Half-term with a Roman twist: what’s on in St Albans — and what costs extra

Half-term in St Albans starts with a choice that is worth making before you leave home: a free city-centre museum visit, a paid trip into Roman history, or a separately ticketed craft workshop. St Albans Museums has published its family programme for Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, with activities across St Albans Museum + Gallery and Verulamium Museum. The names sit together on the programme, but the buildings, prices and booking arrangements are different.

For families travelling from London or nearby towns, that distinction can save an awkward conversation at the entrance. Our suggestion is to pick the activity your children actually want to do, then build the journey around its venue. A workshop ticket is not automatically a museum ticket, and a free event label does not necessarily mean the whole outing is free.

Monday: mosaics or a meeting with an emperor

Verulamium Museum’s Halloween mosaic workshop runs on Monday 26 October with artist Audrey from Montet Designs. It costs £15 per participant and is aimed at ages five and over, with younger children needing adult help. The published sessions are 10.15–11.05am, 11.15am–12.05pm and 12.15–1.05pm. At our morning check, the middle session was marked sold out; check the booking page for current availability before travelling.

The workshop ticket excludes museum admission. Children must be accompanied throughout, with a limit of one accompanying adult per child. Adults who want to make their own mosaic can book a participating place. This is a hands-on craft session, so budget for the number of makers rather than assuming one booking covers the family.

Also on Monday, the museum advertises a costumed encounter with Emperor Trajan between 10.30am and 3.30pm. This activity is included with museum admission and needs no advance booking. It is presented as a chance to hear stories about the soldier-emperor, rather than a claim that the historical Trajan visited St Albans. Choose this if your family prefers listening and asking questions to committing to a craft session.

Later in the week: investigate real finds

Archaeology for Families runs at Verulamium from Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 October. The organiser lists sessions at 10.30am and 11.30am, within a morning programme ending at 12.30pm. Children aged seven to twelve can learn how archaeological discoveries are recorded by examining genuine finds. An adult must accompany them.

These sessions are included with admission, but places are limited and allocated on arrival. Ask at the front desk rather than assuming that buying a museum ticket reserves an activity place. If this is the main reason for your visit, leave some flexibility in the morning and have a gallery visit as your alternative.

The free city-centre option

St Albans Museum + Gallery, in the Town Hall on St Peter’s Street, has free general admission and opens from 10am to 4pm on weekdays. Its half-term programme includes bag decorating on Tuesday, still-life art on Wednesday and mask making on Thursday. Check each workshop’s individual booking details and price: free entry to the building does not make every organised session free.

The venue currently warns of scaffolding during roof-light repairs, scheduled from July to December, while the museum, café and events continue operating. Lift access reaches the museum’s areas except the historic cells. For a family needing step-free access, that is a useful detail to plan around, rather than discovering it midway through a visit.

Set the budget before choosing the route

Verulamium Museum’s published standard admission is £10 for an adult, £5 for a child under sixteen and free for under-fives. Its £23 family ticket covers two adults and two children, or one adult and up to four children. Paid admission includes an annual pass; workshops remain separate where specified. The museum opens daily from 10am to 4pm, with last admission at 3.30pm.

Verulamium is on St Michael’s Street, AL3 4SW; the city-centre Museum + Gallery is at AL1 3DH. They are separate stops, so do not book tightly spaced activities at both. Check your train or road journey, leave time for lunch and pick one main experience. A manageable half-term day with time to enjoy it beats a packed itinerary that has everyone watching the clock.

Sources and booking information

Half-term programme · Mosaic workshop · Meet Emperor Trajan · Archaeology for Families · Verulamium Museum visitor information · Museum + Gallery visitor information