Spooky Family Fun This October Half Term at Weald & Downland Living Museum
Published 08:25 on 12 Sep 2025
The Weald & Downland Living Museum is set to bring history to life this October half term with a programme of spooky, family-friendly activities inspired by folklore, superstition and the supernatural.
From Saturday 25 October to Sunday 2 November, visitors can take part in the Ritual Marks and Hidden Objects Trail, uncovering mysterious symbols and concealed items once believed to protect homes from evil spirits. Along the way, families will discover fascinating stories of how people in the past warded off danger and explained the unexplainable.
Alongside the daily trail, there will be a wide range of interactive activities designed to spark curiosity, immerse visitors in the past, and entertain children of all ages. From hands-on crafts and medieval medicine to spine-tingling storytelling, every day offers something new to enjoy.
Highlights of the week include Ghostly Tales with The Bard Dawn, where families can gather round the fire to hear chilling tales from the past. Visitors can also join in with family craft activities, designing ritual marks with quill and ink, making lucky talismans from clay, and creating magical nature wands. The Museums Plague Potions activity offers children the chance to meet the plague doctor, mix protective potions, and uncover the strange and gruesome world of medieval medicine.
On Friday 31 October, the Museum marks All Hallows Eve with a special programme of hauntingly historic activities. Families can purchase a spooky pass for £2 per child, which includes entry to a series of immersive experiences across the site. Mystics will guide visitors along a lantern-lit woodland trail, welcoming them into a medieval home to create a personalised spell jar sealed with wax and accompanied by an oracle card. The plague doctor will once again be on hand to share gruesome remedies of the past, while Dawn Nelson will gather audiences by the fire for ghostly tales throughout the day. Families can also enjoy seasonal crafts and complete the Ritual Marks and Hidden Objects Trail as part of the experience.
With atmospheric trails, interactive crafts, immersive storytelling and plenty of history brought vividly to life, the Weald & Downland Living Museum promises an unforgettable half term for the whole family.
Alongside the special programme, visitors can explore over 1,000 years of rural history through the Museums collection of rescued historic buildings, gardens, traditional farming demonstrations, farm animals and the beautiful South Downs landscape.
Activities vary each day, plan your visit and book tickets at www.wealddown.co.uk.
