Storyhouse and Chester Library, Chester

Illustration of Storyhouse and Chester Library

Storyhouse is a charity that puts a library, theatres, an independent cinema and a restaurant under one roof on Hunter Street, and for families the library is the part to know about. The children's section, The Den, has a storytelling room and a lot of books, and the building keeps unusually long hours: the library is staffed 8.30am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 9.30am to 6pm on Sundays.

The regular programme costs nothing. Rhymetime for pre-schoolers runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am and 11am, and Crafty Weekends put out a different craft every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm. At weekends the cinema shows a family film at 10.30am for £4 a ticket.

School holidays add more. For October half term 2026 there is a free Horrible Histories quest round The Den on 24 and 25 October, and the Christmas show, Rapunzel, runs from 4 December to 3 January.

What it costs: Library, Rhymetime and Crafty Weekends are free and drop-in. Weekend family film screenings were £4 (£3.60 for members) when we checked. Theatre shows are priced separately.

Know before you go

Crafty Weekends run 12pm to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday: collect the materials from The Den and make things anywhere in the building. Free, no booking.
Rhymetime for pre-schoolers is Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am and 11am. It is drop-in and popular, so get there early.
Weekend family films start at 10.30am and are meant for under 16s and their grown-ups.

What’s on at Storyhouse and Chester Library

October half term at Storyhouse

Storyhouse, Chester

Horrible Histories shows 22 to 25 October; free Horrible Hunt 24 and 25 October; family films and workshops through the week

A Horrible Histories week: the Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians stage shows (£24 a child, £96 for a family of four), plus a free drop-in Horrible Hunt round the children's library on 24 and 25 October. Shaun the Sheep, a Disney Junior cinema club and Aardman workshops fill the rest of the week.

Free trail; shows from £24 a childBook shows and films on Storyhouse's website; the Hunt is drop-inIndoor option

Written by us

Rapunzel, Storyhouse Christmas show

Storyhouse, Chester

Performances 4 December to 3 January

Storyhouse's own Christmas show, Rapunzel with pop songs, dance and comedy. Every performance is captioned, with a relaxed performance on 27 December at noon, audio description on 20 December and BSL on 2 January.

£19.50 to £48Book onlineIndoor option

Written by us

Looking for more museums & science near Chester?

Your postcode

What visitors say

★★★★★ 4.6 across 2,676 Google reviews.

Read all 2,676 reviews on Google - filter by star rating there

Also in Chester

Chester Zoo

Chester~45 min

4.6(48,294)

Excellent, but it is a lot of walking. Reviews rate 5 to 10 as the ideal age and still recommend a pushchair at four. Climbing frames, water play and sand pits break up the distance.

Day ticketAges 4-11

The Ice Cream Farm

Chester~35 min

4.4(9,956)

A small entry fee now, then a pay-per-play card for the attractions: a giant sand and water quarry, mini golf, go-karts and play areas, funded by a world-record ice cream shop. Cheap after 3.30pm, glorious in any weather.

Small entry fee, then pay per playIndoorsAges 4-8

The Crocky Trail

Chester~30 min

4.6(3,568)

A mile of muddy obstacles, wobbly bridges and enormous slides through a Cheshire valley. Children come off it filthy, soaked and asking to go round again. This is the point; dress accordingly.

Day ticketAges 5-11

Beeston Castle

Chester~30 min

4.5(2,999)

A ruined castle on a crag with views from the Pennines to the Welsh mountains, a reconstructed Bronze Age roundhouse and woodland paths below the walls. Castles do not need roofs to work for this age group.

English Heritage - members freeAges 4-11

Grosvenor Museum

Chester~30 min

4.4(1,159)

Chester's Roman story done properly: real tombstones from the fortress walls, a hands-on natural history gallery, and a walk-through period house at the back. Free, central, and the right size.

Free entryIndoorsAges 5-11

Grosvenor Park & Miniature Railway

Chester~30 min

4.7(2,694)

Chester's Victorian park above the river, with a miniature railway looping the lawns, a good playground and open-air theatre in summer. Pair with a boat trip from the Groves below.

Park free; train rides chargedAges 4-8

What’s on near you, every Friday

One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.