30 Things To Do This Autumn in Bury St Edmunds

1. Take a Ghost Tour of Bury St Edmunds. The very popular Ghostly and Macabre Walks by Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides are back and start on Halloween (October 31) and continue every Friday until the end of March. We hope you'll have a frightfully good time.

2. Love books? Then you'll love the annual Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival which stakes place on October 11-13. Authors Sarah Marsh, Patrick Barkham, Sam Leith, Janice Hallett, and Clare Chambers are just some of the authors appearing.

3. See screen used props from the movies at the annual Moyse's Hall Museum Sci Fi and Action Exhibition which starts in October and runs until January.

4. Every September Heritage Open Days gives people a chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore. Check out our Heritage Open Days Guide to see what's on.

5. Theatre

6. Go see the final months of the ICONS: The Photography of John Reardon Exhibition at The National Horseracing Museum. Reardon was a trailblazer in his field, working for both The Observer and The Guardian, and capturing a wide range of subjects with his sensitive insights.From Thoroughbreds to Michelin Star Chefs, this photographic exhibition is an exploration of excellence through perseverance, reminiscent of Reardon’s own photographic process. The exhibition ends on October 27.

7. The Great East Anglian Cathedral Model Railway Show takes place at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on September 28, celebrating the 75th anniversary of Bury St Edmunds Model Railway Club. With over 50 traders and exhibitors, railway enthusiasts do not want to miss this.

8. See the newly refurbished Suffolk Regiment Museum and step back in time and uncover the powerful stories of the soldiers through medals, uniforms, photographs, weapons, equipment and personal memorabilia

9. Oktoberfest is coming back to Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club on October 19. The Club will be transformed into a Bavarian wunderland, offering a taste of authentic German culture, traditional street food cuisine and only the best Oktoberfest beer.

10. Enter our gateway to a magical immersive Halloween world, full of quests and challenges and Autumn outside fun at Kentwell Hall's Halloweenies!

11. Renowned actor, singer, best-selling author and entertainer John Barrowman MBE will take to the road in the autumn with a brand new solo show, Laid Bare. Audiences are in for a treat as the star of stage and screen including Doctor Who, Torchwood and Arrow brings his unique brand of music and storytelling to The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on November 6! There will be a limited number of tickets available for a pre-show Sound Check with Q&A as well as a limited number of tickets available for a post-show Meet and Greet with photo opportunity.

12. Scare yourself silly at Scaresville. One of Britain's top Halloween attractions that mysteriously appears in the grounds of Kentwell Hall near Bury St Edmunds every October.

13. As Suffolk's Foodie Capital we attract a lot of foodies. Join the ever-tasteful, often hilarious, always readable writer and broadcaster Jay Rayner as he celebrates 25 years as The Observer’s award-winning restaurant critic with the publication of Nights Out At Home, a memoir-in-recipes at The Apex on October 3.

14. Join Kentwell Hall for its annual celebration of apples. Apple Weekend is a chance to discover the delightful array of apples and pears at Kentwell. Their knowledgeable Garden Team will be available to showcase the diverse selection of apple and pear varieties thriving in their gardens with approximately 60 types of apples and a similar number of pear trees.

15. Enjoy your last chance to explore the Rougham Control Tower Aviation Museum before its end of season at the end of October.

16. Go hunting for Pumpkins at the Rougham Estate Pumpkin Patch.

17. Take a tour of the St Edmundsbury Cathedral Tower before the season of regular tours ends on October 30. The tour includes a behind the scenes look at the Cathedral building and specifically, the tower finished in 2005. You’ll slowly climb the tower, with view points along the way while you learn more about the build and the history of the building and town.

18. Explore the colours of autumn among the flowers and trees of Fullers Mill Garden in West Stow.

19. Enjoy the new Pickwick Afternoon Tea at The Angel Hotel based on the life & works of Charles Dickens who stayed there in what is now room 215.

20. Enjoy Music evening inspired by Bridgerton at The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa - a Classical Crossover evening with vocal artist, Gemma Edwards on October 3.

21. Is there any greater pleasure for little and big kids alike than donning your wellies and setting off on a brisk and breezy walk to splash around in puddles? This Autumn, wrap up warm, take a flask of something hot and explore some of the best welly walks in Bury St Edmunds & beyond...

22. Gather the family or friends and try out the escape rooms at The Evidence Room, each designed to test your logic, teamwork and patience, you’ll need to have your wits about you as nothing is quite as it seems.

23. Discover the stories of the remarkable people who worked in the Royal Observer Corps WWII Ops Room at Bury St Edmunds Guildhall and the incredible events they were part of at special open days in September and October.

24. Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of The Food Museum's working steam traction engine, the Empress of Britain, as their volunteers use steam coal to bring it to life on Steam Sundays. Built in 1912 by the Thetford firm of Charles Burrell and Sons, the Empress spent its working life hauling heavy loads and providing power on the farm.

25. Discover the medieval history of Lavenham on an engaging guided walk of the village with one of Lavenham Guildhall's knowledgeable volunteer guides and discover the history of some of the village's most iconic timber-framed buildings.

26. Discover real ale and craft beer in Bury St Edmunds on the town's Ale Trail. Raise a glass in the Beer Capital of Suffolk and become part of a brewing history dating back 1,000 years. In 1086, monks were brewing ale on the site of the Great Abbey using water from Bury’s chalk wells which are still used today by Greene King, one of the UK’s largest breweries.

27. With the unpredictable weather of autumn, why not play safe and enjoy a game of indoor golf with at the adults only Sneaky Links. Crazy golf fans of any level, skill or ability are challenged to navigate their way to the perfect putt on the inventive 9-hole course, while drinks can be caddied directly to the green.

28. Unleash your inner chef and treat yourself to a Cookery Experience at ICE Cook School or at Forage Kitchen.

29. Why not relax and unwind ahead of the busy festive season with a spa break at The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa or Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa?

30. Visit the Sir Cedric Morris Florilegium Exhibition at Gainsborough's House in Sudbury. The Sir Cedric Morris Florilegium consists of 31 botanical watercolour paintings, meticulously observed and accurately recorded of ‘known and growing today’ cultivated varieties of bearded iris, that have been painted by the country’s leading Gold Medal winners from the Royal Horticultural Society.