Eight LEGO enemy soldiers have infiltrated the galleries of the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, and the hunt is on for children to track them down before they make off with the collection’s artefacts. The new Summer Trail 2026 begins on Saturday 18 July and runs through to Sunday 30 August, turning the museum into a playful battlefield for young visitors.
The plastic invaders are hidden among displays that chart more than three centuries of Gloucestershire’s military history. Children pick up a free trail sheet at the entrance, then work through the galleries seeking out each miniature soldier. Museum staff describe it as a challenge designed to send families into every corner of the building, with the trail operating throughout opening hours from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. Entry costs £6.50 for adults and £4.00 for children, with a family ticket priced at £15.00, and the activity itself carries no extra charge.
The Custom House on Commercial Road, home to the museum since its Heritage Lottery-funded refurbishment in 2014, sits a ten-minute walk from both the bus and railway stations in Gloucester Docks. Previous school holiday trails have sent families searching for golden sphinxes and cracking hieroglyphic codes. The broader summer programme also includes weapons handling sessions, craft activities, firing range experiences, and the chance to “Meet a Redcoat” — all aimed at bringing the story of the county’s soldiers, from 1694 to Afghanistan, to life.
Concession tickets are available for £5.50, with serving Armed Forces personnel paying £5.00. The trail runs from the first weekend of the holidays until the last Sunday of August, offering a repeated destination across six weeks of the summer break.
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