Christmas at Petworth House

Child sitting on the bench under the colourful archway in the enchanted winter garden in the Marble Hall at Petworth, West Sussex | © Megan Taylor

For Christmas 2023 we invited you to celebrate with a tree-mendous display at Petworth House, inspired by the colours of Christmas.

Christmas 2023 has now finished at Petworth

The below information is for Christmas 2023. We hope you enjoyed all we had on offer. Please check back closer to Christmas 2024 to find out all the exciting things we have in store for you.

Colours of Christmas at Petworth House

Sat 25 November 2023 to Mon 1 January 2024, 10.30am–4.30pm. Closed 24 and 25 December.

Petworth House is open 10.30am–4.00pm. Last entry is 4pm. The garden and main car park close at 5pm

Explore Petworth House to see the colours of Christmas taking centre stage this season.

From the rainbow-themed Reception you'll enter through Oak Hall, adorned in flowers and ombre colours inspired by the sunset in George Jones' painting 'The Battle of Waterloo'.
Continue your journey through the Somerset Room where the vivid colours and decorations bring the collection to life.
Marvel at the magnificent tree in the Square Dining Room, decorated in blue Chinoiserie baubles inspired by the room's paintings and ceramics.
Step into an enchanted winter garden in the Marble Hall, and see the colourful archway and a majestic sleigh pulled by foliage deer.
The Little Dining Room will be wreathed in natural greens under a leafy garland light display.
In the Carved Room the work of Grinling Gibbons has been recreated in brilliant gold and festooned on the trees in celebration of his ornate carvings.
You won’t miss the Red Room’s showstopping 15ft-high tree, decorated in striking red.
Your journey doesn't end there. In the Chapel you'll find colourful labels on which to write your Christmas wishes and hang them on one of the fabulous trees.
On weekends in December there will be choirs performing in the courtyard. The Christmas Makers Market will return on 2 and 3 December, with even more stalls than last year.
On Saturday 2 and Friday 22 December you can experience a magical evening atmosphere with our festive late openings.

Christmas Workshops

Mon 27 November to Sun 10 December

Get into the festive spirit and add some Christmas cheer to your home with our creative workshops.

Learn how to make a traditional wreath using foliage collected from the grounds of Petworth, or create your own paper wreath that won’t wither, and can be used again year after year on our paper flower wreath making workshop.

Join us on a lino cutting workshop to make your own Christmas cards. You will learn how to use the tools and experiment with mark making to create five cards to take home, as well as your own lino cut which you can use again to print more cards.

Our workshops are suitable for all skill levels. All materials will be provided.

Includes a hot drink and mince pie.

£50 per adult, per session. Booking is essential. Dates and times can be found on our Events page.

A frosty winter day at Petworth with the exterior House in the background, Petworth House and Park, West Sussex — A frosty morning at Petworth House and Park | © National Trust Images/John Miller

The Servants' Quarters

Food, drink and Christmas sale shopping

Visit the Historic Kitchens to see a fabulous display of festive treats. If you look closely you may spot some playful mice hiding amongst the tempting desserts.

Visit the shop for some perfect Christmas gifts and the Audit Room Café for warming food and drink.

Planning your visit

The Christmas and New Year period can be a busy time at Petworth. Most of our visitors tend to arrive between 11am and 2pm, which can cause congestion in the car park. If you arrive at 10am you might find it a little quieter, or if you arrive after 2pm, there’s still time to enjoy all that Petworth has to offer as last entry to the house is 4pm.

If you have the flexibility, a weekday visit is generally quieter than a weekend, even during school holidays. If you can only visit over the weekend, Saturdays are usually less busy than Sundays.