Come hear, see and discover what’s blooming and buzzing in the Walled Garden. How have the bees, butterflies and other insects been doing? We’ll also be making clay bees to take home.

For adults and for children, free but donations welcome, come for all or part of the time and become a Bee Guardian. Based in the Walled Garden Pavilion. No need to book, just come along.

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of animals alive.

Wash the muddy farm animal toys and think about looking after the environment by cleaning up the ‘beach’. Play ‘build a bug’ using natural resources, help us fill a giant ‘spider web’ with ‘flies’ and try some earthworm coding. Make a colourful paper hedgehog and a nature themed suncatcher to take away before exploring the museum with one of our animal themed family explorer trails, if you like.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Pavilion at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose. To support a relaxed environment, there are 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket. 

£1 per child. Please prebook. Book online or call 01453 763394.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of animals alive.

Wash the muddy farm animal toys and think about looking after the environment by cleaning up the ‘beach’. Play ‘build a bug’ using natural resources, help us fill a giant ‘spider web’ with ‘flies’ and try some earthworm coding. Make a colourful paper hedgehog and a nature themed suncatcher to take away before exploring the museum with one of our animal themed family explorer trails.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together. Drop in between 11am and 1pm.

£1 per child. Please pay on the day.

Jenny Wren Productions presents Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island’, adapted by Matthew Bassington and Aidan Mosby …

Looking for adventure? Join Jenny Wren Productions as we sail the seven seas in search of buried treasure! There’s never a dull moment on board ship – the grog flows, we love a sea shanty, and Long John Silver and his parrot are always game for a laugh.

But it won’t all be plain sailing as murder and mutiny abound, not to mention the dreaded “Black Spot”; surrounded by all those brawling buccaneers, who can you trust?

Anchors away as our small but perfectly capable crew take you on a journey to Treasure Island.

In the open-air in the Walled Garden – please bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Suitable for older children as well as adults.

Show starts at 5.30pm, grounds open at 4.45pm for picnics.

Buy tickets on the door (from 4.45pm). £15 (£10 for children under 16)

This performance is SOLD OUT so we’ve added another show on Sunday 24th - same time, buy tickets on the door!

Jenny Wren Productions presents Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island’, adapted by Matthew Bassington and Aidan Mosby …

Looking for adventure? Join Jenny Wren Productions as we sail the seven seas in search of buried treasure! There’s never a dull moment on board ship – the grog flows, we love a sea shanty, and Long John Silver and his parrot are always game for a laugh.

But it won’t all be plain sailing as murder and mutiny abound, not to mention the dreaded “Black Spot”; surrounded by all those brawling buccaneers, who can you trust?

Anchors away as our small but perfectly capable crew take you on a journey to Treasure Island.

In the open-air in the Walled Garden – please bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Suitable for older children as well as adults.

Show starts at 5.30pm, grounds open at 4.45pm for picnics.

This event is SOLD OUT.

Get cutting and sticking at our family activity table where you’ll find an array of colourful papers to play with. Relax and have fun playing with colours and shapes, and make a collage or card to take home with you. A family activity for all ages, but ideal for ages 5+. For adults and children to enjoy together.

Free, donations welcome, no need to book just come along.

A Playful Workshop with Dr Fun to Capture Your Favourite Things for Tomorrow’s Eyes

Step into a world of imagination with Dr Fun (aka Tracy Spiers, PhD) and create your very own illustrated time box—filled with personal treasures, memories, and messages for the future. In this playful, hands-on workshop, you’ll capture your favourite foods, adventures, books, dreams, and more through drawing and visual storytelling. Whether it’s a letter to future friends or a glimpse of your life today, your time box will become a one-of-a-kind keepsake for tomorrow. Come ready to draw, dream, and travel through time—no passport required!

Tracy Spiers is a Stroud-based writer and illustrator who brings stories to life through a vibrant mix of words and images. With a PhD in Art and Design, specialising in playfulness, Tracy’s work is rooted in a deep love of storytelling, curiosity, and connection. A mother of five delightful daughters, Tracy is often found running and exploring the fabulous wildlife of the Five Valleys. She has a special fondness for the Museum in the Park, not least because her mum, Jan, spent her childhood living in the mansion house.

A family workshop for all ages, ideal for 5+.

FREE thanks to our funders Arts Society Painswick. Donations welcome (suggested donation £1 per child), no need to book, just come along.

With many thanks to Arts Society Painswick for funding this special artist-led creative drop in workshop.

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who and children with additional access requirements who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of dinosaurs and fossils alive.

Get up close with some real fossils by trying out our mini fossil dig, find out more at our investigation station and explore our sensory exploration tray. Try creating some dinosaur tracks with some toy dinosaurs and make a hatching dinosaur toy to take away with you. Add a prehistoric marine creature to our seascape and tell us what your favourite dinosaur is before exploring the museum to see the fossils, if you would like.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Pavilion at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose. To support a relaxed environment, there are 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

£1 per child. Please prebook online or call 01453 763394.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of dinosaurs and fossils alive.

Get up close with some real fossils by trying out our mini fossil dig, find out more at our investigation station and explore our sensory exploration tray. Try creating some dinosaur tracks with some toy dinosaurs and make a hatching dinosaur toy to take away with you. Add a prehistoric marine creature to our seascape and tell us what your favourite dinosaur is before exploring the museum to see the fossils.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together. Drop in between 11am and 1pm.

£1 per child. Please pay on the day.

Get cutting and sticking at our family activity table where you’ll find an array of colourful papers to play with. Relax and have fun playing with colours and shapes, and make a collage or card to take home with you. A family activity for all ages, but ideal for ages 5+. For adults and children to enjoy together.

Imagine being a fossil hunter millions of years in the future. What would you make of the remains of our present-day creatures? What if all the fossils were muddled up?

Join artist, Alison Cockcroft for a fun drawing and collage workshop making fabulous hybrid creatures from the fossil clues of the future.

All ages welcome but great for ages 5 to 12 and adults too - for families to enjoy together.

£1per child suggested donation - drop in, no need to book.

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who and children with additional access requirements who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of transport alive.

Create some track prints using some toy vehicles and craft a rocking paper boat to take away. Play with a toy trainset and explore our transport themed sensory tray. Help create a giant townscape for some toy cars and make a paper carriage to add to our giant train. Use building blocks to create a vehicle and use some cool science experiment skills to blow up a balloon, before exploring the museum, if you would like.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.  

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Pavilion at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose.  

Please note that we will be using vinegar in our science experiment, which does have a smell that some participants may be sensitive to.

To support a relaxed environment, there are 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

£1 per child. Please prebook online or call 01453 763394.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of transport alive.

Create some track prints using some toy vehicles and craft a rocking paper boat to take away. Play with a toy trainset and explore our transport themed sensory tray. Help create a giant townscape for some toy cars and make a carriage to add to our giant paper train. Use building blocks to create a vehicle and use some cool science experiment skills to blow up a balloon before exploring the museum.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together. Drop in between 11am and 1pm.

£1 per child. Please pay on the day.

From the fabulous company who brought you The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Beauty and the Beast and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the classic fairytale of magic, true love and custom-made shoes is brought to life in this brand new show for all ages.

Embark on the most magical adventure as Cinderella comes to the Museum in the Park’s Walled Garden this Summer. Expect magic, madness and plenty of silliness for all the family to enjoy!

Please bring rugs or picnic chairs to sit on and clothing to suit the weather - sunhats and suncream, or warm layers and waterproofs! Refreshments and ice creams on sale in the Museum’s foyer café.

Tickets £13, £11, family ticket £44 - for full details and to book online click here

Drop in and meet artist-inventor Tara Downs, one half of The Miniature Museum, and enjoy a ‘sneak peek’ of a special new interactive artwork designed to bring the Museum’s iconic ‘A View of Wallbridge’ painting to life. Commissioned by the Cotswold Canals Connected project, this intriguing re-creation of the painting invites you to imagine stepping into the picture and discover what’s happening there.

For more information about The Miniature Museum see their website.

Drop in between 11am and 3pm, free entry but donations welcome.

Imagine a future of thriving nature, lush forests, flowery meadows and green hills. Join professional artist Alison Cockcroft to create a 3D scene from simple but effective paper cut-out techniques and inhabit it with fun animal characters. All materials provided in this fun creative workshop. 

For young artists aged 7 to 13. 
Children can be unaccompanied, or stay with an adult if preferred. 
Max. 12 places.

Booking necessary - book online or call 01453 763394.

Get cutting and sticking at our family activity table where you’ll find an array of colourful papers to play with. Relax and have fun playing with colours and shapes, and make a collage or card to take home with you. A family activity for all ages, but ideal for ages 5+. For adults and children to enjoy together.

We are delighted to announce that guest illustrators Gizem Gözde Uçar and Emma Evans will be joining us this Thursday. Do come along and meet them, and make butterflies and badges!

Gizem is an inspiring children’s book author and illustrator based in London, from Istanbul, Turkey, and one of the emerging/established artists featured in the ‘Future Forecasts’ exhibition. Her picture ‘The City of No Sky’ is a story of a future where grown-ups, consumed by daily routines, forget to look up and dream. But one day a girl called Sky sneaks in, and paints the sky blue. The blue overflows, raining down, awakening the adults to dream again.

Emma Evans is an inspiring illustrator and maker of many things, based in Cheltenham. She is also one of the organisers of the annual Cheltenham Illustration Awards (see the ‘Future Forecasts’ exhibition in our art gallery). With a focus on colour and textures, she is drawn to flora and fauna subjects as well as a touch of the surreal in ‘slice of life’ stories.

Come and meet these inspiring artists and join in with creative and fun activities. For families with children aged 5+, suggested donation £1 per child. No need to book, just drop in.

Come and relax in our meeting room where you’ll find a selection of Museum-inspired drawings by Tracy Spiers to colour in and take home. You can also create a wax crayon rubbing from our fabulous fossil and dinosaur tiles. All ages welcome but children must be accompanied by a parent or carer. Free but donations welcome.

Sorry, this event has been cancelled: the Museum will have to close on the afternoon of 5th August due to lack of power. Apologies for any disappointment.

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who and children with additional access requirements who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of gemstones alive.

Get up close with some of real gems and minerals, try panning for ‘gold’ and sort the sparkly gemstones. Paint a colourful gemstone artwork, think about patterns and colour in nature and play our rock puzzle. Make a crown decorated with ‘gemstones’ and help us create a gemstone garland, before exploring the museum, if you would like.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Meeting Room at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose. To support a relaxed environment, there are 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

£1 per child.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of gemstones alive.

Get up close with some of real gems and minerals, try panning for ‘gold’ and sort the sparkly gemstones. Paint a colourful gemstone artwork, think about patterns and colour in nature and play our rock puzzle. Make a crown decorated with ‘gemstones’ and help us create a gemstone garland before exploring the museum.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together. Drop in between 11am and 1pm.

£1 per child. Please pay on the day.

‘As You Like It’ is probably Shakespeare’s most entrancing romantic comedy. Rosalind, the daughter of a displaced Duke, is banished from the court by her Father’s brother. Along with her cousin Celia, she escapes to the Forest of Arden and disguises herself as a man. She teases Orlando, a young man, who does not recognise her as the girl he loved at a distance. The pastoral world of the Forest is inhabited with a colourful array of folk, looking for love, and woven into this delightful tale, full of comedy and music.

An outdoor performance in the Museum’s beautiful Walled Garden. Please bring warm layers and weather-appropriate clothing, and rugs or low-backed camping chairs to sit on. Gates open at 6pm for picnics, show starts at 7pm.

Advance booking highly recommended to secure your tickets!

Tickets £16, Concs & children (5 - 17 year olds) £15 (under 5s free)

Book online or call 01453 763394

Get cutting and sticking at our family activity table where you’ll find an array of colourful papers to play with. Relax and have fun playing with colours and shapes, and make a collage or card to take home with you. A family activity for all ages, but ideal for ages 5+. For adults and children to enjoy together.

Join the wonderful Stroud-based illustrator Martha Lightfoot for a fun-filled art and drawing session exploring what our future could look like. Think positive, dream big, get doodling and create a fabulous ‘future forecast’ for yourself, your friends and your community. For all ages but great for 5+ .. for families to enjoy together.

£1 per child suggested donation - no need to book, just come along!

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who and children with additional access requirements who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of archaeology alive.

Think like an archaeologist by testing your skills at recognising different materials and identifying some objects from the past. Dig up some finds in our mini archaeological dig, and record what you find.  Make a paper skeleton and think about how burials help us learn about people from the past. Step back in time and create mosaic patterns inspired by the Romans, write on a Victorian slate and create your own Anglo-Saxon style brooch to take away before exploring the museum, if you would like.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Pavilion at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose. To support a relaxed environment, there are 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

£1 per child. Please prebook online or call 01453 763394.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of archaeology alive.

Think like an archaeologist by testing your skills at recognising different materials and identifying some objects from the past. Dig up some finds in our mini archaeological dig, and record what you find.  Make a paper skeleton and think about how burials help us learn about people from the past. Step back in time and create mosaic patterns inspired by the Romans, write on a Victorian slate and create your own Anglo-Saxon style brooch to take away before exploring the museum.

 Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together.

Drop in between 11am and 1pm.

£1 per child. Please pay on the day.

Join in to create a giant collage inspired by the beautiful museum garden borders. You'll be given a little viewfinder to choose an inspirational section of the garden, looking at colours and patterns. Collectively we will create a joyful new collaged border for the garden. 

All materials provided. Ages 3 up. For families to enjoy together. Creativity and summer holiday fun!

FREE but donations very welcome - suggested donation £1 per child. No need to book, just come along … we look forward to seeing you!

Illustrator Jenny Bowers will be painting the windows of the Pavilion in the Walled Garden, inspired by the beautiful borders and gorgeous garden. Over a day the window will fill with colour, shapes and forms inspired by the plants and flowers in this special place. Pop in and take a look!

Find out more about Jenny’s work on Instagram: @jennykbowers

Join Mikron on their latest musical adventure to the Great British Seaside! 

Wouldn’t you trade anything for a trip to the beach? A centuries old tradition, full to the brim with nostalgia and escapism! But as history ticks on, some places get left behind…

When Holly arrives in the quaint seaside town of Fiddling-On-Sea, she expects a quiet break from the din of the big city. However, she soon finds herself plunged into a whole new world of coastal chaos. ‘Fiddling-On-Sea’s Best Beach Hut Competition’ is in full swing, and the summer heat is rising…

As the competition deadline draws closer, the deep history of the seaside floats to the surface, washing up a host of characters and stories from centuries gone by. It doesn’t take Holly long to realise there is far more at stake than just a prize for best beach hut.

Outdoor performance in the Walled Garden. Please bring rugs or chairs to sit on and clothing to suit the weather. Gates open at 6.30pm for picnics.

Tickets £16 (£14 concs), family ticket £45. Book online or call 01453 763394.