October half term gets curiouser and curiouser…
The science of Alice in Wonderland is among the highlights for this October half term at Brighton & Hove Museums.
Brighton & Hove Museums have a packed programme of family events and exhibitions for this October half term. There’s science experiments, creative arts, global storytelling and eerie ghost tours across its museums and historic venues.
One of the highlights of the week is Alice in FUNderland at Preston Manor on Thursday 29 October. Presented in partnership with Brighton Science Festival 2026. The event blends Victorian nostalgia with curious science, offering hands-on puzzles, wordplay, and interactive experiments inspired by Lewis Carroll.
Visitors can explore the science of shrinking and growing. Discover the secret behind the Cheshire Cat’s disappearing smile, and tackle “Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast”. All whilst encountering fascinating specimens from the Booth Museum of Natural History.
Alongside the day of science, visitors to Preston Manor can discover the new Spirit Ledger, a record of ghostly encounters and supernatural sightings in one of Britain’s most haunted houses.
Older children can explore these eerie stories further during Haunted Happenings: A Ghost Tour for Young People on Friday 30 October (11am–12pm and 2–3pm; £10; ages 13–16). They will uncover tales of the infamous White Lady and the disembodied hand.
Families can also get creative at Hove Museum of Creativity on Saturday 24 October with Playing With Your Eyes: A Day for Families (11am, 1pm and 2.30pm; free, booking required).
Artist Alma Haser and the Photoworks team will lead hands-on workshops exploring photographic trickery as part of Photoworks Festival 2026.
Haser’s accompanying family-friendly exhibition, Playing With Your Eyes, runs throughout half term, inviting visitors to explore paper folding, collage and optical illusions.
To celebrate Black History Month 2026, families can enjoy global storytelling and creative activities. These are inspired by the World Cultures collections at Hove Museum and Brighton Museum & Art Gallery:
- Story time at Hove Museum: Monday 26 October (10.30am, 12pm and 3pm; free drop-in)
- Story time at Brighton Museum: Tuesday 27 October (10.30am, 12pm and 3pm; free with admission, drop-in, Archaeology Gallery)
- Museum Makers at Brighton Museum: Wednesday 28 October (10–11.30am and 2–3.30pm; free with admission; ages 5–12)
- Museum Makers at Hove Museum: Friday 30 October (10–11.30am and 2–3.30pm; £7 per child or three for £15; ages 5–12)
Half term also sees the opening of two new family-focused exhibitions at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.
On Saturday 24 October Making the Masked Singer, showcases spectacular costumes and design secrets from the hit TV show. Opening the same day is Magic Place, a multi-sensory digital world created by artists Genetic Moo. It combines 1980’s graphics with objects from the museum’s collections.
There is also a final chance to experience DRAGONS at the Royal Pavilion before the exhibition closes permanently on Sunday 1 November.
