St. Marys Guildhall
St. Marys Guildhall
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What's on at the Guildhall 

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Events and activities with a difference


Our fantastic range of events and activities have something for all the family to enjoy. From immersive children's Knight training workshops to hands on living history days, there is so much to enjoy throughout the year at St Mary's Guildhall. 
Sensory Friendly Sessions
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Sensory Friendly Sessions

We look forward to welcoming you to St Mary's Guildhall, the hidden historic gem in the heart of Coventry City Centre. In this time slot we will be offering a quieter visit, with sounds and noises turned down or off where possible and fewer people around...

Find out more

 

Date: The first Sunday of the month
Price: Adult from £10.80, Child from £5

 

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St Mary's Guildhall Daytime Visitor Admission

 

From 7th January...

We look forward to welcoming you to St Mary's Guildhall, the hidden historic gem in the heart of Coventry City Centre. Discover 700 years of power, partying and propaganda in a unique historical setting within Coventry's Cathedral Quarter. Get hands on with our cutting edge augmented reality tour where scenes from the past come to life, or find out all about this  fascinating building from our warm and welcoming guides. 

 

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Easter Half Term 

Whether you’re visiting with family, friends, or exploring on your own, this Easter is sure to be egg-cellent! Things might even get a little MAAAaaD around here…

Discover what’s waiting for you:

  • Interactive digital games

  • Hands-on historical interpretation

  • Costumes to see and experience up close

PLUS

  • Follow the Easter Tea Trail
  • Get creative at our craft table
  • Join us at specific times for more fun with tea leaf readings and some Easter inspired games!

 

Come along, explore history in a playful way, and create wonderful Easter memories at St Mary’s Guildhall. We can’t wait to welcome you!
 
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Blitz Tour of St Mary's Guildhall 

Whilst the November 1940 bombing is well known, Coventry also suffered devastating attacks on 8th and 10th April 1941. This tour marks 85 years since those events, shedding light on a lesser-known but significant moment in the city’s past.

Discover how St Mary’s Guildhall was damaged and survived during the Second World War, how it later became a centre for resistance through anti-war talks and exhibitions, and how it played a vital role in distributing ration books during and after the war. Through historic photographs, original documents, and newspaper reports, this tour offers a powerful and personal insight into how the Blitz shaped the city and its people.

12th April 2026 & 24th May | 11am & 2pm | £15 per person

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Tudor Coventry at St Mary’s Guildhall: Costumed History Tour

Join us for an extraordinary and unique immersive journey into the Tudor period with our Special Costumed Tour Experience at the historic St Mary’s Guildhall.

As you explore the majestic rooms and secret nooks of this medieval marvel, you’ll be accompanied by a guide dressed in Tudor attire, bringing the fascinating stories of the past vividly to life.

18th April 2026 | £15 per person

 

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Home Educators - Crime & Punishment

(In conjunction with our friends at The Coventry Police Museum)
 
Find out how crime and punishment has changed over time in Coventry
Discover the Guildhall's part in the city's story of keeping law and order
Learn about the beginnings of the Police Service and how policing has changed in the last two hundred years
 
PLEASE NOTE - this workshop includes information about historical forms of  punishment. Participants will be given the opportunity to have their fingerprints taken, which involves the use of black ink.

Thursday 30th April |  11am | 2 Hours | Maximum two adults per booking.
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Betrayed Evening 

Someone in your group is working against you, but can you uncover the traitor?

You will undergo a series of challenges at your table, and work as a team to root out who is the Judas among you! With fantastic prizes available, it's worth finding them quickly!

 

 11th April, and 15th August 2026 | £45 per person

Evening Includes:Arrival Drink, 3-Course Set Menu, Live Entertainment, Post-Show Disco

shakespeare talk
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From Mystery Plays to Travelling Players: Renaissance Coventry and the Story of Shakespeare

Join us for a fascinating talk by historian Dr. Will Green about theatre in Coventry during the English Renaissance. This hour long talk in the Dame Ellen Terry room includes admission to St Mary's Guildhall. Afterwards, you can explore the building.
In this talk, theatre historian Dr. Will Green explores Coventry’s remarkable theatrical history, tracing a line from the city’s medieval performance traditions through to the arrival of professional travelling playing companies in the later sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

Dr. Will Green is a historian focused on the relationship between drama and culture in Elizabethan and Jacobean England.

3rd May | 2pm | £15 per person

murder mystery
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Murder Mystery Evening

Due to popular demand, one more date has been added!

The year is 1482, and you are welcome to the Great Hall at Greystone Manor, where the Earl of Greystone is holding an event to launch his new book! With the new-fangled printing press he sees this as a way to make some money, but his enemies...

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Date: 23rd May 2026
Price: £45
Evening Includes:Arrival Drink, 3-Course Set Menu, Murder Mystery Entertainment, Post-Show Disco

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Yoga & Brunch at St Mary's Guildhall

NOW BOOKABLE

Join us for a relaxing Yoga & Brunch experience at St Mary’s Guildhall, set within one of Coventry’s most iconic historic venues. Begin with a guided yoga session led by Rosana, suitable for all levels, followed by a delicious brunch at Tales of Tea. Enjoy a seamless and calming morning designed to leave you feeling refreshed, recharged and ready for the day ahead.

16th, 23rd & 30th May 2026 | 9:30am & 11:00am | £35 per person

 

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Stained Glass Windows Tour

NOW BOOKABLE

Join us on a tour about the history of St Mary's Guildhall's stunning stained-glass windows.

A knowledgeable guide will talk you through the colourful history of the various windows around the guildhall. Learn more about the 600 years-old King's window, about forgotten bricked up windows, and about the scratched-in scribbles by Victorian tradespeople. 

7th June 2026 | 11am & 2pm | £15 per person

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Home Educators Workshop - Wonderful Windows

✨ Step into the colourful world of glassmaking! ✨
Join us at the Guildhall to explore the history behind stunning stained glass and painted windows, and uncover the stories they tell. Then get creative and design your own window-inspired artwork using card and coloured cellophane to take home!

 
Thursday 25th June |  11am | 2 Hours | Maximum two adults per booking.

Perfect for families and creative minds—come along and let your imagination shine!🎨

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Murder in the Blitz

It’s 1942 and the Guildhall has been turned into a military hospital - but when a patient is found dead in his bunk, it’s up to you to uncover the truth. Question suspects, follow the clues, and discover whodunnit in this immersive wartime murder mystery.

Date: 26th June 2026 & 25th July 2026
Price: £45

Evening Includes:Arrival Drink, 3-Course Set Menu, Murder Mystery Entertainment, Post-Show Disco

Paint n Sip
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Pimm's and Paint with nJoyArt 

 

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Home Educator Day - The Warp and Weft of Weaving

Through interactive learning and hands on activities, this workshop aims to help participants learn more about Coventry's weaving history. 

Participants will investigate the wool industry in the city and discover how the collapse of the industry affected ordinary people. They will learn how a soup kitchen worked, experience life as a working Victorian child in a weaving family and find out how this work changed as the industry moved from the home into the factories.

24th September | 11am | 2 hours | Maximum two adults per booking.
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Storytelling with Father Christmas

Join Father Christmas and his merry helpers for festive fun in our beautifully decorated venue. Enjoy storytelling, gingerbread decorating, and children’s crafts — perfect for creating magical family memories.

Each child will meet Father Christmas and receive a small chocolate selection box (dietary needs accommodated where possible).

The group experience lasts about 1 hour and will be shared with other families.

28th November, 5th, 19th & 23rd December | £18 per child | £8 per adult (+ £1 booking fee)

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Christmas at St Mary's Guildhall 2026

NOW BOOKABLE

It's never too soon to start planning for Christmas fun! Dive into the festive spirit with St. Mary’s Guildhall's Christmas 2026 celebrations, featuring delightful daytime storytelling with Father Christmas and a dazzling Gatsby Night in the evening.

There's joy and laughter for everyone. Don't wait—check it out now and book with us to create a fantastically magical Christmas experience in 2026!

St Mary’s Guildhall

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St Mary’s Guildhall and the Tales of Tea restaurant occasionally close for private events. Please follow the 'LEARN MORE' tab to check our closure information webpage for upcoming closure dates.
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