Ghosts, Dragons and Hidden Treasures: Welsh Museums Open Up Their Doors for a Half-term of Hwyl
Welsh Museums Festival 2026 | 24 October – 1 November
A 20-FOOT copper dragon lurking at the end of a tunnel, ghostly lantern processions through a north Wales village, spooky goings-on in former prison cells and bats taking up residence in old coal mines. It might sound like the ingredients for a Halloween horror story, but these are just some of the attractions awaiting visitors during this year’s Welsh Museums Festival.
More than 60 museums and galleries across Wales are participating in the nine-day celebration, which gets under way today, and continues throughout the school half-term holidays until Sunday, 1 November.
Now in its 12th year, the festival is organised by Museums Federation Cymru, with support from the Welsh Government. Many attractions are offering free activities, while others have introduced affordable workshops, storytelling sessions and special events designed to encourage families to discover the fascinating heritage on their doorsteps.
And this year there is an extra twist. With Halloween and the traditional Welsh festival of Calan Gaeaf falling during the celebrations, organisers are encouraging a more environmentally friendly approach to seasonal fun, replacing disposable decorations with natural materials, recycled crafts and a little imagination.
***
Dragons, ghosts & ancient traditions in north Wales
At the Sir Henry Jones Museum in Llangernyw, Conwy, visitors can try making traditional reed candles and lanterns before joining a ghostly procession through the village. Activities are scheduled for 24 and 28 October, with free admission but advance booking required.
The museum itself occupies the former childhood home of the philosopher Sir Henry Jones, a fascinating link to Welsh intellectual history. Nearby stands the ancient Llangernyw Yew, one of the country’s most remarkable trees and a landmark steeped in local tradition.
On Anglesey, Oriel Môn in Llangefni is offering willow-lantern making, recycled-material creatures and a spooky school known as Ysgol Arswyd. Sessions take place on 27, 29 and 30 October. Some activities are free, while lantern-making costs £5, and booking is essential.
Football supporters might be tempted by a visit to the recently opened Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum, where half-term workshops, trails and creative activities offer another opportunity to explore the city’s remarkable sporting heritage. Free tickets require advance booking.
***
A giant dragon awaits in mid Wales
One of the festival’s most unusual attractions can be found at TimeScape Rhayader, where visitors can venture through a tunnel into the Dragon’s Cave to encounter Queen Belrenin, an extraordinary 20-foot copper dragon.
The town’s wider Rhayader Dragon Festival, running from 24–31 October, brings together heritage crafts, storytelling, museum trails, potion-making and dragon-themed activities.
Further south, y Gaer Museum, Art Gallery and Library in Brecon is offering a free trail featuring creatures often associated with Halloween, including bats, owls, spiders and snakes.
There is also an opportunity to explore a darker side of the building’s history, with guided spooky storytelling tours in its former courthouse cells. Adult sessions take place on Tuesday, 27 October, with children’s sessions on Thursday, 29 October. Places must be booked in advance.
***
Witchcraft, folklore & creative fun in west Wales
At Carmarthenshire Museum in Abergwili, the programme includes folklore-inspired activities, spooky performances and a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Meanwhile, Parc Howard Museum in Llanelli is exploring the humble pumpkin, following its journey from seed to plate in a family activity on 30 October.
Across in Swansea, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is offering creative workshops that include turning old black T-shirts into skeleton costumes, making cardboard memory houses and book-making activities. Sessions take place on selected dates between 27 and 31 October, with charges ranging from £3 to £7.50.
There is plenty to interest families who enjoy combining art, history and hands-on activities, while the festival offers an excellent excuse to explore some of Wales’ smaller museums and galleries.
***
Bats, haunted mines & historic buildings in south-east Wales
The former coalfields of south Wales provide an atmospheric setting for Halloween activities at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, Trehafod.
Visitors can learn about the bats that now inhabit former mining environments and take part in a bat-box-building activity on 27 October. For those seeking a more frightening experience, the museum’s underground Halloween Spooktacular runs from 28–30 October, with tickets starting at £17.50 for one adult and one child.
At Nantgarw China Works Museum, visitors aged 11 and over, accompanied by an adult, can create clay creatures and masks on 29 and 31 October. The workshops offer a chance to discover the history of one of Wales’ most remarkable porcelain-making sites.
Newport Museum and Art Gallery is also joining the Halloween fun, with free children’s craft activities on Wednesday, 28 October, while younger visitors can search for hidden fairy doors around the museum.
In the capital, the Museum of Cardiff, at the Old Library in The Hayes, is offering a free screening of WALL-E on 26 October, Halloween decorations workshops on 28 October and creative zine-making sessions using recycled materials on 29 October.
***
Why Wales’ smaller museums deserve our support
Although Wales’ national museums attract considerable attention, some of the country’s most fascinating collections are housed in smaller community museums, many supported by dedicated volunteers.
They preserve stories that might otherwise disappear: the tools used by local craftsmen, photographs of changing streets, memories of vanished industries, sporting achievements, family collections and objects revealing how previous generations lived.
The Welsh Museums Festival provides an opportunity not only to entertain children during the school holidays but also to appreciate the individuals and organisations working to protect our shared heritage.
And with so many events free or relatively inexpensive, this is one half-term celebration that need not cost families a fortune.
***
Planning your museum adventure
The Welsh Museums Festival runs from 24 October to 1 November 2026, although individual activities take place on different dates.
Visitors are advised to check opening times, admission charges, age restrictions and booking arrangements directly with participating venues before travelling.
The full programme and participating museums can be found at Museums Federation Cymru.
For more seasonal inspiration, explore Ewegottalove’s regional Halloween in Wales guides, featuring family attractions, haunted castles, pumpkin picking, spooky entertainment and community events.
***
DID EWE KNOW? Halloween has a distinctly Welsh predecessor. Calan Gaeaf, celebrated as the beginning of winter, was traditionally associated with spirits, divination and strange happenings. One particularly eerie figure in Welsh folklore is Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta, the terrifying tailless black sow said to roam on Halloween night. The old custom of gathering around bonfires and seeking signs of what the future might hold makes Wales’ own Halloween traditions every bit as fascinating as their modern counterparts.