Get set for a ghoulishly good half term this October in Hampshire (Saturday 21 to Sunday 29 October) with eerie activities and fearful fun taking over Hampshire Cultural Trust’s museums, galleries and arts centres. From Winchester to Basingstoke and Aldershot to Alton, there will be terrifying torchlit tours, creepy crafts and spooky storytelling for the whole family to enjoy throughout this Halloween half term.
Scary Saxons and peculiar potions at 878 AD – Winchester SO23 8QY
Saturday 21 to Sunday 29 October, during venue opening hours.
This October half term, enjoy a hauntingly good time at 878 AD and come and get stuck in with some classic Anglo-Saxon medicines and remedies! Work with Winchester’s local healers and leeches to create cures, supply salves and help heal the good folk of Wessex. These interactive sessions will allow you, friends and family to experience the peculiar potions of the past and even allow you to try creating your own!
Included in admission charge. Suitable for ages 5+, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required but advised.
Halloween ghost walks at Basing House – Basingstoke RG24 8AE
Monday 31 October, 8:30pm.
Be prepared to be spooked at one of the notorious Basing House ghost walks this Halloween! Brave visitors can find out more about the wicked history of the site as they're taken on a tour around the historic ruins of Basing House - these grounds have many a story to tell. Halloween costumes encouraged but make sure to have suitable outdoor clothes and footwear and bring along a torch to light the way. Don’t get lost in the deep and dark Tudor tunnel!
£16.50 per person. Not suitable for young children, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required.
Perfect pumpkins at Aldershot Military Museum – Aldershot, GU11 2LG
Halloween pumpkin carving – Monday 23 to Sunday 29 October, 12pm-3pm.
Visit Aldershot Military Museum this half term to make your very own carved pumpkin, ready for Halloween.
£5 per pumpkin. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Halloween Pumpkin Trail – Saturday 21 to Sunday 29 October, during venue opening hours.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our museum, help us find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Halloween at the Allen Gallery – Alton GU34 2BW
Halloween Pumpkin Trail – Thursday 24 October to Thursday 31 October, during venue opening hours.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our gallery help us find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Make-and-take: Clay pumpkins – Tuesday 24 October, 10:30am-11:15am and 11:45am-12:30pm.
Make and decorate your own mini pumpkin in air dry clay.
£5 per person. Suitable for ages 3+, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Spooktastic half term at Andover Museum and Museum of the Iron Age – Andover SP10 1DP
Museum by torchlight – Saturday 28 October, 5:30pm-6:30pm and 7pm-8pm.
Put on your spookiest outfit and join us for an evening tour of the museum by torchlight. Enjoy some spooky crafts and stories along the way!
£5 per person. Suitable for ages 5+, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Halloween Pumpkin Trail – Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 October, during venue opening hours.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our museum, help us find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Half term fun at Ashcroft Arts Centre – Fareham PO16 7DX
Spooky stitches – Wednesday 25 October, 10am-3pm.
Come along to this fun and creative textile workshop for children. Children will have the opportunity to explore texture and colour with a variety of textile art techniques and materials to express their creativity.
£25. Suitable for ages 6+. Pre- booking required.
Spooky moves – Wednesday 25 October, 10am-3pm.
Book on to our Spooky moves-dance in a day workshop this half term. Dance in a day is a fun and exciting way to learn street dance, create routines and work together to put on a show at the end of the day. This is a great way to create new friends, have fun and perform in front of friends and family. We have one day to work together to create a fun performance. Are you up for the challenge?
£25. Suitable for ages 6+. Pre- booking required.
Animation workshop – Thursday 26 October, 10am-4pm.
Come along to this fun and inspiring Spooky Stop Motion Animation workshop where children will learn stop-frame animations movie making techniques used in TV favourites such Wallace and Gromit, Morph, Pingu and Shaun the Sheep. Animation workshops are a fantastic way to engage, empower, educate and inspire people of all ages and abilities and allow them to creatively express their ideas while learning many invaluable skills. During this workshop participants will work together to create their own characters through collage, they will storyboard their ideas, animate and voice their characters and bring them to life in their very own animation.
£25. Suitable for ages 6+. Pre- booking required.
Ashcroft Spook-tacular Halloween party – Friday 27 October, 4pm-6pm.
Book on to an afternoon of spooky fun where you take part in spooky arts and crafts, play games and learn the monster mash!
£10. Suitable for ages 6+. Pre- booking required.
Halloween Pumpkin Trail at the Curtis Museum – Alton GU34 1BA
Tuesday 24 October to Tuesday 31 October, during venue opening hours.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our museum help us find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Creepy creativity at Forest Arts Centre – New Milton BH25 6DS
Creative Camps: Super Mario Bros – Wednesday 25 October, 9:30am-11am.
Join us for a morning full of crafts based on the computer animated adventure!
£10. Suitable for ages 5-14. Children under 6 must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Creative Camps: Halloween t-shirt printing – Thurs 26 October 2pm-4pm.
Join Berkshire Printmakers to create your own original spooky t-shirt design to scare your friends when trick or treating or to wear at the Halloween Disco! Learn the art of silkscreen printing and use the large library of plain and patterned screens to create a unique design. Dress for mess.
£43 including a t-shirt and a ticket to the Halloween disco. For ages 5+, children 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-booking required.
Halloween Disco – Saturday 28 October, 2pm-4pm.
The Halloween Disco is back, with lots of fun Halloween themed dances and activities!
£6. Suitable for ages 5-13, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required.
Frightening fun at Gosport Museum and Art Gallery – Gosport PO12 1NS
Halloween Pumpkin Trail –Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 October, during opening hours.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our museum and galleries. Help us to find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Museum by torchlight – Friday 27 October, 6pm-8.30pm - last admission 8pm.
Explore the museum and galleries by torchlight. Beware of any spooky goings on, you don't know who you will meet in the museum at night. Not for the fainthearted!
£2 per person. Suitable for ages 4+. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required.
Mini make: Pasta skeletons– Tuesday 24 October, 10.30am-1pm.
Drop-in and get creative with Gosport Museum and Art Gallery this Halloween and make a spooky skeleton from pasta.
£1 per make. Suitable for ages 4+. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Haunting historic streets at Milestones Museum – Basingstoke RG22 6PG
Saturday 22 to Sunday 30 October, during museum opening hours.
Join us this Halloween half term for some spooktacular fun at the museum. Have a ghoulishly good time as you follow our Halloween trail around Milestones to spot who’s haunting the museum's buildings... With eerie effects and traditional Halloween decorations, join us for a wicked wander through our cobbled streets - if you dare! Why not see if you can spook us by coming in your most ghoulish costume?
Suitable for all ages, children must be accompanied. Included in museum admission (some activities may incur additional charge, trail £3).
Wicked walks at Red House Museum and Gardens – Christchurch, BH23 1BU
Halloween Pumpkin Trail –Tuesday 24 to Sunday 29 October, during museum opening hours.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our museum and galleries. Help us to find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Spooky woodland walk –Tuesday 24 to Tuesday 31 October, during opening hours.
Our woodland walk will be decorated again this year especially for Halloween. What spooky things will you find?
Free, donations welcome. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Museum make: Monsters and magic costumes – Wednesday 25 October, 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3pm.
Using lots of recycled, upcycled and natural materials, create your own plastic-free costume.
£4.50 per make . Pre-booking advised.
Treehouse Theatre presents The Enormous Pumpkin – Thursday 26 October, 11am and 2pm.
Interactive storytelling aimed at children aged 3-7. Older children welcome
£5.50 per child. Accompanying adults go free. Pre-booking advised.
Halloween family fun night –Saturday 28 October, 6pm-8pm.
An evening of spooky fun for the whole family. Entertainment, crafts, trail, games and treats. Includes costume competition.
£12.50 child, £5 adult. Pre-booking advised.
Spooky puppets at Westbury Manor Museum – Fareham PO16 0JJ
Monday 23 October, 10:30am and 1pm.
Join us and create your very own mini wooden marionette skeleton. Each child will receive a skeleton kit which they can build and decorate. After the session children will receive a babychino in the museum cafe.
£6 per child (includes a babychino). Suitable ages 5+, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required.
Creepy crafts at The Arc – Winchester SO23 8SB
Create a giant cardboard haunted house – Monday 23 October, 10am-11:30am or 1pm-2:30pm.
Are you prepared to unleash your inner creativity and construct a haunted house made entirely of cardboard? Get ready to team up with fellow skilled builders and create a haunting masterpiece.
As a team, we will tackle a selection of cardboard boxes and sheets, building them into the sturdy walls, windows, creepy crawlies, ghosts and more! Come along and bring your best planning, building, decorating and teamwork skills.
£8 per child. Suitable for ages, 5 -11. Grown-ups are welcome to join their young spooky architects to help them get the best out of this session. Pre-booking required.
Handprint monsters – Tuesday 24 October and Thursday 26 October, 2pm-3pm.
Join us for a fun workshop where you can explore the limits of your creativity by making a monster out of your handprint. Before we start crafting, we'll discuss what we believe our monsters need to be to achieve maximum spookiness. We have plenty of materials to choose from, so there is no limit to what you can create! Let's get ready to create some monstrous masterpieces!
£6 per child. Suitable for ages 5-9, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Paper bat garlands – Wednesday 25 October, 10am-11am.
Have you ever wondered how bats are able to see in the dark or what they like to eat? We'll delve into the science of sonar and uncover some interesting bat facts to gain a better understanding of these amazing creatures. Join us for an exciting kids' workshop where you can craft your own bat garlands! You'll have access to a wide array of materials to make your decorations truly unique.
£6 per child. Suitable for ages 5-9, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Spooky lanterns – Thursday 26 October and Saturday 28 October, 10am-11am.
Welcome to the thrilling children's workshop where you will get the chance to make your very own spooky lanterns out of paper! The possibilities for adorning your lantern are truly boundless!
With the materials we have provided, you can bring to life a spooky ghost or a scary skeleton, or any other creepy creature that your imagination can conjure up.
£6 per child. Suitable for ages 5-9, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Mini scarecrows – Wednesday 25 October and Saturday 28 October, 2pm-3:3pm.
In our exciting children's workshop, you will have the opportunity to create your very own miniature scarecrows using popsicle sticks and a variety of other materials!
Will it be cute or scary? We are excited to see what your imagination will create!
£8 per child. Only children need tickets, however grown-ups are welcome to join their young spooky designers to help them get the best out of this session. Suitable for ages 8-14. Pre-booking advised.
After school art: Make a mask ready for trick or treating! – Tuesday 31 October, 4pm-5pm.
Whether you dream of becoming a mischievous witch, a daring superhero or a mysterious creature of the night, our mask making workshop is the perfect opportunity to bring your visions to life before you head home to go on a trick-or-treating adventure. Using a sturdy foam base plus a wide array of materials at your disposal, you'll have everything you need to design a mask that truly reflects your unique spooky style and character.
£6 per child. Only children need tickets, however grown-ups are welcome to join their young spooky designers to help them get the best out of this session. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Halloween at the Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery – Basingstoke
Halloween Pumpkin Trail – Wednesday 25 October to Sunday 29 October, 10am - 4pm.
A naughty witch has hidden her pumpkins around our museum. Help us find them all and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking not required.
Paper bag puppy puppets – Thursday 26 October 11am-12noon and 2pm-3pm
Be inspired by the Drawn with Dogs exhibition taking place in the Sainsbury Gallery and create your own puppy puppet. All materials included.
£3 per child. Suitable for ages 5+, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking advised.
Perilous pastimes at Winchester City Museum – Winchester SO23 9ES
Vile Victorian surgery workshop – Monday 23 October, 11am, 1pm and 3pm
The long-awaited return of Dr Harold Halifax. This historical Halloween workshop is sure to provide your seasonal dose of child-friendly gore. Get hands on identifying herbs and spices, linking symptoms to cures and even amputating an arm...yes, you read that right!
Included in price of admission. Suitable for ages 5+. Pre-booking advised.
Interactive ghost stories – Sunday 29 October, Family friendly tour: 3pm. Lights out tour (PG advised): 6pm and 7pm.
Ever wondered who, or what, haunts Winchester? This event will give you the chance to discover the city's spine-tingling past, with stories including King Alfred the Great, who managed to stop the Vikings from taking over Winchester, to Alice Lisle, who was accused of treason and executed near the museum...The tour will include live actors who will deliver the stories in a theatrical and fun way, and there may be some surprises along the way!
Tickets from £6.00. Recommended 5+. If your child is easily scared, please book onto the 3pm family friendly tour. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required via https://www.supernaturaltoursandevents.com/tickets.
For more information about Halloween at Hampshire Cultural Trust, please visit the link below.