Spooky, last-minute activities on offer as families feel the pinch

Museums and galleries across Wales are offering a cheaper and greener way to celebrate this weekend, with dozens of last-minute free trails, crafts and storytelling sessions on offer before the Welsh Museums Festival ends on Sunday 1 November.

With Halloween now costing families an average of £209, research published this month for Asda found that more than half of UK adults see Halloween spending as an unwelcome blow so close to Christmas. A separate survey by Savvy found that seven in ten Halloween shoppers want to mark the occasion without spending a lot.

More than 60 museums and galleries are taking part in this year’s festival, many offering free or low-cost activities, and – in some cases – no booking required. Families can also pick up the festival’s free bilingual Calan Gaeaf booklet at participating venues. 

Dr Ken Griffin, President of Museums Federation Cymru, which organises the festival with Welsh Government funding, said: “This year, more than 60 museums are taking part, the highest number since the festival began. The festival is especially popular with families, providing free and accessible activities during a period of financial pressure. Above all, it’s the perfect time to discover your local museum.”

Environmental charity Hubbub estimates that seven million Halloween costumes are thrown away in the UK every year. That adds up to around 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste. This year the festival has encouraged museums to swap glitter and plastic props for natural and recycled materials. For example, at Carmarthenshire Museum, every pumpkin on the Halloween trail has been crocheted by hand. Children who complete the trail take home pumpkin seeds in a biodegradable pot, with a certificate printed on recycled paper. 

Early feedback from families has been glowing, with visitors rating the festival a five-star experience. “Kids absolutely loved it and it’s good to see funded activities being available again,” said one parent at the Museum of Cardiff. A visitor to Storiel in Bangor summed it up as “Whole thing fantastic!”, while at TimeScape in Rhayader another said: “Nice and warm. So much to see in one visit.”

What’s on this Halloween weekend, Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November

For full details, please go to the individual museum or gallery.

NORTH WALES

• Brambell Natural History Museum, Bangor University: Small Beasts, needle felting with artist Elen Williams (ages 8–12). Sat 31 Oct, 10am–12pm or 1pm–3pm. FREE, booking essential. 
• Conwy Culture Centre: Celebrate Archaeology! Fri 30 Oct, 1pm–4pm. 
• Denbigh Museum: Halloween at Denbigh Museum, with a spooky treasure trail, printing in the Gee Studio, badge making, a short film and quiz, and activity booklets. Sun 1 Nov, 12pm–4pm.
• Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum: Spine-chilling Halloween talk. Sat 31 Oct, 11am. 
• National Slate Museum, Llanberis: Nature Trail at the Quarry Hospital. Until Sun 1 Nov, 10.30am–4pm. Link
• Oriel Môn, Llangefni: Creative Halloween. Fri 30 Oct, 10.30am–12.30pm. FREE, booking essential. Link
• Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Llanbedrog:
  • Yr Oriel Fyw: Halloween. Fri 30 Oct, 5pm–6.30pm. 
  • Paned i’r Blaned, a Welsh-language chat about the environment, with cake. Sat 31 Oct, 10am. FREE. 
• Penrhyn Castle, Bangor (The National Trust):
  • Calan Gaeaf harvest trail. Until Sun 1 Nov.
  • Storytelling with Mair Tomos Ifans, in Welsh and English. Fri 30 and Sat 31 Oct.
• Plas Newydd, Anglesey (The National Trust): The Big Draw and dressing up. Until Sun 1 Nov.
• Plas yn Rhiw, Llŷn (The National Trust): Calan Gaeaf creature trail. Sat 31 Oct and Sun 1 Nov. 
• Ruthin Gaol Museum: Halloween at Ruthin Gaol, with late opening in the Victorian cells. Until Sat 31 Oct, 10.30am-8pm. Admission applies. 
• Storiel, Bangor: Halloween emoji masks with Hannah Coates Shea. Fri 30 Oct, 11am–4pm. 
• Yr Ysgwrn, Trawsfynydd:
  • Forest School, Fri 30 Oct, 12.30pm.
  • Concert by Mari Fychan, Fri 30 Oct, 3pm. 
  • Coffee morning, Sat 31 Oct, 10am. 

MID WALES

• National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth: The Mystery of the Black Cat. Sat 31 Oct, 11am–11.40am.
• TimeScape Rhayader:
  • Rhayader Dragon Festival; meet Queen Belrenin, a 20ft copper dragon. Until Sat 31 Oct. FREE.
  • Spindle spinning and natural dyes, Fri 30 Oct, 1.30pm.
• y Gaer Museum, Art Gallery and Library, Brecon: Trick or Trails, a hunt for bats, spiders, snakes and owls, plus sustainable crafts. Until Sun 1 Nov, 10am–4pm. FREE, drop-in. 

SOUTH WALES

• Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Merthyr Tydfil:
  • The Butler’s Halloween Mystery trail. Until Sun 1 Nov, 10am–4.30pm. Children free, adults £3.50.
  • Spooky Seed Mosaics, Fri 30 Oct, 10am–12pm and 1pm–3pm. 
• Porthcawl Museum: Halloween at Porthcawl Museum. Until Sat 31 Oct, 11am–3pm. 
• Shire Hall Museum, Monmouth: Nelson’s Ghostly Trail; hunt for ghost ships hidden around town. Maps from Monmouth Community Hub. Until Sun 1 Nov. FREE.
• Torfaen Museum, Pontypool: Appliqué pumpkins from scrap fabric. Fri 30 Oct, 10.30am–11.30am.

WEST WALES

• Carmarthenshire Museum, Abergwili:
  • Crocheted Pumpkin Trail. Until Sun 1 Nov, 10am–5pm. FREE, drop-in.
  • Face painting, Fri 30 Oct, 10am–5pm. 
  • Spooktacular drama workshops, Sat 31 Oct, 10am and 11.30am. L
• Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea:
  • Autumnal Spells workshops, Fri 30 Oct: quiet sessions designed to be autism and neurodivergent friendly, 10am–12pm, then drop-in, 1pm–4pm. 
  • Self-led Autumnal Spells activities, Sat 31 Oct and Sun 1 Nov, 10am–4pm. FREE.
• Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea: Adults’ book-making workshop, Sat 31 Oct, 10.30am–1pm; Queer Shapes Life Drawing, Sat 31 Oct, 2pm–4pm. Link
• Museum of Land Speed, Pendine: Make a toilet-roll ghost or witch. Sat 31 Oct, 11am–1pm.
• Parc Howard Museum, Llanelli: Garlic, Pumpkins and Vampires with Adam yn yr Ardd. Fri 30 Oct, 11am. £5, book ahead. 
• Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre: Halloween family fun, with face painting, badge making and quizzes. Last day Fri 30 Oct, 10am–4pm. Children free with a paying adult. 
• Swansea Museum: Pumpkin Trail; find the pumpkins, guess the word. Until Sun 1 Nov, 10am–4.30pm. FREE. 

Families can also pick up the festival’s free bilingual Calan Gaeaf booklet at participating museums, marked with a pumpkin 🎃 at museumsfestival.wales