Wednesday 28 October suits an indoor Halloween outing at the Museum of Ryde, which is underground in the Royal Victoria Arcade on Union Street. Ghosts of Ryde is the seasonal exhibition, with a treasure hunt and colouring for children. It gives a trip into Ryde a reason to stop and go below street level, away from the shops above. The museum’s postcode is PO33 2LQ.
Historic Ryde Society runs the museum, which opened in the arcade basement in 2011. The exhibition is part of a programme that runs from 20 to 31 October, and the museum keeps its Tuesday-to-Saturday opening pattern. Children can follow the treasure hunt or sit and colour. It is a modest outing built around one building, and it won’t swallow your whole day. Historic England describes the basement as a former market that later became the Ryde Heritage Centre. Volunteers look after the exhibitions and welcome visitors.
Arrive any time from 10.30am until last entry at 3.15pm; the museum closes at 4pm. Adults pay £5. Under-eights and ages 8–16 (16 included) get in free. If the basement matters for your group, ask the museum about access first. The family events calendar has other half-term days out for the rest of the week.