Past Events
November 2022
The Wicked History of Tea – Sold Out
"From the salons of the rich to the homes of the poor, the history of tea includes wars, whores and so much more. Who could have foretold the ‘wicked’ journey of this simple leaf and its place in our history." Join us for this interesting talk on the history of tea. Ticket price includes............... a cup of tea!
Find out more »December 2022
18th Century Playbills by Professor Nick Seager
This interactive lecture is a chance to learn about and to work with playbills from Georgian England. These documents advertised the performance of plays and provide a fascinating window onto theatrical culture in the second half of the eighteenth century. Together, we'll think through how these ephemeral documents were used, their value as historical evidence, and the things they don't quite say. This lecture will be held at Erasmus Darwin House and can also be viewed on zoom. Please select…
Find out more »Dr Darwin’s Birthday Bash
See the house decorated for Christmas and help us celebrate Erasmus Darwin's 291st birthday with free children's craft activities. For the younger children there will be "Tales of Erasmouse" stories in the parlour at 11.30am and 1.30pm. Also, to mark the completion of our project - Erasmus' Evolutionary Environment Seen Through the Eyes of Young People, visit our free exhibition. This will give a summary of the project and some of the interesting items from the archives on the development…
Find out more »Fireside Fables and Winter Ghosts – sold out
Now the nights are growing colder, come and be warmed by entrancing winter’s tales. Lichfield Storytellers will entertain you with stories of a ghostly apparition on a snowy night; a bold Russian grandmother; a young lad’s remarkable Christmas gift – enjoy these stories and more in an evening of wonderfully old-fashioned seasonal delights. Includes a glass of wine on arrival
Find out more »February 2023
The Notebooks of Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) by Professor Sharon Ruston
Tickets now available for zoom option only. This first Lunar Lecture of 2023 will explore the notebooks of the early nineteenth-century chemist Sir Humphry Davy, best known for his miners’ safety lamp, known as the Davy lamp. Professor Sharon Ruston is leading a research council funded project to transcribe all of Davy’s 75 surviving notebooks, which reveal that he wrote poetry as well as science: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/humphrydavy/davy-notebooks-project/. After discussing Davy’s career and life briefly, and considering the notebooks as a…
Find out more »Free Half Term Children’s Craft Activities
Join us for some half term fun with free children's craft activities. Paint a suncatcher or decorate a wooden glider.
Find out more »March 2023
The Linguistics of Humour by Dr Alice Haines
Humour plays a big part in how we communicate with each other and is an important way in which we form and maintain relationships. In this lecture I will draw on some key ideas in linguistics to explore how the language of comic literature interacts with our knowledge of the world. This in turn enables us to develop relationships with narrators and characters, and to find amusement (or not!) in what they say and how they say it. Alice Haines…
Find out more »Celebrating British Science Week
British Science Week (10 - 19 March 2023) aims to celebrate science, engineering, technology and maths. This year the theme is "Connections". Erasmus Darwin House will be free to enter and we will be offering free STEM based activities aimed at children aged between 7 and 12 years, allowing children to participate in "real science" whilst having fun. Booking is not necessary - just drop in. For more information on British Science Week visit www.britishscienceweek.org. Children can enter the British Science…
Find out more »Mid Season Jigsaw Sale
Come along and grab a bargain at our pre loved charity jigsaw sale. Prices have been reduced to make space for us to accept donated jigsaws ready our November sale. All proceeds are used to support the museum.
Find out more »Mother’s Day Tour and Tea – FULLY BOOKED
Treat someone special to a tour of Erasmus Darwin House and a cream tea to celebrate Mother's Day? The tour of the house will begin at 11am followed by a cream tea in our beautiful pop up tea room, using vintage china and served by costumed staff. Numbers are limited so booking is essential FULLY BOOKED
Find out more »April 2023
Cellar Tour
See part of the house that is normally closed to the public, on this interesting cellar tour. Please note: the cellar floor is uneven and accessed by a series of steps. It is therefore unsuitable for those with mobility issues. Book tickets here
Find out more »Easter Children’s Craft Activities
Children's Easter themed craft activities will be available in the museum today from 11am to 3pm. Activities are free - normal admission charge to the museum applies.
Find out more »House Tour
Join us for a tour of Darwin House and learn more about Erasmus Darwin and the Lunar Society. Tour lasts approx 1 hour. Pre booking recommended as spaces are limited. Tickets can be combined with a visit to the museum - 50% discount on admission fee. Book tickets here
Find out more »May 2023
The Royals at Lichfield
To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, join Lichfield tour guide, historian and author Jono Oates, to hear the fascinating story of Royal visits to Lichfield in the wonderful setting of the Lunar Room at Erasmus Darwin House. From Richard II to Edward VII and from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II, discover how much wine was drunk in the Cathedral Close in Christmas 1397, and find out exactly what caused Queen Victoria to ‘not be amused’ in 1840,…
Find out more »Cellar Tour
See part of the house that is normally closed to the public, on this interesting cellar tour. Please note: the cellar floor is uneven and accessed by a series of steps. It is therefore unsuitable for those with mobility issues. Book tickets here
Find out more »A Perfect Paradise: Shaping Shugborough
A member of Shugborough’s garden team will take you on a journey to discover the history of the estate, and how they honour, conserve, share, champion and enhance Shugborough, together with their future plans. After a short break for tea/coffee members of Erasmus Darwin House Garden Team will take you on a tour of the award winning herb garden. book tickets here
Find out more »June 2023
Cellar Tour
See part of the house that is normally closed to the public, on this interesting cellar tour. Please note: the cellar floor is uneven and accessed by a series of steps. It is therefore unsuitable for those with mobility issues. Book tickets here
Find out more »Lunar Lecture – ‘A short, fat little democrat’ and a pioneering doctor, scientist and poet: Thomas Beddoes and the legacy of the Lunar Society by Professor Tim Fulford
Thomas Beddoes was Erasmus Darwin’s self-appointed protege: he, like Darwin welcomed revolutions — whether the French Revolution in politics, the revolution in geology that showed the earth was millions of years old, or the revolution in chemistry that discovered oxygen. In the 1790s, he set up the world’s first scientific research institute — the Pneumatic Institution -- in Bristol. Funded by Darwin and his Lunar Society friends the Wedgwoods, the Watts and James Keir, it aimed to create a revolutionary…
Find out more »July 2023
Cellar Tour
See part of the house that is normally closed to the public, on this interesting cellar tour. Please note: the cellar floor is uneven and accessed by a series of steps. It is therefore unsuitable for those with mobility issues. Book tickets here
Find out more »Dorian Grey by Don’t Go into the Cellar Theatre Company – Now Sold Out
Oscar Wilde's only novel is adapted for the stage in this atmospheric one-man show. What awful secret is stored inside the attic? Only the eternally youthful and charming Dorian Gray knows. But as his appetite for sin leads to ever greater acts of wickedness, Gray will stop at nothing to make sure no one discovers the dreadful truth! Award-winning actor Jonathan Goodwin plays Oscar Wilde in a play scripted by himself and co-directed by Gary Archer. Book tickets here
Find out more »Lichfield in the English Civil War – A City Divided SOLD OUT
From the winter of 1642, to the summer of 1646, the city of Lichfield was torn apart during the English Civil War. Lichfield historian, and tour guide, Jono Oates, tells the story of the three sieges of Lichfield Cathedral, the dramatic death of Lord Greville Brooke, and the destruction of the main spire of Lichfield Cathedral by the cannon balls of Royalist commander Prince Rupert. The illustrated talk at Erasmus Darwin House describes how Lichfield became a city divided, with…
Find out more »August 2023
Cellar Tour
See part of the house that is normally closed to the public, on this interesting cellar tour. Please note: the cellar floor is uneven and accessed by a series of steps. It is therefore unsuitable for those with mobility issues. Book tickets here
Find out more »The Four Georgian Greats of Lichfield – FULLY BOOKED
In the middle of the 18th century, the time of the Georgian era, Lichfield was at the height of its popularity, and was one of the most well-known places in England. This was partly due to four of the most influential people in the country, who were born, or lived, in Lichfield, and this illustrated talk by local Lichfield historian Jono Oates provides profiles of the Famous Four – Erasmus Darwin, Anna Seward, Samuel Johnson and David Garrick. The talk…
Find out more »September 2023
Cellar Tour
See part of the house that is normally closed to the public, on this interesting cellar tour. Please note: the cellar floor is uneven and accessed by a series of steps. It is therefore unsuitable for those with mobility issues. Book tickets here
Find out more »Heritage Open Days
To celebrate Heritage Open Days the museum will be free to enter on Sunday 17 September.
Find out more »