Privacy settings

lancaster.gov.uk the website for Lancaster City Council

Events

Our events programme has something for everyone.

Drop in for a public talk, book your place on one of our expertly guided walks or museum tours to explore the city's history in more depth, or bring your own discoveries along to one of our Finds Days. 

And if nothing here catches your eye right now, why not follow us on Facebook or Instagram for all the latest updates?

Walks & Tours
Portrait of Elinor Godsalve, a Quaker woman in simple but elegant white clothing in a georgian style, with the slogan 'Story Tours, Everyone has a story...' underneath..
STORY TOURS

Everyone has a story...  Our unique Story Tours let you discover our local history in a brand new way, through the personal stories of the people who lived it. 

Join our expert tour guides and knowledgeable museum team to explore the city of Lancaster, its museums, and the stories of Lancastrians through the centuries - from Roman warriors to lighthouse keepers, transported female convicts to a 70s gay commune which fought for a better world.

With a variety of tours running between March and October, indoors and out, there's something for everyone. Many of our tours are family friendly too!

Advance booking is recommended to guarantee your place:

Read on for details of the next few tours...

The Great War: from the Homefront to the Battlefront
poster with same info as this page beside a photo of a young soldier in British uniform from the first world war,.

Tour the City Museum galleries and hear stories of those working on the home front to support the allied war effort. Meet a real Tommy and hear about the extraordinary bravery of ordinary men from the King’s Own Regiment.

Indoor tour, 1 hour.

Dates

  • Tuesday 22 April @ 11:30am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm.
  • Monday 5 May @ 11:30am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm.

Tickets 

Location & Accessibilty

This tour takes place inside Lancaster City Museum. Please note that most of our galleries are on the upper floor of the museum. Our stairlift is currently out of order so this means that the tour is only accessible to those able to climb two flights of stairs. We apologise for any disappointment and we're working to get a new lift installed as soon as possible.

Historical Women of Lancaster: Diverse Lives

Expert tour guide Eleanor Levin will introduce partipants to a footballer, a sculptor, a refugee from the Spanish Civil War, a hunger striking suffragette, a pioneering trans activist, a mayor, a prisoner, and more. There is also a quiz!

Outdoor tour, 1.5 hours.

Dates

  • Tuesday 13 May @ 11am

Tickets 

Location & Accessibilty

Starting from Lancaster City Museum, this outdoor walking tour will take you around the city centre. Please get in touch with any questions about the accessibility of the route: lancastercitymuseum@lancaster.gov.uk. 

Behind the Exhibition: Insus Unearthed - a journey through Roman Lancaster
poster with photo of tombstone depicting roman warrior on horseback

Join our team for a twilight guided tour of our summer exhibition looking at Roman Lancaster. How did they decide what to exhibit and what stories to tell, and what insights do we get from archaeological excavations of Roman Lancaster?

Indoor tour, 1 hour.

Dates

  • Thursday 5 June @ 7pm

Tickets 

Location & Accessibilty

This tour takes place inside Lancaster City Museum. The Insus Unearthed exhibition is in the ground floor gallery which is fully accessible via a ramp to the left of the main entrance. However the tour will also include the Insus tombstone itself which is part of our permanent exhibits upstairs. Our stairlift is currently out of order so this part of the tour is only accessible to those able to climb two flights of stairs. We're sorry for any disappoinment this may cause, and we're working to get a new lift installed as soon as possible.

Exhibition

The Insus Unearthed exhibition will be on display at the City Museum from 17 May to 30 November 2025. Find out more on our Exhibitions page.

LGBTQ+ Lancaster
Poster with rainbow flag made up of parts of different coloured museum objects.

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

Outdoor tour, 1.5 hours.

Dates

  • Saturday 14 June @ 11am

Tickets 

Location & Accessibilty

Starting from Lancaster City Museum, this outdoor walking tour will take you around the city centre. Please get in touch with any questions about the accessibility of the route: lancastercitymuseum@lancaster.gov.uk. 

Finds Days
Photo of a gold ring with decorative scrollwork on the outside and an inscription running round the inside including the words 'my affection'.
Whittington Poesy Ring

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? 

Finds Liaison Officer Theo Muscillo will be visiting Lancaster City Museum several times this year:

  • Friday 18 April
  • Friday 20 June
  • Friday 15 August
  • Friday 31 October 

Bring your finds and see if you can uncover more information! If you are bringing an object with you, please email theo.muscillo@lancashire.gov.uk to arrange a time. Appointments will be in the Education Room, with access from New Street, behind the Museum.

Theo will also be upstairs in the museum from 12:30 to 2:15pm. You can drop in to handle some finds, learn how to look up objects found in the local area, and pick up activity sheets for kids. 

This event is part of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. You can find out more at finds.org.uk.  

Public Talks
Poster with same info as this page.
Marine Conservation Society

Come along to Lancaster Maritime Museum on the second Wednesday of every month for fascinating talks from the Marine Conservation Society. Everyone is welcome and there’s no need to book, just drop in.

  • £4 requested cash donation to the society. (No card payments.*)
  • All talks begin at 7:30pm.

Upcoming Talks:

  • Wednesday 14th May: The 1866 Portuguese Shipwreck at Snatchems by Nigel Neil (Lancaster and District Heritage Group)
  • Wednesday 11th June: Blackpool and Fylde College Student Dissertations (Linda Martin)

You can also click here to download the full list of talks and other events (PDF, 110KB).

Check back here for updates on future talks, or visit the MCS Lancashire Facebook Page or the MCS Lancashire website.

*The Maritime Museum Shop is open during these talks and you are very welcome to make purchases using either cash or cards. However the £4 donation goes directly to the MCS and can only be accepted in cash.

Friends group logo.
Friends of Lancaster City Museum

Drop in to Lancaster City Museum for regular lunchtime lectures organised by the Friends of Lancaster City Museum. Everyone is welcome and there’s no need to book.

  • £2 charge for non-members.
  • All talks are held at 1pm in the City Museum’s education room. The entrance is on New Street at the back of the museum. (If you can’t find it, just ask at the front desk.)

Visit the Friends of Lancaster City Museum Facebook page for details of upcoming talks.

  • instagram logo
  • facebook logo

CMS by web-labs

Design by web labs design

Lancaster City Council logogram

Cookies policy

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are essential, while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.

Review your privacy settings