Summer family fun with Leeds Museums and Galleries

Over the summer months, events will be taking place at some of the city’s most popular attractions, such as Temple Newsam, Lotherton, Leeds City Museum, Abbey House Museum, Kirkstall Abbey and more. 
 
From Saturday 23 July until Sunday 4 September, Temple Newsam will be offering themed activities inspired by traditional tales and rhymes.  
 
Bookable workshops will be available on Wednesday afternoons, where families will be able to take part in fun activities such as making a mirror frame inspired by Snow White, crafting clay candlesticks inspired by Beauty and the Beast and much more. 
 
Running on the same dates, Lotherton will be hosting Sustainable Summer Holidays. Families will be able to enjoy weekly, eco-friendly activities based on themes such as fashion, animals, nature and more. 
 
From Tuesday 26 July to Saturday 2 September, fairy tale magic will take over Abbey House Museum. Follow the trail to find characters and creatures from some of the best-known fairy tales and pick-up a bumper craft bag to take home.  
 
Kirkstall Abbey will be celebrating summer with their Birds, Bees and Butterflies trail. From Wednesday 27 July to Friday 2 September, families will be invited on a nature trail to spot native plants and animals around the ruins. Plus, an informal audio guide will be available to take visitors through key parts of the Abbey and help uncover the history of its former inhabitants. Themed activities will also pop-up throughout the period. 
 
The Marvellous Machines family trail will be open for families at Leeds City Museum from Friday 29 July to Sunday 4 September. Inspired by their latest exhibition Living with Machines, families will be able to explore machines in the museum’s collection and take part in family-friendly workshops such as crafting from code, theatre workshops and more. 
 
From Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 August and Wednesday 10 to Thursday 11 August, Leeds Art Gallery will be hosting A Sense of Place with Karen Babayan. There will be activities to participate in, including map-making using family stories, alongside the gallery’s resident artist.  
 
And from 10am to 5pm on Sunday 14 August, Vintage Bus Day will be taking over Leeds. Step back in time and enjoy free rides on restored buses and coaches between the city centre, Leeds Industrial Museum, Thwaite Watermill, Kirkstall Abbey, Abbey House Museum and Kirkstall Forge. 
 
And as a special bonus, on the day, families will be able to enjoy two of Leeds’ top attractions for the price of one. As a ticket for either Leeds Industrial Museum or Thwaite Watermill will gain free entry to the other one on the same day. 
 
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, culture and education said: “Leeds Museums and Galleries always have incredible events taking place across the city, and it’s great to see such a wide calendar of events set to take place over the summer holiday. 
 
“Whether it’s nature, fairy tales, art or machinery – there is truly something for everyone this summer. I highly encourage families to visit our museums and galleries and enjoy what is on offer.” 

Most of the events listed above are either free to attend or included with admission to the respective museum or gallery. For more information, visit https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/whats-on/.