Weston Museum's 50th Birthday Exhibition
2025-04-30 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-01 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-02 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-03 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-09 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) and 11 more dates | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
Weston Museum’s 50th Birthday Exhibition
Weston Museum
Friday 07 March 2025 – Saturday 05 July 2025 (The Museum is CLOSED on Sundays and Mondays, as well as a one-off closure on Friday 20 June 2025)
An exhibition celebrating Burlington Street’s Museum will be featured in the Community Gallery space at Weston Museum.

This Community Gallery exhibition celebrates 50 years of the museum in the Gaslight building! Did you know that the museum opened here on 30th June 1975?

Produced by a museum volunteer, the exhibition includes; oral histories, newspaper cuttings, and photographs charting the last 50 years, with objects from the stores selected by the South West Heritage Trust curator.

Come and see the story of your local museum, how it was saved when threatened with closure and the support of the Friends of the Museum.

Heritage Talk - Old Cinemas and Theatres of Weston-super-Mare
2025-05-01 14:30 - 15:30 (Europe/London)
How did cinema and theatre evolve in the 20th century? Take a closer look at the old cinemas and theatres of Weston-super-Mare, through historic photographs. Discover more about our lost and surviving places of entertainment.
The heritage talk is given by Jane Hill, Heritage & Community Officer at Weston Museum.

Weston at War Talk
2025-05-08 14:30 - 15:30 (Europe/London)
Weston’s favourite historian and Heritage Champion “JCH” takes us through those memorable years 1939 – 1945 with illustrations and his own inimitable style of presentation.
John attracts capacity audiences: “It’s the way he tells it – always fascinating”
100 Westonian killed, 8000 homes, 600 shops and 90 public buildings damaged or destroyed.
“We could see pilots’ eyes as they machine gunned along the Boulevard”.
Eisenhower, Churchill and King George visit. Heroism, sadness, jealousy, profiteering and a jazzy music scene. The whole story – dollars, nylons, race, rare plants and women pilots included!
📅 When: Thursday 08 May 2025
⌚ Time: doors open 14:15, starts 14:30
💷 Cost: FREE (tickets must be prebooked to avoid disappointment)
Ticket Link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/t-rpvmmdv
🎟️ Limited Spaces Available: Book your tickets today to secure your place! Booking required to avoid disappointment.

Mini Beasts Toddler Crafts
2025-05-09 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/London)
🦋 Art in Mind presents our Toddler Crafts! Our theme this month is Mini Beasts! 🐛
Prepare for a colourful and sensory-filled time as you’ll have the chance to create 5 sensory and crafty activities, this month with a special buggy twist. The best part? You get to take some of your crafty creations home with you to display and show off!
Workshop Times:
10:15 – 11:00
11:15 – 12:00
Cost:
£5.00 per child (parents go free)
🦗 Unleash your creativity: During this engaging session, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in all things mini beast, creating something truly unique.
🥰 Customization at your fingertips: You can personalise your masterpieces to match your unique style and preferences. A perfect match to your personality!
🏡 Take your activities home: Once your creations are all complete, it’s time to take them home with you! Arms loaded full of activities, you can proudly show them off to your family and friends.
🎨 All Equipment Provided: We’ll provide all the necessary materials and tools to take part. Just bring your enthusiasm, creativity, and willingness to dive into this crafty adventure.
🎟️ Limited spots available: We highly recommend securing your spot in advance. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience this exciting and engaging activity!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/e-zoavaq

Civic Society – The Weston Fire Service
2025-05-12 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London)
Join the Civic Society for their monthly talk.
Avon & Fire Rescue share the services and response offered at Weston Fire Station. They may even bring their fire engine! Unless they get a shout of course.
Part of the Heritage Talk series thanks to support from Historic England and the High Street Heritage Action Zone.
Times:
doors open 19:00
talk starts 19:30
Cost:
All are welcome – entrance is free to members, and £2.00 for non-members.

Amazing Artefacts - Home Educators Monthly Sessions
2025-05-14 10:30 - 13:00 UTC
Welcome to the Spring Season of Amazing Artefacts – Home Educators Monthly Sessions!
Each month, we will take part in a variety of different hands on activities inspired by one or more items from the collections. Each season, we will explore a new theme, which for the Spring Season will be ‘The History of Art’. We will spend our first of the three sessions thinking about what ‘Art’ means to us and exploring a big range of materials, colours, artists and movements in order to find what everyone is most interested in focussing on. The following two sessions will then look at 2D and at 3D Fine Art, particularly picking up on what attendees have expressed an interest in within the first session. We will make some different pieces inspired by chosen artists, styles, colours or mediums and have fun getting messy!
Dates and Times
Spring season dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday 12th March (10:30-11:30 Juniors, 12-1 Seniors)
Wednesday 9th April (10:30-11:30 Juniors, 12-1 Seniors)
Wednesday 14th May (10:30-11:30 Juniors, 12-1 Seniors)
Ages and Abilities
Sessions are designed to be active and accessible for a mix of ages and abilities with 2 separate sessions for younger or older children. The morning session will be aimed at slightly younger children aged approximately 5-8 or approximately key stage 1, nicknamed our Juniors, and the afternoon session will be aimed at the slightly older children aged approximately 9+ or approximately key stage 2, nicknamed our Seniors. If you would like to attend as a family group with mixed ages, then just pick whichever session you feel would be most suitable for the group as a whole.
If you would like to let us know about any specific considerations for your children then we would welcome this, just get in touch.
Accompanying Adults
Tickets need to be purchased for each child attending, but grown ups do not need to purchase a separate ticket. It usually works best for the children who need that extra bit of support (such as those who are younger, less confident or need extra help with engaging), if grown ups stay and join in with activities. Whereas for older, more confident or more self-directed children it is usually fine for grown ups to not stay in the session, although they will need to stay within the museum building whilst the session is taking place.
Price and How to Book
Tickets cost £19.50 per child for the 3 month seasonal block and can be booked via Ticketsource or by popping into or phoning the museum directly.
The seasons work best when booked as a 3 month block as all the learning ties in together and learners can get familiar with who the other attendees will be joining for a season. The sessions don’t require any pre-existing knowledge in order to enjoy them, so if you aren’t sure whether you can attend all 3 sessions it doesn’t prohibit you from enjoying the other 2 and we advise still booking the season. It does work out cheaper per session to book all three together rather than paying for 3 single sessions on the day and it means that you know there will be a space reserved for you rather than risking being turned away on the day if the session is full (we keep maximum numbers restricted to enable more 1-2-1 engagement).
Attendees will be encouraged to continue their learning at home between sessions by utilising links and resources emailed out.
Rusty Club (YAC) Membership – Please note that we do some of the same crafts or activities in Rusty Club sessions as we do in Home Educator sessions, so if you decide to join in with both programmes there may be some sessions with duplicated topics, so we tend to advise choosing one programme or the other.

CANCELLED Heart Garland Workshop
2025-05-17 10:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London)
PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
💚 Get Crafty with Art in Mind: Heart Garland Workshop! ❤️
Unleash your creativity and join us for a workshop where you’ll create your very own heart garland. Whether you choose to keep it for yourself or gift it to someone special, this workshop promises a delightful crafting experience.
Workshop Times:
10:00 – 11:30
11:30 – 13:00
Cost:
£12.50 per person (accompanying adults do not need a ticket)
🎁 A Handcrafted Gift with Heart: Looking for a heartfelt and unique gift? This fits the bill perfectly! Handmade with love, this charming home decoration is an ideal present for birthdays, housewarming, or any special occasion. Share your skills and gift someone a one-of-a-kind piece that will bring joy and beauty to their space.
✂️ All Equipment Provided: We will supply all the necessary materials and equipment for the workshop.
🎟️ Limited Spaces Available: To ensure an intimate and personalized experience, we have limited spaces available. Reserve your spot today to secure your place!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/e-kzrovq

Friends of the Museum Talk – The Hidden Industries of a Somerset Village
2025-05-21 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/London)
Join the Friends of Weston-super-Mare Museum for their monthly talk. This month’s speaker is Roy Ackrill. The talk describes the industrial life of Backwell and Somerset villages including; lead and coal mining, clock and shoe making, quarrying, a secret factory, a radio station and furniture making.
Times:
doors open 14:15
starts 14:30
Cost (admission price includes a cup of tea / coffee and biscuit):
£2.00 for members
£4.00 for non-members

Star Wars Quiz
2025-05-21 19:30 - 22:00 (Europe/London)
⭐ Do you consider yourself the ultimate Star Wars Jedi Master? Or are you a young Padawan in need of Star Wars trivia to further your Jedi training? 🌌
Now is your time to find out. There are questions for every difficulty level, from padawan to Jedi master. They cover quotes, plot points, tiny details, and behind-the-scenes facts from across the franchise.
📅 Date: Wednesday 21 May 2025
⌚ Time: Doors open at 19:00 for a 19:30 start
📍 Location: Weston Museum
🧠 Test your knowledge: Gather your friends, family, or colleagues and form a dream team of up to five members. Together, you’ll delve into a range of intriguing questions covering various topics. Sharpen your pencils and get ready to impress with your Star Wars expertise! Don’t worry – if you came before, you can come again! We have all new questions planned.
😂 Laughs guaranteed: Our Star Wars quiz isn’t just about flexing your grey matter; it’s also a night of laughter and good times. Our talented quizmaster will keep you entertained with their witty banter and hilarious trivia challenges.
🎟️ Prebook your tables now: To ensure you secure a spot, we highly recommend pre-booking your tables. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of the ultimate pub quiz experience!
💰 Cost: Participation is only £5.00 per team, making it an affordable and fantastic way to spend an evening with your friends. Split the cost and have a blast without breaking the bank!
Join us for our monthly pub quiz and let the games begin!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/star-wars-quiz/e-jkeolv

Mini Beasts Bathbomb Workshop
2025-05-24 10:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London)
🦋 Dive into the World of Bathbomb Making with Art in Mind, this time with a mini beast twist! 🐛
Have you ever dreamed of creating your own bathbombs? Now is your chance to turn that dream into reality! Join us for a beginner’s workshop where ‘Art in Mind’ will guide you through the art of bathbomb making.
Workshop Times:
10:15 – 10:45
11:00 – 11:30
11:45 – 12:15
12:30 – 13:00
Cost:
£6.00 per person (accompanying adults do not need a ticket)
🐝 Create Your Own Handmade Bathbombs: Get ready to embark on a journey into the world of bathbomb making. Our skilled instructor will walk you through the step-by-step process of crafting your very own bathbombs.
🎨 All Equipment Provided: Leave your worries behind as we supply all the necessary materials and equipment for the workshop. From bases and moulds to scents, colours, and more, we’ve got you covered. Simply bring yourself and an open mind, ready to dive into this exciting bathbomb-making adventure.
🎟️ Limited Spaces Available: To ensure an intimate and personalised experience, we have limited spaces available. Reserve your spot today to secure your place in this hands-on journey of bathbomb-making and artistic expression!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/e-ddvmxa

Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld - 30 Years of Paul Kidby's Illustrations
2025-05-24 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-25 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London)
Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld – 30 Years of Paul Kidby’s Illustrations
Weston Museum
Saturday 24 May 2025 – Saturday 30 August 2025 (The Museum is CLOSED on a Sunday and Monday, as well as closing for a private function on Friday 20 June 2025)
This summer, join us at Weston Museum for a magical exhibition celebrating the imaginative world of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld through the illustrations of Paul Kidby.
Opening on 24th May 2025, this family-friendly exhibition offers a stunning selection of Paul’s work, providing visitors a rare opportunity to see how the colourful, and often humorous, inhabitants of Discworld ® are brought to life, from early sketches to the final masterpieces.
The exhibition celebrates the decades-long collaboration between Paul and renowned author Sir Terry Pratchett, showcasing artwork from Kidby’s 30-year career as Discworld character designer and illustrator.
Sir Terry Pratchett’s award-winning Discworld ® series is set on a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants that are stood on the back of a giant turtle where wizards, witches, and magical creatures abound. The first book, The Colour of Magic was published in in 1983, and the series continued until the posthumous publication of the forty-first novel, The Shepherd’s Crown after Pratchett’s untimely death in 2015.
The exhibition will highlight Paul Kidby’s creative process, showcasing sketches, prints, paintings, and sculpture. Visitors to the exhibition will see original artwork from across the Discworld ® canon, including The Colour of Magic, The Shepherd’s Crown, and The Art of Discworld.
Discworld® is a registered trademark of Dunmanifestin Ltd. Dunmanifestin Ltd. owns the intellectual property rights of the late Sir Terry Pratchett.
This exhibition is a touring exhibition from St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery.
