Your Visit

The Gardens and Skelf Island Adventure Playground are open daily from 10am (9am for Members). The House is open for Alice's Christmas Wonderland until 5th January. Our Farm Shop, Courtyard Cafe and Garden Centre are open. The Walled Garden is closed during the winter for recovery and maintenance.

Our onsite outlets operate on a cashless basis.

Opening Times & Information  Accessibility Christmas tickets

Castle Howard has been home to the Howard family for more than 300 years. Explore iconic architecture and beautiful interiors when you visit the House, including the Great Hall which rises 70 feet into the air. The House is open from Spring to October, and is dressed for Christmas from November to January.
The Gardens and Grounds at Castle Howard include lakes, follies, woodland, temples, and statues - all of which bring out the colour and drama of the four seasons. The Gardens are open daily (excluding the Walled Garden), and are dog-friendly.

Event Highlights

The Gift of Membership
A 12 Month membership at Castle Howard makes the perfect gift for any occasion.
- Unlimited access to the House & Gardens
- Range of additional benefits
- Tree planted for every membership
Volunteer at a place like no other
Spend your free time supporting the preservation of our beautiful architecture and landscape.
- Flexible hours to suit you
- Travel expenses covered
- Try out a new hobby and make new friends

 

Conservation and restoration works in the House

We are working on some major projects in the House to restore and refresh some of our beautiful historic interiors. This amazing work will help us conserve and re-interpret the House and collections for future visitors to enjoy.

Castle Howard is a living and breathing home, made special and unique by the Howard family adding their flair and style to the interiors over centuries, and we are very excited to be part of this once-in-a-generation project.

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Restoring nature on the Estate: The Bog Hall Habitat Bank

We are thrilled to announce a landmark nature restoration and rewilding project on our historic Estate – designed and delivered in collaboration with Environment Bank.

The Bog Hall Habitat Bank: transforming 440 acres

A 440-acre area of the Estate known as Bog Hall will go under a major project, to transform it from difficult to farm, low-yielding agricultural land into a thriving space for nature. The area, which is greater than the area inside the York City Walls, is a designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), within the Howardian Hills National Landscape, and has been carefully selected for its immense potential to enhance biodiversity.

Working with Environment Bank ecologists, our goal is to almost triple the biodiversity over the next 30 years.

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