Weston Park Museum

Is it right for my child?

• Animals and the Ice Age: the What on Earth gallery is home to Spike, a lifelike replica of a woolly rhinoceros.
• Play: little ones can board the play bus in the Sheffield Stories gallery. The Beneath Your Feet gallery has an Iron Age roundhouse where you can gather round the “fire” for a story.
• Ancient Egypt: the gallery has a build a pyramid interactive, dressing up and a story corner. It also shows two coffins containing mummies, so mention this beforehand if your child may be upset.
• Under 5s: Fridays Under 5s runs on Fridays in term time, 10am to 12.30pm. There is no session on 20 November 2026.
• Sensory notes: the museum says it can be loud when busy, especially at weekends and in school holidays between 11am and 3pm. What on Earth, Picturing Sheffield and Ancient Egypt have low lighting in places.

Plan your visit: a parent’s checklist

• Avoid Mondays for a general visit. The usual hours say closed Mondays, bank holidays included. Santa’s Workshop on Monday 21 December 2026 is a separately booked event.
• Bring a £1 coin or a trolley token if you want a locker. The visual story says they are refundable, and there are only a few.
• Pack a change of clothes for a messy Fridays Under 5s session.
• Use public transport if you can. The museum has no car park of its own, and it says parking nearby is limited.

Prices and tickets

Entry to the museum is free, and the visual story says you do not need a ticket. Sheffield Museums is a charity and asks visitors to donate £5.

• Fridays Under 5s: suggested donation £3. No need to book, just drop in. Every child must be with an adult at all times.
• Santa’s Workshop: booking is essential, through Eventbrite. Tickets are £12.50 per child, £6 per baby under 18 months (a gift but no craft) and £2.50 per adult. Everyone attending needs a ticket, with a maximum of two adults per child. Sessions last 50 minutes, with festive crafts and a visit to Santa in his grotto.
• Santa’s Workshop dates: 12, 13 and 17 to 23 December 2026. On 12 November, the museum’s events list showed every date as fully booked except 17 and 18 December.
• Baby Friendly Santa Experience: 15 December 2026, for babies under 18 months. Tickets are £9.50 per baby and £2.50 per adult, with a maximum of two adults per baby ticket.
• Refunds: There are no refunds or transfers if you cancel seven or fewer days before the event.

Pushchairs, babies and toilets

• Entrance: the visual story shows steps and a ramp up to the main entrance. There is also an entrance through the museum café, Ambulo.
• Getting around: the museum says it is fully wheelchair accessible. All exhibitions and displays are on the ground floor. A lift goes up to the activity rooms and the Picnic Space.
• Buggies: you can leave buggies and prams in the foyer. For the Baby Friendly Santa Experience, prams must be left downstairs by the lockers or in the corridor outside the room.
• Toilets and baby changing: toilets, accessible toilets and baby change are in the foyer and just off the main ground-floor corridor. There are more in the first-floor Picnic Space.
• Feeding: Sheffield Museums says it offers a welcoming and supportive environment for breastfeeding.

Food and drink

The museum café, Ambulo, is open Tuesday to Sunday.

Bringing a packed lunch? The first-floor Picnic Space is available when school groups are not using it. If it is booked, the visual story says you can eat in the foyer. Food and drink are not allowed in the galleries.

Getting there and parking

The museum is on Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP. The visual story says the park entrance is on a busy road.

• Tram: the nearest stop is University of Sheffield. The museum says the walk from the stop is about 650m, uphill. From Sheffield railway station, the museum suggests taking the tram straight to the university.
• Bus: take the 51 (towards Lodge Moor) or the 52 (towards Crookes) from Arundel Gate, High Street or West Street.
• Car: the nearest public car park is the Q-Park on Durham Road. Ask museum staff for a voucher for 25% off your parking. The discount is not available with pre-booked spaces.
• Blue Badge: there is one disabled space at the top of Mushroom Lane. Three more sit near the tennis courts at the bottom, reached through the park. Blue Badge holders may also use the Pay and Display bays on Mushroom Lane and Damer Street free, with no 4-hour limit.

When to visit

On weekdays, the museum says school groups tend to have left by early afternoon. On Sunday 15 November 2026, the Picturing Sheffield and Sheffield Stories galleries are closed for an event. A new free exhibition, Bittersweet: The Story of Sugar in Sheffield, runs from 27 November 2026.

On 12 November 2026, the official Christmas opening hours page still showed last season’s dates, with reopening on Tuesday 6 January 2026. Check it again before travelling between Christmas Eve and early January.

Additional needs and disability support

The museum lists this support on its accessibility page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Weston Park Museum free for children?

Yes. Entry is free for everyone, with a suggested £5 donation. Santa’s Workshop and the Baby Friendly Santa Experience are paid, bookable events.

Is Weston Park Museum open on Mondays?

Not for general visits. The usual hours say closed Mondays, including bank holidays. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm.

Can you take a pushchair to Weston Park Museum?

Yes. There is a ramp to the main entrance, all displays are on the ground floor, and a lift goes upstairs.

Is Weston Park Museum good for toddlers?

Toddlers can board the play bus and hear stories in the Iron Age roundhouse. Fridays Under 5s offers drop-in messy and sensory play in term time for a suggested £3 donation.

Is Weston Park Museum good for autistic children?

It offers a visual story, sensory backpacks, ear defenders and a Changing Places toilet. It can be loud at busy times, and some galleries are dimly lit.

Where do you park for Weston Park Museum?

The museum has no car park. The nearest public car park is the Q-Park on Durham Road. Ask museum staff for a 25% discount voucher.

Checked on 12 November 2026 against the official Sheffield Museums pages for Weston Park Museum, planning your visit, accessibility, Fridays Under 5s, Santa’s Workshop and Christmas opening hours. Prices and times can change, so check before you travel.