Creepy Crawlies

Creepy Crawlies is running at Cardiff Castle on 28 and 29 October, as part of the castle's October Half Term and Halloween programme. It's a couple of days of hour-long sessions, with slots at 10.15, 11.30, 12.45 and 2.15 each day, so you can pick a time that fits around the rest of your half term plans. The sessions are held in The Undercroft, inside the castle grounds at CF10 3RB.

The whole thing is run by the Dinosaur, Wildlife and Education Centre, and it's built around getting close to creatures that most of us only ever see from a distance. The session is a hands-on one, with tarantulas, snakes and scorpions to handle, so it's less about watching from the sidelines and more about actually meeting them. It sits within the castle's wider Halloween line-up, which runs across the October half term.

For context, Cardiff Castle is owned by the city and open to the public, described as a living landmark at the heart of the city whose grounds host major events and concerts. It was given as a gift to the city and its people in 1947, and local residents and employees can apply for a Castle Key, which gives almost unlimited free entry for at least three years. During the pandemic, the grounds were opened to everyone as a Public Square, and the castle keeps up a regular programme of events and concerts throughout the year. These sessions are part of that autumn schedule.

Tickets are £8 a head, and babies under 12 months go in for free. With four sessions running each day, you've got a choice of morning or early afternoon slots on both Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October.