Events 2025
Family Archaeology Day 2025 Saturday 26th July
Summer holiday at Wallingford Museum in 2025 will kick off with the Museum’s ever popular Family Archaeology Day 2025 on Saturday 26th July. This is a drop in event, from 11am to 4pm, part of the national festival of archaeology. On the day you will have the chance to meet archaeologists, see some of their finds and join in “mini dig” as well. You are welcome to bring your own fossil and finds discoveries from Wallingford and surrounding villages for our palaeontologist and archaeologists to identify, if possible! The Finds Liaison Officer for Oxfordshire will also be available on the day.
Wallingford Museum special exhibition to mark VJ Day (Victory in Japan)
VJ Day on August 15 will be the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with the final surrender of the Japanese. Wallingford Museum will be marking this occasion with special new displays from 22 July until the end of August.
Artist Will Wilder from Crowmarsh was among thousands of prisoners captured at Singapore in 1942 and forced to work on building the Thai-Burma railway until VJ day 1945. Unlike so many of his friends, he somehow managed to survive and also brought home precious drawings he had made showing the conditions in which they had lived. He also kept a diary. The exhibition tells his amazing story, illustrated by numerous original drawings that he had concealed from the guards by rolling them up in the hollow bamboo poles used in the structure of the prison camp huts! It is a remarkable story, not to be missed.
Exhibits also include the story of another local man, whose war was very different, but also ended in the Far East, assisting the return of the re-patriated soldiers.
Agatha Christie’s Mystery Weekend in Wallingford and Cholsey: September 12th-14th
Agatha Christie made Winterbrook House her home from 1934 till her death in 1976. You can find out lots more from exhibitions in Wallingford Museum and keep this year’s celebratory weekend free from September 12-13th! There will be special trains on the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway, talks and drama at the Corn Exchange, special events at Wallingford Museum, Wallingford Library, the Wallingford Bookshop and many other venues in the town. Also ‘Agatha Christie’ guided walks. Watch for the different venue websites!
Walks:
Super Summer Special Price- Take advantage of our special summer discount!
Want to get to know your local town even better?- Long standing resident or new, there is something for everyone in the guided historical walks around Wallingford. These run every Saturday- until late September- departing 11am from under the Town Hall. Cost from July 5th now £5pp (please bring cash). No need to book. About 1.5 hours.
Sunday 31st August- Bunkfest special- a gentle guided walk through our historical town.
Meet at the Museum for 11am start. A free walk but museum donations are welcome.
Fabulous Fossils Saturday 20th September
Fabulous Fossils is being offered at the Museum on Saturday 20th September by the Oxford Geology Trust Family Fun Activity: Handle fossils from Oxfordshire and around the world with the Oxfordshire Geology Trust.
Saturday 20th September Drop In between 11-1pm or 2-4pm
- Make your own Dino-Mask and colour dinosaur pictures.
- Handle dinosaur teeth, claws and bones.
- £2 ‘Lucky dip’ for a 60 to 300 million year old fossil!
- Bring along your own fossils for our experts to identify.
- See and handle fossils from Oxfordshire Geology Trust. Great for those budding palaeontologists in your family.
- Please note- Usual Museum admission prices apply.
