17th-century Paper Cutting (ages 18+)
Saturday 19 September 2026, 10.30am – 12.30pm | The Commandery
This year marks 375 years since the Battle of Worcester during the English Civil War, and these craft mornings look back to the art of paper cutting from the 17th century.
In a relaxed morning, discover 17th-century techniques to decorate your own trinket box to take home.
Use crafting knives to cut small and intricate pictures and patterns, and with the help of our staff and volunteers, you will create your own unique design for your box to take home.
Sip a tea, and enjoy a coffee and some biscuits as you craft.
£22.50. All resources supplied. Ages 18+ years.
Book your spot. If you’d like to look around The Commandery, you can get half-price general admission from the shop on the day of the workshop.
Medieval Mayhem | Bank Holiday Monday
Bank Holiday Monday 31 August 2026, 10am – 4pm | The Commandery
Enjoy a fantastic Bank Holiday Monday at The Commandery!
In this fun-filled family day, see if you have what it takes in Knight School, decorate your very own shield, and explore The Commandery with the Knight’s Quest trail.
With a magnificent medieval Great Hall and original medieval wall paintings, The Commandery is the perfect setting for Worcester’s young knights to gather!
General admission applies to all visitors + £3.50 for family activities (general admission can be pre-booked; pay for activities in the shop). Last entry 3pm. Free general admission to Season and Worcester Residents’ Pass holders – ask in the shop or plan your visit to The Commandery here.
Fabulous Felting | Traditional Felting with Penny Dixon
Saturday 26 September, 10.30am – 1.30pm | Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Taking inspiration from the Art Gallery and Museum’s autumn exhibition, Reflections, and its artists – including Claude Monet and his beautiful work Bateaux en Hollande, près de Zaandam – this lovely, relaxing session which will introduce you to the art of wet felting.
You will learn to draft out unspun, soft fleece, then lay them in the best way to create a stunning picture or abstract piece. No drawing or painting skills are required. Using wool, soap and water, you will be guided through the process of agitating and rolling the wool fibres to form a wonderful piece of fabric.
This workshop is run by experienced textile artist, Penny Dixon, who has been felting for 18 years.
Please bring a large towel to work on and a waterproof carrier bag to take work home in.
All other materials will be provided, as well as refreshments throughout the morning.
£55 per person; book your spot below.
Family Fun | Get Arty: Secrets of the Sea
Thursday 28 May 2026, 10.30 – 11.30am | Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Come and get arty in the May half-term holiday at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.
Dive into the ocean in this fun morning with a big splash of creativity! 🐳 Build and decorate your own 3D coral reef, create beautiful watercolour creatures, and make paper weaving fish or a mermaid tail.
£5.50 per child; please book via the link below. A parent or carer must stay during the session. Free entry to the Art Gallery and Museum.
You might also enjoy…
Bags of Fun – Secrets of the Sea. Saturday 23 May – Sunday 31 May (closed Mondays and bank holidays), £2.50 from the shop.
Family Trail – Secrets of the Sea. Saturday 23 May – Sunday 31 May (closed Mondays and bank holidays), £1 from the shop.
The High Dosage Tour of Steward’s Chemist Shop
The High Dosage Tour of Steward’s Chemist Shop
First Friday of the month, 11 – 11.30am | Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Step inside the fantastic Steward’s Chemist Shop at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum and discover its history…
Take the High Dosage tour – with the chance to see items that are not usually on display – in the hidden realm behind the Dispensing Screen.
What secrets does the Victorian Chemist’s Shop hold? Come and find out!
The display was set up after the closure of Steward’s Chemist Shop at 27 High Street, when the entire shop along with the fixtures and fittings were purchased in 1974 and transported to the museum to be redisplayed.
£4.50 for the talk; book via the link below. Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum is free to visit.
Please note there is no High Dosage tour on Friday 4 December 2026, but the chemist shop will be open (free to visit) to have a look around!
Or call the telephone box office on 0333 666 3366.
Your Worcester: Gallery Tour
Saturdays (dates below), 11 – 11.30am | Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Enjoy a guided tour of permanent display, Your Worcester, an exciting exhibition which opened in 2025. Find out about the city, its astonishing history and changing traditions, and what this all means to the people who live here now.
Your Worcester features favourites from the museum collection together with new objects added to the collection by the community, all with a link to Worcester’s long and rich heritage.
Covering everything from the teeth of King John to Lea & Perrins, Worcester City Football Club, and the clothes of Windrush arrivals to the city, the exhibition is designed by the community, for the community.
This tour will take you on a journey through Your Worcester – bring along your questions and see what you’ll discover!
Talk dates 2026
- Saturdays 4 and 18 April
- Saturdays 2, 16 and 30 May
- Saturday 27 June
- Saturdays 8 and 22 August
- Saturday 19 September
- Saturdays 3 and 17 October
- Saturdays 14 and 28 November
- Saturday 12 December
£4.50 for the talk (free entry to the Art Gallery and Museum).
Or call the telephone box office on 0333 666 3366.
Pikelets: Tots Through Time (early years sessions)
Wednesdays in term time, 10.15 – 11.45am | The Commandery
Pikelets: Tots Through Time is The Commandery’s first early years programme designed to encourage little ones to explore, play and learn.
Each week, the session will take place in a new area of the museum and gardens, with the activities tailored to the space. Be a shape detective in the Great Hall, join in a tea party in the Georgian rooms, take part in sensory scavenger hunts in the beautiful walled gardens and much more. 🌻
Pikelets: Tots Through Time has been carefully designed for crawlers to pre-school children, with fun activities each week to help develop fine motor skills, counting, play-based learning and creative thinking – all within The Commandery’s unique museum setting.
“We’ve really enjoyed the sessions we’ve been to, the activities are always really well thought out.”
– Pikelets attendee, January 2026.
Sessions end with drink, biscuit and a story.
Facilities include a baby change, lift access, and onsite café Little Al’s at The Commandery, all in a convenient city centre location (WR1 2HU) with parking nearby. Pikelets takes place in term time only, so there is no session in the school holidays.
£5 per child (£2.50 per additional sibling).
If you wish to visit the museum after the session, you can enjoy a 50% discount on day admission (£4.50 for adult day ticket instead of £9).
Or call the telephone box office on 0333 666 3366.
Christmas Wreath Making (ages 16+)
Saturday 28 November 2026, 10.30am – 12.30pm | The Commandery
Settle in for a cosy morning at Worcester’s Commandery as you create a rustic wreath to decorate your door this Christmas.
You’ll use natural materials from the surrounding gardens to create your wreath – either following an example or creating your own design, supported by staff and volunteers.
Sip a tea, enjoy a coffee, and munch mince pies as you craft your wreath.
£27.50. All resources supplied. Ages 16+ years.
I thoroughly enjoyed making my Christmas wreath. It was very relaxing and therapeutic. Everyone was able to “put their own spin” on their decoration, so was really inclusive. Wreath-making attendee.
Book your spot. If you’d like to look around The Commandery, you can get half-price general admission from the shop on the day of the workshop.
Autumn Wreath Making (ages 16+)
Saturday 3 October 2026, 10.30am – 12.30pm | The Commandery
Make yourself an autumnal wreath to adorn your door at home in a cosy and relaxing workshop welcoming in the month of October.
In the beautiful wooden-beamed room upstairs at The Commandery, you’ll use natural materials from the surrounding gardens to create your wreath – either following an example or creating your own design.
Sip a tea, enjoy a coffee and some biscuits as you craft your wreath.
£27.50. All resources supplied. Ages 16+ years.
Amazing! I was so excited to find this. It did not disappoint! The atmosphere was awesome, venue beautiful, staff and volunteers were wonderful – I am so happy with my creation! – Wreath-making attendee, 2024.
Book your spot. If you’d like to look around The Commandery, you can get half-price general admission from the shop on the day of the workshop.
The Last Battle: 375th Anniversary
Saturday 5 September 2026, 10am – 4pm | The Commandery
Commemorate the final battle of the English Civil War – the Battle of Worcester – with an exciting day of talks, displays and crafts, in the former Royalist headquarters.
Discover Civil War weaponry, with musket and pike drills from Worcester Reenactors, delve into the brutal world of 17th-century battlefield surgery with medical historian Kevin Goodman, and hear from the Battle of Worcester Society.
Younger visitors can decorate their very own wooden standard (flag) to take home!
Plan your visit
General admission applies (children’s crafts included); free admission to those with a season or residents’ pass. Find out more.
Book day tickets to The Commandery. Advance booking is not essential, you can just turn up, pay in the shop, and get stuck in!