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October half term guide 2026 - Wakefield Museums and Castles
October half term guide 2026
Friday, September 25, 2026October half term is on the horizon! There's so much to do across our sites this autumn.
Entry to our sites is free all year round. Most of the activities we offer during the school holidays are no-cost or low-cost too!
From tots to teenagers, we’ve got something for all the family this October half term in Castleford, Pontefract and Wakefield.
Mystery in the museum at Castleford Museum
Monday 26, Tuesday 27, Thursday 29 and Friday 30* October, 10am to 3pm
Ages 5+
Free - no booking required
Don your detective cap this half term!
Solve some peculiar puzzles. Unpack our museum mysteries.
Make your own mystery disappearing box to take home.
* Fridays are SEND sessions. SEND families are welcome at all of our sessions. The Friday SEND sessions will have a more relaxed atmosphere.
Codes and ciphers at Wakefield Museum
Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 10:30am to 3pm
Suitable for families
Free - no booking required
Unlock the secrets of Wakefield Museum on a code and cipher trail!
Make a handy codemaker and test out different ciphers.
Send secret messages of your own!
Sketch it! at Pontefract Museum
Wednesday 28 October, 10:30am to 3pm
Ages 3+
Free - no booking required.
Let's get arty!
Make a personalised sketchbook for drawing your design and ideas.
Join our staff on a sketch tour at 11am or 2pm.
Try out your urban sketching skills in the town centre or museum (weather dependent!)
From object to artwork at Wakefield Museum
Wednesday 28 October, 10:30am and 1:30pm
Teens aged 12 to 16
£3 per teen, accompanying adults free but not essential - booking required
Discover art in a whole new dimension!
Use Powertex, fabric and mixed media techniques to create seasonal 3D masterpieces.
Be inspired by objects and local stories. Learn how artists use texture, layers and sculpture to tell stories.
No experience is needed, just imagination and a willingness to experiment!
Witches and Wizards week at Pontefract Castle
Wednesday 28 to Saturday 31 October, 11am to 3pm
SEND session on Wednesday 28 October, 10am to 10:45am
Families aged 3+
Free - booking required for SEND sessions only*
It's the return of our frighteningly popular October half term Witches and Wizards week at Pontefract Castle!
Take part in witchy outdoor activities. Learn to mix magical potions. Magic up fun themed crafts.
Join our resident witches on the bandstand for potions demonstrations! Sessions at 11:15, 12:15 and 14:00.
Dressing up not required, but always encouraged!
It'll be spooktacular!
Teddy bear detective storytelling (2 to 5) at Wakefield Museum
Thursday 29 October, 10:30am to 11am
For children ages 2 to 5 and their families
Free - no booking required
Join Detective Ted for a cosy storytelling session all about a mystery to be solved.
Borrow a magnifying glass and hunt for objects around the museum.
Dispelling animal myths at Pontefract Castle
Thursday 29 October, 10am*, 11:30am, 1:30pm
Families aged 6+
£3 per child, accompanying adults free. Booking required
Meet Louise from Loulabelle’s jungle to discover fantastic facts about amazing creatures!
Louise will dispel myths you may have heard and provide hands-on opportunities to meet a selection of her animals.
*10am is an SEND session: SEND families are welcome at all our sessions. We also run SEND sessions for people who prefer a more relaxed atmosphere and fewer participants.
Finding my roots at Pontefract Castle
Friday 30 October, 10am to 2pm
Families aged 3+
Free - no booking required
Join the Lo-Fi Alchemists for free Halloween-inspired creative activities!
Experiment with "magic plant potions” using natural materials. Pick a paint brush to mix colours and be creative.
Design and paint a spooky bookmark with earth pigments and natural dyes. Have a go at transfer prints using natural materials pressed on paper.
Meet the author: Gail Powell at Pontefract Castle
Saturday 31 October, 11:30am to 12:30pm
Suitable for ages 7+
Free - booking required
Meet local author Gail. C. Powell at this special spooky author event!
Discover who 'Eliza Binks – Ghost Investigator' is and what she does. Discover how local history, mystery, and legends helped shape the story. Listen to exciting passages read by the author herself.
Young writers and imaginative minds will also have the chance to create ideas for their own mysterious or magical tale inspired by the past.
Dungeon Tours and Pontefract Castle Explorer Tours
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Dungeon Tours 10:45 am to 11:30 pm
Explorer Tours 1 pm to 1:45 pm
Learn about history where it happened on a tour at Pontefract Castle.
Book advance tickets online for all dates, or buy your tickets from the Gift Shop on the day.
Explore all upcoming events
Browse all of our upcoming events on our What's On page. There's something for everyone! Where will your next adventure take you?