World Museum on Wednesday 28 October invites visitors to discover the traditional dance of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Featuring uplifting music and colourful costumes, the workshop has been specially adapted for all ages. The family fun continues on Thursday 29 October with Beatlemania: National Museums Liverpool at 40. Inspired by the iconic Beatles gold disc on display, the event brings together a craft activity to design record sleeves influenced by classic Beatles artwork, a chance to get up close to Beatles memorabilia during the museum’s 1960s object-handling session, and a lively musical atmosphere throughout the day.
On Sunday 1 November, Muse-zine at World Museum invites young people aged 16 to 25 to find inspiration in National Museums Liverpool’s collections as they create their own art, experiment with zines and printmaking, learn new skills and meet people in a welcoming and supportive space.
Storytelling and world-class tour guides
Magaly Flores leads a free Spanish storytime session for children aged five and over as part of Big Art for Little Artists at the Walker Art Gallery on Saturday 17 October, featuring El Pequeño Salvador Dalí by Anna Obiols. The La Feria Festival Takeover celebrates the rich cultures and traditions of Latin America at World Museum on Saturday 10 October, with live music, dance, storytelling and hands-on activities throughout the galleries.
Visitors can round off their day by exploring Liverpool’s remarkable maritime past with the award-winning team behind the Old Dock Tour. Head underneath Liverpool ONE to discover the world’s first commercial enclosed wet dock or join Walking the Waterfront to see the Pier Head’s history brought to life, tracing the city’s transformation from a medieval harbour into a globally influential port.
Full details of events and activities across National Museums Liverpool’s museums and galleries are available at www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson.