Half term fun at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery

If you are looking for something to entertain the children over half term, Hastings Museum & Art Gallery has something for everyone. 

On Tuesday 17 February Lego fans can get creative and bring Lego to life with a hands-on session to build and programme their own interactive Lego machines and creatures. These are suitable for ages 5 and up, places and limited and booking is essential. Booking opens on Tuesday 3 February. 

On Wednesday 18 February from 10am you will be able to step inside a mini celestial theatre and take a trip to the stars bringing the wonders of the universe to the Durbar Hall. Tickets are required for adults accompanying children. Suitable for ages 5+ and tickets are £5 per person. 

On Thursday 19 February from 10am you can travel back in time through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous geological periods in search of the ancestors of modern-day birds, the feathered dinosaurs. Tickets must be booked for adults accompanying children. Suitable for ages 5+ and tickets are £5 per person.

There are also free events. 

If you have found something interesting and wonderful, you can bring them along to the Relics Roadshow on Saturday 21 February from 10am to 3pm. There will be a free fossil for the first 50 children attending. Local organisations and museum staff will be on hand to chat about your discoveries. 

The museum has a sensory trail which weaves disability history into the museum’s permanent display. You can explore the stories of objects and themes linked to disability stories in new ways. 

Saturday 14 February is the first day of the new JJ Waller Beside the Sea exhibition. There will be a selection of images made in Hastings and St Leonards and the towns of Blackpool, Brighton and Benidorm. The documentary photographs celebrate seaside tourism in a fun, vibrant and engaging style with quintessential British seaside scenes in conversation with global shots, delving into the complexities of coastal tourism and its unique quirks. 

You can also enjoy Grace Lau’s Portraits in a Chinese Studio exhibition until 29 March. 

The museum’s Natural History Gallery has been refurbished in partnership with Dens and Signals, the home educating community and artist Ellie Fryer, thanks to the museum’s Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation funded programme. 

Cllr Julia Hilton, deputy leader of the council and lead councillor for shaping place and local government reorganisation, said: “We are so lucky to have such an incredible museum in our town offering excellent opportunities for our children and young people to enjoy during their school holidays. If you’re looking for something to do, I’d encourage you to look at the museum website and see what takes your fancy.” 

Find out more about all the events and exhibitions on the museum website and book your tickets online. 

The museum is supported by local government and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation funding. 

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 we will invest over £467 million of public money from Government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk.