Celebrate the festive season at Chelmsford Museum

Chelmsford Museum is getting into the festive spirit with varied activities for children and adults to enjoy in the run up to Christmas.

Meet Father Christmas in ‘The Snug’

Father Christmas returns to the festive ‘Snug’ in Oaklands Park later this month to spread Christmas joy to Chelmsford’s young residents.

As he was so popular last year, St Nick will be in residence at the museum for two weekends this winter, to give plenty of little ones the chance to meet the jolly fellow.

On arrival, visitors will meet Oaklands’ cheerful Nordic elves for a festive selfie before being guided through to meet Father Christmas in his 'Snug'. Children can then have a chat with him before being presented with a special gift to take away plus an extra surprise.

Book your slot for 30 November, 1, 7 or 8 December. Father Christmas at ‘The Snug’ is £25 per child. The merry man can meet up to four children per slot, with discounts applied for each additional child. At the point of booking you can select each child’s gift, choosing from a toy tiger or an advent calendar book. This event has been very popular, with the final slots just released, so it’s best to book your children’s spaces now to avoid disappointment!

Learn a new skill with wreath-making workshops

Join Deb Hart and Jo Sylvester for festive wreath-making on 30 November and 1 December. Willow artist, Deb, has previously created willow VE Day tanks, a Platinum Jubilee crown and Oaklands Park peregrines for Chelmsford, while gardener Jo Sylvester works year-round to maintain Chelmsford’s stunning parks and green spaces.

Deb and Jo will guide you through the process of designing and making the perfect Christmas wreath for your home.

All materials will be provided but you’re welcome to bring along your own decorations to include in your wreath design. It also includes a hot drink, glass of prosecco and a mince pie. The workshop is £65 per person and runs for three hours.

Find out what Christmas was like for Oaklands’ servants

Join 19th-century Oaklands cook, Ann Vale, for ‘A Servants Christmas at Oaklands’ on selected dates in December. Ann worked for the Wells family, who owned the original Victorian house set within Oaklands Park, during the late 1800s.

During this tour, you’ll discover what Christmas was like for Victorian servants, hearing about the jobs they had to do to make the festive season run smoothly; from cooking dinner with garden-grown vegetables to setting the table for the family’s celebrations. You’ll also have the opportunity to see items from the museum’s collection, including festive Victorian Christmas cards and silverware from the period.

The tours are presented by Chelmsford Museum Visitor Host, Rachel, who will take on the role of Ann Vale for each session. Tours are free and running at 11am on selected dates from 17–27 December. Each session is around 20 minutes. Check Chelmsford Museum’s website for availability and to book your space.

Enjoy festive refreshments at The Hive Café

During your visit, you can also grab festive refreshments at the popular Hive Café at the museum. 

This winter they have a great selection of warming drinks including mulled wine, baileys hot chocolate and gingerbread coffee. Pair it with a fresh mince pie for just £4. For a bigger bite to eat, enjoy a brie, cranberry and bacon ciabatta, or a turkey and stuffing sandwich.

The Hive's delicious Christmas roasts also return this December and they're now accepting bookings for Sunday 8 and Sunday 22 December, between 2pm and 4pm. Book your table by calling 01245 351860 or messaging them via Facebook.

Discover more about a Victorian Christmas at Oaklands

To find out more about how the Wells family would have marked the festive season, check out Rachel’s blog all about Victorian Christmases.

It explores how the traditions we continue to observe today were first popularised by the Victorians, and how Fred and Jane Wells might have followed such customs as part of their Victorian Christmas at Oaklands House.

Pick up the perfect gift in the museum shop

Chelmsford Museum’s gift shop has a wonderful range of products in stock this winter and they’re also offering a special 10% discount over the first weekend of December, so you can get some great bargains as you complete your Christmas shopping.

There’s plenty to browse, with gifts suiting all budgets. Pick up some small stocking fillers such as marbles, finger puppets, card games and keyrings; or larger gifts like board games. There’s also lots of imaginative children’s Christmas books such as The Twinkly Twinkly Christmas Tree and A House for Christmas Mouse, and the museum has a great range of Christmas greeting cards in stock too.

Christmas opening times

Chelmsford Museum is open 10am–4pm daily. It will be closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January and will be operating reduced hours of 10am–3pm on 24 and 31 December.