Alice's Day

The Story Museum

10:00-17:30 Half Price entry to The Story Museum Galleries and Small Worlds
Advance booking essential.

The Story Museum will be offering half price entry to visit its interactive galleries and an opportunity to go on your own adventure in Snarks and Riddles – the boardgame! Designed by The Story Museum’s young Story Curators, visitors will find themselves immersed in a beautifully designed, life-size adventure game inspired by the story worlds of Lewis Carroll. And don’t miss the chance to book a place at The Story Museum’s giant Wonderland Afternoon Tea, taking place in the Museum’s Magic Common Room. Indulge in delicious cakes, sandwiches and savouries freshly made by the café team.

Snarks and Riddles!

Where: The Story Museum
When: 11:00-16:00
Tickets: FREE with entry to Galleries

Get ready for brillig beasts and games galore! Set out on a quest with our Snarks and Riddles game, an immersive installation inspired by the imaginary worlds of Lewis Carroll. Enter a giant games board and adventure through the mini worlds of Wonderland, Snark Island, the Tulgey Woods and The Looking Glass Garden – along the way you will answer riddles, solve puzzles, meet curious creatures, seek advice from a caterpillar and much more!

Snarks and Riddles was conceived and designed by Story Curators, a team of budding designers age 11-16 working with The Story Museum to develop skills in immersive exhibitions.

Wonderland Crafts

Where: The Story Museum
When: 11:00-16:00
Tickets: FREE with entry to Galleries

Drop in and make your own magical wonderland characters.

Alice Anniversary Trail

Where: The Story Museum
When: 11:00-17:30
Tickets: FREE with entry to Galleries

We’re celebrating the 160^th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with a special trail in the Enchanted Library in partnership with Macmillan Children's Books, the first publishers of Alice, written by Lewis Carroll, back in 1865! Don’t forget to pick up a trail sheet in the Ticket Office before you tumble down the rabbit hole!

Wonderland Tea

Where: The Magic Common Room at The Story Museum
When: 13:30-14:30, 15:00-16:00 & 16:30-17:30
Tickets: £22.95 per adult/£12.95 per child. Advance booking essential (booking closes on 2 July). To book your place, email our Café team. SOLD OUT

Enjoy a luxury Wonderland-themed tea in our beautiful Magic Common Room.

Our Alice-inspired Wonderland teas are available for pre-booking. Guests enjoy a delicious menu of sandwiches and cakes. Dressing up is encouraged! Tickets cost £22.95 per adult/£12.95 per child. Feeling fancy? Add a mini bottle of prosecco for an additional £7. To book your place, email our Café team.

Wonderland Face Painting

Where: The Story Museum Courtyard
When: 14:00-16:00 (queue closes at 15:30)
Tickets: FREE drop-in

Get in the Wonderland mood with our free face painting - just drop into our beautiful courtyard and we'll do the rest! Please note the queue will close at 15:30.

Magic Lantern Talk

Where: Christ Church (meet at The Story Museum)
When: 10:00-10:30 (arrive at museum 09:45), 11:00-11:30 (arrive at museum 10:45), 12:00-12:30 (arrive at museum 11:45), 13:00-13:30 (arrive at museum 12:45), 14:00-14:30 (arrive at museum 13:45), 15:00-15:30 (arrive at museum 14:45)
Tickets: £5 per person. Advance booking essential. Book here. SOLD OUT

A very special event in the Dodgson Room with specialist, Philip Roberts introducing the Magic Lantern, a 19th century storytelling device used by travelling entertainers. The event will include a performance of Lewis Carroll slides recently acquired by Christ Church Library. Not to be missed! Please meet at The Story Museum 15 minutes before your event start time. Groups will be accompanied to Christ Church. Advance booking is essential.

Learn to Play Croquet

Where: Christ Church (meet at The Story Museum)
When: 14:00-14:30 (arrive at museum 13:45), 14:45-15:15 (arrive at museum 14:30) & 15:30-16:00 (arrive at museum 15:15)
Tickets: £3 per person. Advance booking essential. Book here. SOLD OUT

A rare opportunity to learn croquet with Eynsham Croquet Club in the beautiful setting of the Masters' Garden at Christ Church, a setting that remains unchanged since Lewis Carroll’s time. In partnership with the Oxford Children's Book Group. Advance booking is essential. £3 per person. Please arrive promptly at The Story Museum ticket office where you will be taken to Christ Church.

Image credit: By permission of the Governing Body, Christ Church, Oxford

Around Town: Wonderland with The Story Museum

Where: Around Town
When: 12:30-16:45
Tickets: FREE

Curious Company return to Alice's Day this year with wonderland characters galore, including their hilarious human pack of cards and, if you’re brave enough, why not join the Queen of Hearts for a game of croquet – but be careful – she’s a terrible loser…

Approximate timings:
12:30-13:15: The Story Museum Courtyard - Seek advice from the Caterpillar - Who are You? The ultimate quest!
12:30-13:15: Around town - Look out for Alice, The White Rabbit and cards.
14:00-14:45: Around town - Look out for Alice, The White Rabbit and cards.
16:00-16:45: Around town - Get to your places! We dare you to join the Red Queen Croquet procession.

Hands-on History! Alice's Day Edition

Where: Museum of Oxford
When: 11:00-14:00
Tickets: FREE drop-in

Come and have a go at handling some of the Museum of Oxford's objects at our Alice’s Day, special edition of hands-on history drop-in session! MOX's volunteers will help you to touch, feel and handle objects ranging from teapots to bugles. You’ll also get to learn about the stories behind the objects and how they connect to Alice’s story.

Find the hands-on history station in Gallery One of the Museum of Oxford: Hands-on history! Alice's Day Edition - Museum of Oxford

Storytelling in the African-Caribbean Oral Tradition with Jane Grell

Where: Museum of Oxford
When: 11:00-12:00 & 13:00-14:00
Tickets: £3 per person. Book online or at the Museum Shop.

Celebrate Alice's Day at the Museum of Oxford with a storytelling session you won't forget! This highly interactive storytelling session contains powerful, magical and scary main characters. How will the story end? You decide! Led by Jane Grell, this interactive storytelling session will consist of songs, rhythm games, poetry and story in the African-Caribbean Oral Tradition.

There are two 60-minute sessions. The morning session, 11:00-12:00, is suitable for ages 3-6. The afternoon session, 13:00-14:00, is suitable for ages 7-11. Tickets cost £3 and can be purchased online via Eventbrite (booking fee applies) or at the Museum Shop.

Alice's Wonderland Adventures

Where: History of Science Museum
When: 13:00-15:00
Tickets: FREE drop-in

Help Alice find the White Rabbit in a fun gallery-based game. Get the answer right at each museum object to move your figure on the board game and unlock the next question. Answering all the questions leads to finding the white rabbit and a sticker! Also, pick up a paper Alice trail and discover more objects in the Museum linked to Alice’s story.
Suitable for ages 6+.
Alice's Day 2025 | History of Science Museum

The Old Sheep Quest

Where: Alice's Shop (Quest starts outside The Independent Café, on the corner of St Aldate’s and Clarks Row — just across from Alice’s Shop!)
When: 10:30-17:00
Tickets: FREE

Alice’s Shop has a new proprietor this year, and to celebrate, the “Old Sheep” is hosting a whimsical, family-friendly craft and adventure extravaganza on Alice’s Day! Join us for The Old Sheep Quest — answer Wonderland-themed questions and collect stamps on your Alice’s Shop Passport! Test how “Wonderland” you really are, and earn a prize by collecting all the stamps. Enjoy crafts and activities for all ages, and once you’ve completed your quest, why not step inside to discover the wonderful surprises waiting on the shelves of this charming little shop?

The event is held in partnership with The Independent Café, who will also be offering special Wonderland-themed drinks on the day — the perfect treat to top off your adventure!

Alice's Day at The Weston

Where: The Weston Library
When: 11:00-15:00
Tickets: FREE drop-in

Adventure into Wonderland with Oxford’s annual celebration of all things Alice. The Weston Library will be hosting storytelling from Lucy Walters, as well as creative crafts and our famous flamingo croquet! Watch this space for activity timings. Craft activities are most suitable for children aged 4–11, but all are welcome. This event is free, with no booking required – just drop in.
Alice's Day at the Weston | Visit the Bodleian Libraries

Image credit: Ian Wallman/Bodleian Libraries

Lewis Carroll Society Talk in partnership with the Bodleian Library: Looking for Alice

Where: The Weston Library
When: 10:45
Tickets: FREE

Looking for Alice
With LCS trustee Mark Davies and Caroline Ritson
LCS trustee Mark Davies will chat to Caroline Ritson, who painted the ‘Looking for Alice’ Sobell House Hospice ox acquired by the Society last September, then gifted to the city. Mark’s quest will be to discover her motivation and inspirations, and yours will be the adventure of looking for ‘Looking for Alice’ in Oxford’s Westgate Shopping Centre later today!
Alice's Day lectures | Visit the Bodleian Libraries

Lewis Carroll Society Talk in partnership with the Bodleian Library: Alice and the Gramophone Discovery

Where: The Weston Library
When: 12:15
Tickets: FREE

Alice and the Gramophone Discovery
With LCS member Joe Cheal
LCS member Joe Cheal will embark on a multilayer quest to explore the writing style of Lewis Carroll’s dreamy Wonderland books. Joe is the author of 'Alice and the Gramophone Discovery', a new adventure in which Alice playfully finds herself in a strange, and yet familiar, world. He will be drawing on Carroll’s stories to describe his own quest to produce an original escapade for an adventurous Alice.
Alice's Day lectures | Visit the Bodleian Libraries

Alice's Christ Church Meadow Walk with Oxford Water Walks

Where: Christ Church Meadow
When:
11:00 - Book in advance
14:00 - Book in advance
Tickets: £10 per person.

An Alice’s Day extra: a leisurely walk around beautiful Christ Church Meadow with expert local historian Mark Davies (a trustee of the Lewis Carroll Society and author of 'Alice in Waterland'). The circular route will follow waterside paths familiar to the real Alice (daughter of the Dean of Christ Church) and Lewis Carroll, who taught and lived all his adult life at the college. Based partly on his own research, Mark will highlight in particular the all-important role of the River Thames in the creation of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass'.

With reference to the wider historical and geographical context, as well as other classics of fantasy fiction, the tour will also reveal real Oxford people as the inspiration for some of the characters, and places and events which shaped some episodes in both books. The walk does NOT include entrance to the college of Christ Church itself.
Please note that as this walk is designed primarily for adults and older children there is no charge for primary-age children. Wheelchair users are welcome with prior notice. This is a ticketed event: cost per person is £10.
Oxford Water Walks