Drop-in Family Crafts - October Half Term
Saturday 24 October · 14:00 – 17:00
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Family Things To Do in Carlisle
9 events on in Carlisle coming up, including Drop-in Family Crafts - October Half Term at Tullie - Museum & Gallery and Gamesworld at Tullie - Museum & Gallery.
Gamesworld
Sunday 25 October · 10:00 – 11:30
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Retro arcade fun, immersive gaming and family entertainment comes to Tullie. It’s time to ‘Level Up’ with Gamesworld®, an exciting pop-up gaming event bringing interactive entertainment for all ages. The event, featuring over 100 playable systems spanning five decades, includes classic consoles and computers of the 1970s and 80s through to more modern favourites. Visitors can enjoy arcade machines, retro consoles, vintage computers, networked Minecraft, and immersive virtual reality experiences – offering something for both nostalgic players and new-generation gamers. Games you can enjoy at Gamesworld include: - Minecraft - Halo - Tomb Raider - Classic FIFA ( FIFA 95, FIFA 97 etc) - Street Fighter II (upright arcade machine and home console versions) - Super Mario (various titles including Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Mario 64) - Sonic the Hedgehog (various titles) - Star Wars (upright arcade machine) - Pac Man Café Tullie open throughout for food and drinks. £8 adult, £7 for annual ticket holders, Friends & Patrons and £6 for 5–17-year-olds. Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult. Museum admission not required.
Tullie Story Spookcase
Monday 26 October · 11:00 – 11:30
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Join one of our friendly museum storytellers for a playful and spooky, interactive session where a brand-new tale will be crafted. Unpack an adventure using curious mystery objects from the case and help bring it to life, dreaming up characters, worlds, and unexpected twists together with the teller. If you love stories, then come along and let your imagination travel with Tullie’s Story Spookcase. Children go free with adult annual pass/ day ticket.
Gamesworld - 18+ Sessions
Thursday 29 October · 18:00 – 20:00
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Retro arcade fun, immersive gaming and family entertainment comes to Tullie. It’s time to ‘Level Up’ with Gamesworld®, an exciting pop-up gaming event bringing interactive entertainment for all ages. The event, featuring over 100 playable systems spanning five decades, includes classic consoles and computers of the 1970s and 80s through to more modern favourites. Visitors can enjoy arcade machines, retro consoles, vintage computers, networked Minecraft, and immersive virtual reality experiences – offering something for both nostalgic players and new-generation gamers. Games you can enjoy at Gamesworld include: - Minecraft - Halo - Tomb Raider - Classic FIFA ( FIFA 95, FIFA 97 etc) - Street Fighter II (upright arcade machine and home console versions) - Super Mario (various titles including Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Mario 64) - Sonic the Hedgehog (various titles) - Star Wars (upright arcade machine) - Pac Man Café Tullie open throughout for food and drinks. £8 adult, £7 for annual ticket holders, Friends & Patrons. Museum admission not required.
Meet Me at the Museum
Wednesday 4 November · 13:30 – 15:30
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Meet Me at the Museum is the name of our monthly meeting space for people living with Dementia, their partners, family or carers as well as older people looking for some fun, company and conversation. Each session we focus on a different theme and provide a selection of activities creating a relaxed and inviting opportunity for people to engage at their own pace. All sessions are free to attend and are located at Tullie and run on the first Wednesday of the month from 1.30 – 3pm. Everyone is welcome, regardless of what stage of Dementia they may be living with. If it’s your first time attending a session, please call 01228 618 722 or email community@tullie.org.uk to discuss how we can best accommodate you.
Little Explorers
Thursday 5 November · 11:00 – 11:30
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Join us for a relaxed and engaging session designed especially for our youngest visitors. Each week, toddlers and their grown-ups are invited to explore the museum through sensory play, movement, storytelling, poetry, costume, and song — all inspired by our collections. Led by a member of the Tullie Learning Team and taking place in a different space each week, each session is themed and thoughtfully planned to support early development while encouraging curiosity and connection with the museum’s spaces and objects. Sessions follow a gentle structure, but we adapt timings and activities to suit the group’s energy and interests. Children are welcome to join in, take breaks, or engage in their own way throughout. When: Every Thursday during Cumbrian term time, at 11am and 1pm. Please note that the 1pm session is a repeat of the 11am session. Who: Suitable for children aged 0–4, accompanied by a participating adult. Cost: Children go free with an adult Annual Pass or Day Ticket. Advance booking is required. On arrival, please check in at the Welcome Desk to receive your Tullie sticker. Then make your way to the welcome area seating by the large window, where a member of the Tullie Learning team will meet you to take you to the start location. Sessions will last 30-45 minutes.
Santa's Grotto
Saturday 5 December · 10:00 – 15:40
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Mr and Mrs Claus return to Tullie for 2026! Our Santa’s Grotto experience is ticketed for children, with a magical visit to see the man himself and Mrs Claus, in this 15-minute interactive winter wonderland visit. Tickets are £18 for children and include: Visit to see Mr & Mrs Claus in Tullie winter wonderland Photo opportunity and present from Santa for each child Voucher for the Tullie Toy Shop Selection box or sweet selection for each child This is a very popular event and tickets are limited, book now to avoid disappointment. Accompanying adults are free to the grotto experience. Alongside Santa’s Grotto, we’re putting on a full day of festive fun including a Christmas trail, festive crafts, storytelling, and face painting. Learn more about our Christmas Magic weekends.
Christmas Magic Weekends
Saturday 5 December · 10:00 – 16:00
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
The magic of Christmas has arrived at Tullie… For two special weekends this December, we’re filling the museum with festive fun for the whole family. Follow our Christmas trail, get creative with festive crafts, enjoy storytelling, transform yourself with face painting and, of course, make a very special visit to Santa’s Grotto at Tullie (separate cost applies and booking required). All our other family Christmas activities are FREE for children with adult museum admission, so you can make a whole festive day of it. And when little legs need a rest, Café Tullie will be waiting with festive treats and warming drinks.
Design for Living, Carlisle's Arts and Crafts House
Saturday 23 January · 10:00 – 17:00
Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Carlisle
Discover the beauty and style of Barn Close, a standout Arts and Crafts home built in 1902. Designed by Norman Evill alongside Edwin Scott-Nicholson, it was created for Edwin and Maud Scott-Nicholson, passionate champions of the Arts and Crafts movement. The house became a showcase of the era’s finest makers, featuring everything from William De Morgan’s iconic tiled fireplaces to rich William Morris textiles and carpets, all chosen to celebrate artistry, craftsmanship, and character. This exhibition will celebrate the extraordinary collection the couple assembled: furniture, textiles, metalwork and ceramics, all commissioned to reflect their vision of a “total work of art”. Unusually, the collection has survived intact, preserved by their descendants for over a century. See photographs of the house and gardens (including a very ahead of the curve squash court) from Maud’s albums and imagine what life in an arts and crafts house might have been like. We are bringing this internationally significant collection to Tullie, ensuring that the aesthetics, craftsmanship and ideals that shaped Barn Close can be experienced once more. Pictured: Designed by William Morris – Bird – British, Merton Abbey, Surrey – The Metropolitan Museum of Art Entry to the exhibition is included with an annual pass, day ticket or Tullie Friendship. Children and under-18s go free. The exhibition is part of the ‘Barn Close 125: Reclaiming Carlisle’s Arts & Crafts Legacy’ project, which is generously supported by the Paul Mellon Centre, The Headley Trust and Idlewild Trust.