Visit Guildhall Art Gallery and London's Roman Amphitheatre to enjoy specially designed family activities.
This September, celebrate Open House Festival at Guildhall Art Gallery and across the City of London.
For this special Second Saturday on 12 September, Guildhall Art Gallery is joining forces with cultural sites across the City to create a day of free family activities exploring architecture, heritage and placemaking. Join Guildhall Art Gallery, the Insurance Museum, London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, St Paul’s Cathedral and Dr Johnson’s House for a day of creative fun with your little ones.
Pick up a map or join the walking bus to explore all the participating venues. All activities are free, although some sites require advance booking.
Find out more about the Open House Festival family programme, and sign up to the Gallery's family mailing list to be the first to hear about upcoming events.
What's on at Guildhall Art Gallery
Woodland Tribe's make ‘n’ take workshops
Working alongside the masters of constructive play Woodland Tribe, children will have the opportunity to make their own creations to take home. Woodland Tribe support children and families to use real tools, natural materials and a huge amount of imagination.
Spaces are limited. Find out more and book your slot.
11am–4pm: Creative Activities
Drop in throughout the day and take part in hands-on creative activities inspired by the City's buildings and history.
- Design Lego Landmarks: create your own skyscraper and add to the City's skyline.
- Great Fire Finds: design your own Firemark, try a brass rubbing and handle replica firemarks in partnership with the Insurance Museum.
- Under 5s Construction Zone: build and play with soft foam, wooden and Duplo bricks
- Calm-Down Colouring: Help colour in the Gallery's giant copy of London's oldest map
- Dig into stories or try some costumes in the book corner
A small quiet space with ear defenders and sensory toys will be available for anyone who needs it.
Admission
All activities are free. Booking is recommended to help the Gallery prepare enough materials for everyone, but walk-ins are always welcome.
Suitable for children aged 3 to 13 and their families. These sessions are designed for families and are not suitable for unaccompanied adults.
What else is on across the City
Hop on, hop off Walking Tour Bus
Presented by Hullabaloo
Want to learn more about the history of the City? Hop aboard the walking bus for fun facts and fascinating stories as you make your way through the Square Mile.
London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE (10am - 4pm)
Step into Anne Ryan's colourful installation, Folkmoot, where sculptures, paintings and friezes bring together animals, people, ancient objects and stories from London's past and present.
Take inspiration from the artworks to create your own sculpture, then follow a wildlife trail to discover birds, beasts and other creatures hidden throughout the installation and among the Roman artefacts on display.
Afterwards, continue your journey beneath the city and explore the atmospheric Temple of Mithras.
Suitable for children aged 5 to 11, although all ages are welcome. Please book a 30-minute time slot.
St Paul’s Cathedral - 10am to 3pm
Explore the architecture of St Paul's Cathedral on a guided family tour. Marvel at the enormous dome, take part in an engineering challenge, go behind the scenes to see the Geometric Staircase, and discover why there are golden pineapples on the cathedral's towers. Then follow the Garden Trail to explore the design, stories and details of the Cathedral from their green spaces. Suitable for ages 7+.
Churchyard Garden Trails will be available to pick up at the North Transept (see map). Go through the bag search and ask at the Visitor Experience desk just inside.
Family tours take place at 10.30am to 12pm, and 1pm to 2.30pm and spaces are limited. Book your tickets in advance.
Please note - entrance to the Cathedral outside of the Family Tours is charged. There are family ticket options, and there is a £1 ticket deal for recipients of Universal Credit and other benefits.
Dr Johnson’s House (10am - 5pm)
Free entry on 12, 13, 19 and 20 September as part of Open House Festival.
Visit the home where Dr Samuel Johnson compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary. One of the few surviving 17th-century townhouses in London, the house offers a fascinating glimpse into the city's past. Learn about its architectural history, dress up in 18th-century costumes, try writing with a quill and ink, and browse replica dictionaries to look up unusual words such as juggumbob.
