Discover what events are on across our heritage buildings.
Ongoing events
People Watching by Rebecca Holton
Date: Saturday 4 July until Saturday 3 October 2026 Time: During opening hours Admission: Free Location: Guildford House Gallery
Winner of the 2025 Guildford House Open, award-winning artist Rebecca Holton presents 'People Watching', a solo exhibition featuring 25 original works. Through keen observation and a distinctive artistic style, Rebecca captures the small, often overlooked moments of everyday life. Her paintings explore chance encounters, familiar routines, and the people who pass through our shared spaces, encouraging viewers to pause and consider the stories unfolding around us.
As part of Heritage Open Days, Rebecca will be leading two free 30 minute exhibition tours on Saturday 18 September at 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Space is limited to 10 people per tour. Book your space on Eventbrite. (opens new window)
Gertrude Jekyll in Surrey: Artist. Gardener. Collector
Date: Saturday 25 April until Saturday 24 October 2026 Time: During opening hours Location: Guildford Museum
Visit our exhibition to discover more about the remarkable life of Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932). Gertrude Jekyll was famous for her writing, garden designs, being an artist, craftswoman, photographer, and a collector! She lived most of her life in Surrey and adored its countryside and rural ways of life, creating a collection of objects from rural cottage life.
Learn more about the enduring legacy of Gertrude Jekyll at a special talk by Dr Judith Hill at the Guildhall on 29 September, from 2.30pm until 4pm. Tickets are £8 per person. Book your space on Eventbrite. (opens new window)
Family Fun! Wheels of Time
Date: Ongoing Time: During opening hours Location: Guildford Museum
Join Roamin' Rex as he travels through time (and around Surrey)! Collect a badge from each participating museum, including ours. For more details, visit Surrey Wheels of Time (opens new window)
The Longworth Discovery Lounge
Date: Second Friday of every month Time: 12:00pm to 4:00pm (last entry 3:30pm) Location: Guildford Museum
Our Discovery Lounge is the place for history enthusiasts to explore our local history resources. We have many resources to use for research and enquiries. Guildford Inhabitants: our digital compendium is available to search and provides snapshots of town centre inhabitants from the 1800s to present day. We have knowledgeable volunteers, on hand to help with your queries. The Longworth Discovery Lounge is a partnership between the Friends of Guildford Museum and Guildford Museum. Named in memory of Andrew Longworth, former employee of Guildford Museum.
October
Schoolgirl Stitches: A hundred years of teaching needlework
Date: Friday 2 October Time: 2pm to 4pm Admission: Free Location:Guildford Museum
Discover how needlework was taught to generations of schoolgirls and pick up a needle yourself in this free workshop which is part of the Guildford Festival of the Arts (opens new window). Lead by Amy stone, the workshop will combine original research with hands-on stitching inspired by objects from the museum's own collection.
This event is aimed at adults and is not suitable for children. Young adults are welcome, but we ask that all those under the age of 18 are accompanied by an adult.
Coffee Time Talk: Chilworth Gunpowder Mills, My Life in its History
Date: Thursday 8 October Time: 10.30am to 12pm Admission: Suggested donation £3 Location: Guildford Guildhall
With 2026 marking 400 years since the opening of Chilworth Gunpowder Mills, we're delighted to host Colin Rumary who be sharing his experience of living on the Chilworth estate from 1955 to 1963 in one of the converted buildings.
Refreshments from 10:30am, talk starts at 11am. Prebooking required, suggested donation of £3.
Date: Saturday 10 until 31 October Time: During opening hours Admission: Free Location: Guildford House Gallery
Image credit: Bobbie Francis
Zero3 is a collective of textile artists that was formed in 2003. Each member works on their own theme, developing their individual practice, leading to the title Signature. For this exhibition, we have reached Signature XIII. The exhibition encompasses a range of techniques in cloth, surface design and mixed media, but everything is underpinned by a fundamental connection to textiles. Zero3 has firmly placed itself at the interface between fine art and contemporary craft, promoting textiles into the art space.
Half-term hauntings at Guildford Castle
Dates: Wednesday 14 October until Saturday 31 October Admission: Adults £5, children £2.50, families £12 (2 adults and up to 2 children), under 5s go free Time: 12pm to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm), Wednesday to Saturday Location: Guildford Castle
Step inside the Castle Keep this October for some family-friendly Halloween fun. Explore the Keep decorated for the season, take part in a ghost hunt activity, enjoy one of our spooky story-telling sessions, and get creative with Halloween-themed colouring. A great opportunity to visit the Castle before it closes fully for winter.
Spring Bulb Planting
Date: Friday 23 October Time: 12pm to 2pm Admission: £2.50 per child Location: Guildford Museum
Look ahead to the joys of spring and plant a pot of bulbs to take home with you. Attendees to this event will also be able to make a decorative marker to remember what has been planted.
No booking required. Suitable for children ages 5+, with adults to accompany all children.
Creative Collages
Date: Tuesday 27 October Time: 10am to 12pm Admission: Free, donations welcome Location: Guildford House Gallery
Create a piece of art to take home with you using the technique of collage. Take inspiration from the Zero3 Textiles exhibition in Guildford House Gallery and craft your own piece using the variety of materials provided including fabric, ribbons, buttons, and other items to get creative with.
No booking required. Suitable for children ages 5+, with adults to accompany all children.
November
Finds Identification Session
Date: Saturday 14 November Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm Admission: Free Location: Guildford House Gallery
Have you come across an interesting archaeological object while out walking or using a metal detector? Bring your find to our Finds Identification Sessions, and find out more about it with our Surrey Finds Liaison Officer, Dr Simon Maslin.
Encore! Guildford's Theatre Stories
Date: Saturday 14 November until Saturday 17 April 2027 Time: During opening hours Admission: Free Location: Guildford Museum
Discover the drama behind the curtain in a brand-new exhibition exploring Guildford's rich theatre heritage. Uncover stories of local theatres, performances, and the many people whose creativity and expertise bring productions to life, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Guildford House Open Exhibition
Date: Saturday 21 November 2026 until Saturday 27 February 2027 Time: During opening hours Admission: Free Location: Guildford House Gallery
Featuring around 100 works selected from this year's open submissions, Guildford House Open 2026 celebrates the creativity of artists from across the region. The exhibition includes a diverse range of two and three-dimensional artworks, with the overall winner receiving a solo exhibition in 2027 and a £1,000 cash prize.
