Did you know that thousands of archaeological objects are discovered by ordinary people every year?
Have you found something while metal detecting, beach-combing, mudlarking, or just gardening or walking the dog? The Portable Antiquities Scheme can help to identify and record your finds.
LANCASTER DAY - 12 June | Prices vary | Booking requirements vary | Multiple locations
Celebrated every year on 12 June, Lancaster Day marks the anniversary of our first official charter being signed in 1193.
Visit the city’s finest heritage attractions, listen to talks from local history experts, participate in guided walks, enjoy the seasonal summer market and join in with some vintage street entertainment!
In previous years we've put Lancaster's early charters on display at the City Museum, offered free talks and hosted the fantastic drop-in Heritage Hub.
Keep an eye on our Events Calendar to see what's happening next time!
Every year in mid-July, Dino Fest comes ROARing into Lancaster!
It's a festival of dino-themed fun for all ages, celebrated in honour of renowned palaeontologist Sir Richard Owen, who grew up in Lancaster and first coined the word ‘Dinosaur’.
Lancaster City Museum has permanent displays about Richard Owen and his famous work on the iguanodon, but that's just the beginning... in previous years we've held fossil handling sessions, kids crafts, dino trails and more at both the City Museum and the Maritime Museum during Dino Fest!
Keep an eye on our Events Calendar to see what's happening next time.
Paper Lantern Decorating - October half term at the City Museum.
School holidays are a time for fun and educational activities at our museums!
You'll always find something going on at one or more of the museums - from creative craft sessions and art adventures to interactive workshops, immersive experiences and hands-on history.
We aim to make our activities suitable for a wide range of ages, but please check the details for each event.
Prices start from as little as £2.50. Children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult - at no extra cost unless you choose to take part too!
All holiday activities will be listed on our Events Calendar.
Loyalty Card
If you do any of our chargeable children's activities, don't forget to pick up a History Detectives Loyalty Card.
Join us for 5 activities and you'll get the 6th one FREE!
Both the City and Maritime Museums have sensory backpacks for children and young people on the autism spectrum to borrow, free of charge. Just ask at the front desk if you'd like to use one of these during your visit.
Our museums are great destinations for schools and other children's groups as well as families. Please see our Learning page if you'd like to book a group visit.
Please note that for safety reasons, children up to the age of 10 must be accompanied by a responsible adult in all of our museums. Those aged 11-16 may visit unaccompanied with our new Young Person's Pass - just show your school ID at the front desk to get your free pass, valid for 1 year.
A compelling programme brimming with tales of joy and resilience, along with themes of murder, scandal, crime, and punishment. These guided walks and museum talks highlight the individuals and locations that have uniquely influenced, and been influenced by, our city.
Designed for adults but suitable for ages 12+.
UPDATE - October 2026: this year's programme of walking tours has come to an end, but there will be several indoor talks in November & December - including a repeat of Jeremy Craddock's popular Jigsaw Murders talk & book signing which sold out so quickly in July!
Tickets £10 - Advance booking recommended.
Talks last about 1 hour, plus 30 minutes of relaxed Q&A.
Our art collection dates back well over 100 years and includes more than 100 paintings, over 300 drawings and over 500 prints - far more than we can display at any one time.
At the start of 2026 the main stairs at Lancaster City Museum underwent renovation to give us a new space for displaying pieces from the fine art collection. This flexible space will allow us to bring out more artworks into a changing display.
The first exhibition has been chosen by current and former staff members who share their favourite pieces with you and explain why they mean so much to them.
It's a cross section of the collection - an eclectic mix of subjects and styles from the picturesque to the abstract, dating from the 16th century to the 21st. Nearly all have some connection to our local area. You'll recognise scenes that you see every day and discover others lost to history, depicted by local artists such as William Woodhouse, Reginald Aspinwall, and Geoffrey Woodhead, plus a few famous names from further afield.
Hidden Hoards and Fascinating Finds
28 March - 1 November 2026 | City Museum Ground Floor
The summer exhibition in the ground floor gallery at the City Museum is a celebration of archaeological treasures from our local area, and the work of the detectorists who discovered them.
This mini-exhibition in the upstairs corridor of the City Museum features objects in the collection connected to the Ruxton murders. September 2025 marks 90 years since Buck Ruxton brutally murdered his wife Isabella (Belle) and their housemaid/nanny Mary. The exhibition (as the title suggests), will look more at the two victims, rather than Ruxton himself.
Please note that this exhibition is in the upstairs corridor, with access for one wheelchair user at a time via the stairlift.
100 Years, 100 Objects: Stories from the Collection of Lancaster City Museums
2023 marked the 100th anniversary of our museums. As part of our centenary celebrations we created a series of podcasts about objects in our collection. They were selected by members of our museum team, academics, and members of community groups, who chose their favourites from our collection of over 50,000 items. Most of these objects are now on display in the upstairs corridor at the City Museum, while others are part of our permanent displays in other areas of the City and Maritime Museums.
17 October 2026 - 14 February 2027 | Maritime Museum Customs House
Water as inspiration in art.
Our fine art collection includes far more works than we have space to display at any one time. This exhibition will feature a selection of rarely-seen artworks united by the theme of water.
The exhibition starts with the magnificent The Morning of Trafalgar by Rose Champion de Crespigny (1859-1935), and takes you through calm sailing, to gentle rivers, onto stormy seas, rainy seasides and finally contemporary responses to water. Ice is represented by the lovely watercolour Skaters by S. J Lamorna Birch (1869-1955) and a 3D stereoscope of the ice floes on the river Lune during the great frost of 1895.
This immersive exhibition literally uncovers the hoards that we have in the collection. From pre-history through to the Tudor period people have always stashed away their valuables for one reason or another. We take a look at each one and ask what was happening in Britain at the time and why the owners felt the need to hide theirs.
Future Exhibitions
Through the Lens
21 November 2026 - 6 June 2027 | City Museum Ground Floor
The winter exhibition at the City Museum celebrates the photography of Sam Thompson, a renowned local photographer whose work in the 1920s created a powerful record of some of Lancaster's lost neighbourhoods and working class communities. The many original glass slides and photographs in the museum's collection give us an extraordinary glimpse into ordinary life in urban, rural and coastal Lancaster a century ago.
The exhibition is accompanied by a 2027 calendar featuring a dozen of Sam Thompson's best photos of Old Lancaster - available now in the shop at the City Museum for just £6.99.
Beyond the Museums
We often lend out objects from our collections to be displayed in other venues. Right now you can see...
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