Family Christmas visit to the Victorian street museum where children meet Santa in a snowy square, write a letter to the North Pole and follow a Christmas trail.
Santa at the Museum is back at Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall this December, with the grotto open across two weekends: Saturday 12 and 19 December, 12:00-16:00, and Sunday 13 and 20 December, 10:00-16:00.
The main event is the meeting with Santa himself, who you'll find in a snowy square beside a grotto packed with presents. There's a festive post box there too, so children can write a letter or a Christmas list and post it directly to the North Pole. Beyond that, the museum's decorated Victorian streets are open to explore, with Christmas trails to follow, cheeky sprouts to spot, silly hats to strike a pose in, and cosy corners to curl up in with a seasonal story. Every child takes home a craft bag packed with activities to keep the festive fun going at home.
It helps to know what the venue is. Abbey House Museum is Leeds' Victorian street museum, an interactive spot in Kirkstall that walks you through authentic Victorian streets and childhood galleries filled with toys from the collection, all set within the city's social history. The house still bears the intricate alterations left by Colonel T. Walter Harding, who lived there as owner and tenant from 1890 to 1912. The museum runs family events and workshop series alongside its seasonal opening.
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Tickets are £7.50 per child, plus a general admission ticket for everyone. The grotto runs from 12:00 to 16:00 on the Saturdays and 10:00 to 16:00 on the Sundays, so you've got a bit of leeway on when you turn up.
