This year's programme of expertly guided walking tours around Lancaster's historic city centre will feature brand new topics as well as some favourites from last season.

• All walking tours are led by our expert guides and start at 11am from Lancaster City Museum in Market Square unless stated otherwise.
• Tours take about 1.5 hours unless stated otherwise.
• Lancaster is hilly. Some routes are steep and some will involve walking on cobbles. 
• Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy and comfortable footwear.
• Dogs on leads are welcome provided owners are mindful that other people may not be comfortable around them. A few tours include visits to buildings which may not allow dogs inside.

LGBTQ+ History Tour, with Eleanor Levin

Saturday 20 June  -  11am

Discover some of the people and places from Lancaster's LGBT History from 1751 to the present day. Including prisoners at Lancaster Castle, Lancaster's gay MPs, a pioneering trans activist, and a 1970s gay commune which fought for a better world.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Getting Your Head Down: Lodging Houses of Lancaster, with Naomi Parsons

Tuesday 14 July  -  11am

Lancaster's lodging houses gained notoriety for their horrendous conditions and the infamous families that ran them. Circling the city centre, we visit the sites of common and corporation lodging houses for stories of prejudice, poverty and crime.

This tour starts from Henry Street, in the paved area outside the German Doner Kebab restaurant. Click here to see the location on Google Maps. 

CLICK HERE TO BOOK. Please note that this tour also runs on 20th October, so you will need to specify the date during online booking.

Literary History of Lancaster, with Penny Bradshaw

Tuesday 1 September  -  11am

'The stones of Lancaster do sometimes whisper' (Dickens). Explore writing inspired by this ancient city, featuring authors like William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, and Carol Ann Duffy. Discover the dark, Gothic side of Lancaster’s literary heritage, shaped by its past as a site of execution and a slave port.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK. Please note that this tour also runs on 2nd May, so you will need to specify the date during online booking.

Yards, Courts & Alleys - Living Conditions in Victorian Lancaster, with Naomi Parsons

Tuesday 8 September  -  11am

Using Richard Owen's Health of Town's Report as our guide, we head down Lancaster's lesser used thoroughfares to discover the dreadful conditions that families lived in and the changes that helped to overcome the epidemics that plagued them.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Tree Tales, with Eleanor Levin

Tuesday 6 October  -  11am

Step into Lancaster’s past on a unique walking tour where trees tell the story. Discover conservation battles, railway connections, and captivating tales from history, mythology, and botany — all rooted in these streets around you.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Historical Women of Lancaster 2 - Lives in Writing, with Eleanor Levin

Saturday 17 October  -  11am

Focusing on women’s words and writing about women, including a nurse writing postcards home from WW1 France, an upcycling artist, a loom-breaking luddite, an anti-slavery campaigner, a child – much discussed but little understood, a nun, a duke, and a poet.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Getting Your Head Down: Lodging Houses of Lancaster, with Naomi Parsons

Tuesday 20 October  -  11am

Lancaster's lodging houses gained notoriety for their horrendous conditions and the infamous families that ran them. Circling the city centre, we visit the sites of common and corporation lodging houses for stories of prejudice, poverty and crime.

This tour starts from Henry Street, in the paved area outside the German Doner Kebab restaurant. Click here to see the location on Google Maps.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK. Please note that this tour also runs on 14th July, so you will need to specify the date during online booking.

New for 2026! This year our guides will be presenting some of the same topics in the form of indoor talks at the museums, while our own museum staff and other local historians will be speaking on different aspects of local history. Take the weight off your feet and enjoy some expert insights from the comfort of our lecture rooms. 

• Talks take place in the lecture rooms at either Lancaster City Museum or Lancaster Maritime Museum, as specified in the list below.
• Start times vary, as listed below. 
• Talks usually last about 1 hour.
• Ticket price includes refreshments after the talk and a further 30 minutes of relaxed Q&A session.

A Georgian Scandal: The Trial of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, with Colin Penny

Saturday 6 June  -  11am  -  City Museum

In 1826, a teenage heiress was abducted in a scandal dubbed “The Crime of the Century.”  The case captivated Britain and split public opinion nationwide. The 1827 Lancaster Castle trial would decide whether Edward gained a fortune — or lost everything, even his life.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

The Jigsaw Murders: Lancaster and the Crimes of Dr Buck Ruxton, with author Jeremy Craddock

Saturday 18 July  -  11am & 2pm  -  City Museum

Using archive photographs and documents, Jeremy Craddock, author of The Jigsaw Murders, tells the shocking true story of Dr Ruxton's murders, the landmark police and forensic investigation and the impact on the Lancaster community.

There are two ticket options for this talk:

• Ticket Only - £10 - CLICK HERE TO BOOK.
• Ticket & a copy of The Jigsaw Murders to be signed on the day - £24 - CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Please note that this talk runs twice, at 11am and 2pm, so you will need to choose a time during online booking.

LGBTQ+ History Talk, with Eleanor Levin

Saturday 19 September*  -  11am  -  City Museum

Discover some of the people and places from Lancaster's LGBT History from 1751 to the present day. Including prisoners at Lancaster Castle, Lancaster's gay MPs, a pioneering trans activist, and a 1970s gay commune which fought for a better world.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

*Please note this date was misprinted as 21 September in some of our leaflets. The correct date is Saturday 19 September.

The Lancashire Riots of 1826, with Colin Penny

Saturday 26 September  -  11am  -  City Museum

In 1826, desperate weavers in East Lancashire destroyed over 1,100 power looms in just four days. This talk explores the riots, their causes, and the trials that followed.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

What's in a Name? Place Names of North Lancashire, with Carolyn Dalton

Friday 2 October  -  11am*  -  Maritime Museum

Carolyn Dalton shares her interest in the meanings of place names with you. Every local name has a story behind it and every time you use these names you make a connection to the history of the area around you.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

*Please note the doors will be open from 10:30am for admission to the talk only. The Maritime Museum galleries will open for general visits at 12 noon as usual.

Literary Lancaster, with Penny Bradshaw

Saturday 14 November  -  11am  -  City Museum

'The stones of Lancaster do sometimes whisper' (Dickens). Explore writing inspired by this ancient city, featuring authors like William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, and Carol Ann Duffy. Discover the dark, Gothic side of Lancaster’s literary heritage, shaped by its past as a site of execution and a slave port.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.

Historical Women of Lancaster 3 - Changing Times, with Eleanor Levin

Tuesday 24 November  -  11am  -  City Museum

A botanical illustrator, a prison reformer, a murder suspect, a cotton spinner, and a music hall star! Each woman's story is a window onto the changing times in which she lived.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK.