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This was our 2025 schedule, for a very successful Christmas season. We hope you had the opportunity to visit us in Dickens’ London! See you again in 2026!

For our annual ‘Christmas Eve Open House’, we have prepared for our guests a special set of presentations, certain to delight and engage audiences of all ages and interests. We are pleased to offer some Special Presentations and Our Full Schedule. We invite you to join us in the parlour, mingle with our members and let yourself become part of the show!

Special Presentations

Stir-Up Sunday – Sunday, 23 November, 10 a.m. – Making a traditional Christmas pudding

West Coast Falconry puts Birds of Prey on Display! – Sunday, 23 November and Sunday, 21 December, 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. –Falcons Fly in the Club!

A Visit from Mark Twain – Saturday 13 December, 10:45 a.m. – Your chance to see Mr. Clemens while he is in London.

Robert Louis Stevenson – Saturday 13 December and Sunday December 14, 12:30 p.m. – Presenting Poetry and Pirates.

Tam o’ Shanter -Saturday 20 December, 4:30 p.m. – A classic dark tale, written by the distinguished Scottish poet, Robert Burns, read by Prof. J.C. Maxwell and brought to life by the Athenæum Club Players.

Our Full Schedule

10:00 a.m. (Saturdays & Friday after Thanksgiving) ~ Traditional Royal Naval Toasting: Join our Christmas Eve tradition with officers and guests of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Propose a topic and the assembled Mess will spontaneously devise a toast to your request.

10:00 a.m. (Sundays) ~ Conversazione at the Athenæum Club: The Athenæum Club is the favorite social gathering spot of London’s elite, including some of the most celebrated people of the Victorian age. Come join us in the parlour to meet our members and participate in some lively discussion!

10:45 a.m. ~ Upstairs & Downstairs: Get an insider’s view of the workings of a London Club; Learn the English way to serve tea, set a table or take part in a formal dinner, or let the children practice their letters using pen and ink (programme varies daily).

11:30 a.m. ~ Pre-Raphaelite Artists Salon: Join artists from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and friends to sketch live models from romanticized medieval and classical themes. Pencils and pads are provided; all ages are welcome!

12:30 p.m. ~ Children’s Christmas Revels: The children get to take over the Athenæum Club and make the rules!

1:00 p.m. ~ British Association for the Advancement of Science: Critical thinking has changed our world and increased our thirst for knowledge. Be amazed by the tactics of prehistoric predation and unique organic defenses. Learn about advancements in electricity and magnetism, machines that think, and new ideas on the evolution of species.

2:00 p.m. ~ Naval Technology and Life at Sea: Learn about life aboard a Royal Navy Vessel, the science of navigation, and the latest discoveries from around the globe.

3:00 p.m. ~ Gothic Stories: Listen to your favourite authors share macabre gothic tales around the hearth at the Athenæum Club. Not suitable for those who are sensitive to horror stories that may inspire nightmares.

4:00 p.m. ~ Tell-Tale Theatre with Edgar Allan Poe: Put yourself into a proper holiday humour and relish the dark tales of the master of the macabre, a chilling Christmas tradition.

4:30 p.m. ~ Salon at the Athenæum Club: Theatre, games, and other amusements for you and your friends to participate in and enjoy.

5:00 p.m. ~ Christmas Carols: Join us as we raise our voices in joyful celebration of the season. Be uplifted by expertly performed traditional Christmas carols, led by the Swedish opera sensation, Madame Jenny Lind!

5:30 p.m. ~ A Toast to the Season: Marvel at the wit and extravagance of a traditional Officers’ Mess toasting ceremony, with an opportunity to propose your own toast! (Hint: Stop first at one of London’s fine pubs, pick up a glass of bubbly, and join in the spirit of the celebration!)