Victorian Party

Grosvenor Museum is celebrating its 140th birthday with a Victorian Party on Thursday 29 October, and it's the main event of a week of things they've put on across the October half term. The museum opened on Grosvenor Street in 1886, so it's a proper anniversary. The party itself runs from 10.30am to 3.30pm in the Roman Chester Gallery, and it's free and drop-in, so you can just turn up whenever suits you during the day.

It's not the only thing happening that week. The museum has filled the half term with a few other bits: Museum Highlights Tours, Halloween crafts for the kids, and an evening film showing. If you're around for more than one day, you could easily fit a couple of them in. The whole programme is built around the 140th anniversary, and the Victorian Party is the centrepiece.

There's a new side to the museum worth knowing about, too. The old museum shop has been turned into the Hub, a space for events, meetings and craft sessions. It's already hosting regular groups like Café Crafts and a Book Club, so it's becoming a bit of a community spot rather than just a place to look at exhibits. Councillor Lisa Denson, Cabinet Member for a Fairer Future, described the anniversary programme as a chance to reflect on the museum's history while looking ahead to its future. The staff also gave a shout-out to Premier Plants in Ledsham, who donated the indoor plants that now live in the Hub.

So, the party is on Thursday 29 October, 10.30am to 3.30pm, in the Roman Chester Gallery at Grosvenor Museum, 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, CH1 2DD. It's free and drop-in, so no need to book ahead.