Visit Father Christmas

Meeting Father Christmas at Scotney Castle, Kent

Add a little magic to the festive season with a visit to see Father Christmas in his grotto. He's been busy all year preparing for the big day, and has pulled out all the stops to bring some Yuletide cheer to your visit. Plan a great family day out and meet the man himself.

Father Christmas has taken on many forms throughout history, and his existence dates back all the way to the days of Henry VIII, when he would dress in green robes instead of red. You can meet Father Christmas at a National Trust place near you this winter.

He's making room in his busy schedule to come and chat with you, so why not plan a festive visit and drop into his grotto to tell him your Christmas wish? Tuck into seasonal treats, settle down for a story by the fireside and have a magical day out.

More Christmas events are being added all the time so keep checking back to see what's on​.

Meet Father Christmas in the South West

Search Father Christmas events 

Come and visit Father Christmas at a grotto this winter. He's been busy planning his visits all year round – search for your local place and see if he's stopping by.

Latest visiting update 

Our gardens, parks, cafés, shops, countryside locations and many houses are open. You no longer need to pre-book at many places. Some still require booking ahead, so please check the property webpage before you travel.​

Visiting and booking changes

Step into a Christmas grotto

There are lots of different things you can do when you visit Father Christmas. At Beningbrough Hall in North Yorkshire, take a seat in the Victorian laundry and listen to him share stories of his adventures, travels and mishaps. Meet Father Christmas and bring a letter along with you to give to him – he loves reading about what you’ve been up to over the past year.

At Quarry Bank in Cheshire there will be a special baby and toddler storytelling and play session with Father Christmas, which includes a private family visit with the man in red. Younger visitors can enjoy story time with Father Christmas in his woodland grotto at Standen House and Garden in West Sussex, where you can meet him afterwards and receive a cup of hot chocolate.

If you’d like to help out in Father Christmas’ grotto, there are festive craft events you can join in with. Join the enchanted elves at Ormesby Hall in Middlesbrough, where you can decorate baubles and make your own Christmas cards before you meet Father Christmas. You can also create wooden crafts in the elves’ workshop at Souter Lighthouse in Tyne & Wear after meeting with the jolly man in red.