Christmas at Castle Howard

Drink Me
Homemade Raspberry Lemonade
Selection of specialty teas and Castle Howard blend coffee
 
Miniature Cakes and Scones
Hatter’s chocolate black forest
Queen of Hearts strawberry surprise
Ace of Spades wonder macaroon  
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Classic buttermilk scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream

Sandwiches and savouries
Egg mayonnaise and cress
Roast gammon and caramelized onion chutney
Oak roast salmon with fresh dill & cucumber
Prawn Cocktail vol-au-vent

Drink Me
Homemade Raspberry Lemonade
Selection of specialty teas and Castle Howard blend coffee

Miniature Cakes and Scones
Hatter’s chocolate black forest
Queen of Hearts strawberry surprise
Ace of Spades wonder macaroon 
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Classic buttermilk scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream

Sandwiches and savouries
Cucumber and dill pollen
Red pepper hummus and crunchy vegetables
Applewood smoked cheddar and chutney  
Coronation vol-au-vent

Drink Me
Homemade Raspberry Lemonade
Selection of specialty teas and Castle Howard blend coffee

Miniature Cakes and Scones
Hatter’s chocolate black forest
Queen of Hearts strawberry surprise
Ace of Spades wonder macaroon  
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Classic buttermilk scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream

Sandwiches  
Egg mayonnaise and cress
Roast gammon and caramelized onion chutney
Oak roast salmon with fresh dill and cucumber
Shrimp tartlet

Drink Me
Banana milkshake  
Miniature Cakes and Scones
Vanilla popping candy cupcake
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Chocolate dipped strawberries
Cheese scone with butter

Sandwiches   
Honey roast ham
Cheddar cheese
Mini sausage roll

Drink Me
Homemade Raspberry Lemonade
Selection of specialty teas and Castle Howard blend coffee
 
Miniature Cakes and Scones
Hatter’s chocolate black forest
Queen of Hearts strawberry surprise
Ace of Spades wonder macaroon  
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Classic buttermilk scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream

Sandwiches and savouries
Egg mayonnaise and cress
Roast gammon and caramelized onion chutney
Oak roast salmon with fresh dill & cucumber
Prawn Cocktail vol-au-vent

Drink Me
Homemade Raspberry Lemonade
Selection of specialty teas and Castle Howard blend coffee

Miniature Cakes and Scones
Hatter’s chocolate black forest
Queen of Hearts strawberry surprise
Ace of Spades wonder macaroon 
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Classic buttermilk scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream

Sandwiches and savouries
Cucumber and dill pollen
Red pepper hummus and crunchy vegetables
Applewood smoked cheddar and chutney  
Coronation vol-au-vent

Drink Me
Homemade Raspberry Lemonade
Selection of specialty teas and Castle Howard blend coffee

Miniature Cakes and Scones
Hatter’s chocolate black forest
Queen of Hearts strawberry surprise
Ace of Spades wonder macaroon  
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Classic buttermilk scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream

Sandwiches  
Egg mayonnaise and cress
Roast gammon and caramelized onion chutney
Oak roast salmon with fresh dill and cucumber
Shrimp tartlet

Drink Me
Banana milkshake  
Miniature Cakes and Scones
Vanilla popping candy cupcake
Eat Me delicate biscuit
Chocolate dipped strawberries
Cheese scone with butter

Sandwiches   
Honey roast ham
Cheddar cheese
Mini sausage roll

All platters come with freshly baked focaccia, cornichons, caper berries, sun blushed tomatoes, mulled wine pickled onions and mixed olives.

Kings and Queens Meat Platter
Pigs in blankets sausage roll
Sage and onion stuffing bites with festive chutney
Lishman’s Charcuterie: Yorkshire chorizo, fennel salami, red wine pepperoni
Pork and spiced cranberry pie
Honey and mustard roast chipolatas

Checkmate Cheese Platter
Whole baked camembert studded with garlic and rosemary
Deep-fried brie and festive chutney
Wensleydale with cranberry
Harrogate blue
Extra mature Yorkshire cheddar
Fresh grapes
Artisan crackers

Rook and Pawn’s Seafood Platter
North Sea prawn cocktail, Bloody Mary sauce  
Crispy calamari rings, roast garlic aioli, fresh lime
Tempura king prawns, sweet chilli dip
White crab and avocado brioche slider
Juniper smoked Scottish salmon

Knight’s Vegan Platter
Spiced sweet potato and nut croquettes
Cumin roast squash, pomegranate molasses and toasted almonds
Plant-based stuffing balls with festive chutney
Roasted maple figs
Roasted red pepper hummus
Roasted chestnuts

Endgame Treat Platter
Bramley apple and blackberry crumble with vanilla custard
Warm chocolate fudge cake and whipped cream
Crunchy meringue with winter berries
Cinnamon sugar churros with chocolate sauce

• Priority booking ahead of the mailing list and general public. This is for both free or discounted Members tickets, and paid-for tickets.
• Unlimited access to the Gardens and Grounds during our regular opening hours
• 10% off in the Bettys pop-up shop
• Accrue Membership points on purchases in our shops and cafes – 5% for Silver and 10% for Gold
• Redeem your Membership points in the Farm Shop, House Gift Shop and Bauble Emporium

Alice’s Christmas Wonderland Member Admission

• Gold Members (including Ryedale) are entitled to two visits per valid membership card to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.
• Silver Members (including Ryedale) are entitled to ¬one visit per valid membership to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.
• *New for 2024* Members Preview Day: the 14th November is reserved for Members-only, 10am – 6pm. Tickets to this day counts as one visit.
• On our busiest days the number of free tickets available to Members is limited and can be pre-booked on a first come first served basis. We are limiting the overall capacity on these days to ensure we minimise queues and the House experience does not feel overcrowded. The member tickets are spready equally throughout all time slots:
  
  

• 30th November – 500 member tickets available
• 1st December – 500 member tickets available
• 7th December – 500 member tickets available
• 8th December - 500 member tickets available
• 14th December - 200 member tickets available
• 15th December - 200 member tickets available
• 20th December - 100 member tickets available
• 21st December - 100 member tickets available
• 22nd December - 100 member tickets available
• 23rd December - 100 member tickets available
• 24th December - 100 member tickets available
  
  

• We have analysed data from previous years and have found that Members sometimes book a free ticket and then do not attend, which means paying guests can’t use the tickets. We encourage you to use the SeeTickets portal to cancel any tickets you know you can’t use, which will release them for other Members or paying guests.
• Outside of these times there are no restrictions on how many Members can book their free ticket and we have plenty of capacity across the run.
• Walk ups are not available on the above dates but are available on other dates (subject to availability).
• We recommend you pre-book your tickets online prior to your visit. We may refuse entry if tickets are not pre-booked, and there is not availability.

Father Christmas Members Tickets

Father Christmas in the Castle

•  Child Members receive a £10 discount (£50 from £60)
• Adult Members may use one of their free visit entitlements to accompany their child.
• A maximum of two adults can accompany their child – this is to help us manage capacities in the room, and reserve space for children wishing to see Father Christmas.

Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse

• Child Members receive a £2 discount (£34.50 from £36.50)
• Adult Members may accompany their child free of charge as part of their membership. This event is not in the main House and does not count as a free visit.
• A maximum of two adults can accompany their child – this is to help us manage capacities in the room, and reserve space for children wishing to see the Grotto.

Car Parking

Car parking must be booked online prior to your visit to guarantee availability. One parking space per booking is complimentary for Members, additional spaces may be booked and paid for. Blue Badge spaces are free.

Our House, Grounds and Outlets have variable opening times over the festive period. Please see our Opening Times and Prices page for full details. This page will be updated as we move closer towards Christmas.

Please note, often the House closes earlier than the Gardens, so we recommend double checking the specific House opening times if you are planning on visiting Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.

Ticket prices for Alice’s Christmas Wonderland depend on the date and time of your booking, ranging from £21 - £36 for adults and £10.50 - £18 for children. All online bookings are subject to a Seetickets booking fee. Tickets purchased on the day at the Ticket Office are subject to availability and are subject to a 10% increase. For the best value and to guarantee availability we highly recommend booking your tickets for all our Christmas experiences online in advance.

Castle Howard is a cashless venue. We can only accept card payments.

We strongly recommend booking tickets in advance. Walk-up tickets are subject to availability, and at busy times we cannot guarantee entry.

The Ticket Office will remain open until the last Alice’s Christmas Wonderland entry or Father Christmas in the Castle time, whichever is later. For example, if the last Father Christmas in the Castle is at 6.30pm, the Ticket Office will also close at 6.30pm. We recommend you arrive at Castle Howard at least 15 minutes before your House entry slot, and 30 minutes before your Father Christmas or Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse showing, because latecomers will not be admitted.

This year the timeslots for Alice’s Christmas Wonderland in the main House are 30 minutes long. For example, if you book a 10.30am – 11am timeslot, you are welcome to enter the House at any time during that window. If you are running very late you do not need to contact us, unless the House will be closed after your arrival, after which we will refuse your entry.

Yes, subject to availability. Please do this via the Seetickets Customer Service Centre. You will need your booking confirmation and email address.

Some of the experiences have specific limits, e.g. a maximum of two adults per booking for our Father Christmas and Santa’s Grotto experiences.

If there aren’t enough tickets left in the slot you want, usually that’s because the remaining tickets are already sold. We recommend choosing a different slot.

If the slot or day you are trying to move to has sold out, Seetickets won’t allow you to choose it. Please choose another day or time. If you are moving your booking to a date or time with a more expensive ticket price you will need to pay the difference. If you are moving your date to a cheaper date, sadly we can’t issue a refund of the difference.

You must exchange your Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse tickets for a Santa’s Grotto and Alice’s Christmas Wonderland package in the Seetickets Customer Service Centre.

Make a request via a link in the Seetickets Customer Service Centre or contact us (sales@castlehoward.co.uk / 01653 648333). You will receive a bespoke link where you can add these items to your booking.

Admission for the following schemes is subject to availability and can be redeemed at the Ticket Office by presenting a valid membership card or proof of entitlement:

Max Card

• One free visit for one adult and up to three children, excluding the dates listed below.
• Tickets can be booked online in advance, using the Affiliate Ticket Type.
• You are also welcome to walk-up on applicable dates, subject to availability. We recommend booking online in advance.
• You must show your MAX Card at the Ticket office on arrival.
• You must purchase car parking online in advance, or in person at the Ticket Office, if you are intending to park.

Yorkshire's Great Houses, Castles & Gardens

• One free visit for two adults and up to three children, excluding the dates listed below.
• Tickets can be booked online in advance, using the Affiliate Ticket Type.
• You are also welcome to walk-up on applicable dates, subject to availability. We recommend booking online in advance.
• You must purchase car parking online in advance, or in person at the Ticket Office, if you are intending to park.

Excluded Max Cards, Yorkshire's Great Houses, Castles & Gardens dates:

• 30th November
• 1st December
• 7th December
• 8th December
• 14th December
• 15th December
• 20th December
• 21st December
• 22nd December
• 23rd December
• 24th December

Art Pass and York Pass schemes, and free tickets for campers at the Lakeside Holiday Park schemes are suspended at Christmas.

£6.50, subject to a Seetickets booking fee. Gardens Only Tickets, Members (up to one car per booking), Coaches and Blue Badge holders don’t pay for parking.

We charge for car parking at Christmas to help support our additional infrastructure, including Car Park Attendants, lighting, and trackway, and to help us improve our car parking facilities for everyone’s safety and comfort in the future. Revenue from last year’s car parking allowed us to create more disabled car parking spaces and supported the resurfacing of part of the car park.

On arrival, please bring your car parking confirmation to the Ticket Office for inspection, either on your phone or printed.

A direct bus service, Route 81 runs from York and Malton to Castle Howard. This service does not run on Sundays.

Pushchairs, prams, and large rucksack-style baby carriers are not allowed in the main House for Alice’s Christmas Wonderland or Father Christmas in the Castle. Please leave your pushchair, carrier or pram in the dedicated covered space in the Christmas Marquee.

Pushchairs, carriers, and prams are not permitted in Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse. You can leave your pushchair, carrier, or pram outside the space.

Small baby carriers and hip seats are available to borrow from the House entrance. Please return it when you collect your pushchair or pram. No food or drink is allowed in the House. Breast feeding is welcome anywhere on site, but if you’d prefer a private place, please ask a staff member.

The Kelly Car will run every day, subject to availability. When the Boathouse Café & Kitchen or Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse is open, the last departure leaves from the Boathouse area at 3pm. When the Boathouse isn’t open, the last departure leaves from the House entrance at 3pm.

We have dedicated blue badge car parking spaces at the front of the visitor car park. Please display your badge in your window. There are limited blue badge parking spaces so please arrive early if you would like to secure one. If you struggle with mobility but don’t have a blue badge, you can drop-off at the Courtyard before parking elsewhere. Blue badge holders do not need to pay for car parking. We kindly ask you to choose Blue Badge Parking when you book your tickets online, which helps us plan ahead.

Our Blue Badge car parking spaces are closest to the ticket office. They are 2.4m wide by 4.8m long with hatching to one side and rear of 1200mm.

Some pathways are rutted and much of the building and landscape is historic, with uneven and bumpy surfaces. Please see our Access Guides the Access page on our website for more information, including photos of the pathways.

Level access to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland is via the Christmas Marquee. The North Marquee entrance is equipped with an automatic door. The South Marquee entrance is equipped with two sets of double doors – please note that these doors are not automatic and open outwards. We recommend using the North Marquee entrance.

To access the House entrance, please ask a member of staff in the Gift Shop (immediately on the left as you enter the Marquee via the North entrance) for level access assistance through to the visitor route.  

Staff can help wheelchair users (under 225kg) use our House stair lift which takes visitors to the main floor of the House. Electric wheelchair or scooter users will need to self-transfer into a manual wheelchair to use the House stair lift, and we have plenty of manual wheelchairs which can be borrowed if required. We regret that access to the Chapel is restricted.

Our Christmas Marquee is a temporary structure with ramped entry. The ramps are fitted to conform with regulatory standards, but there are some awkward thresholds in the design. Please see our Christmas access guide for full details, available from October 2024.

Our North Drive is lined with lit Christmas trees. The South Drive is lined with festoon lighting. The drive down to the Boathouse is lined with festoon lighting. We ask visitors to take care walking to and from the car park, Boathouse and House after dusk. Some pathways are rutted and much of the building and landscape is historic, with uneven and bumpy surfaces.

If you require a carer or companion, they can visit for free. You can choose Essential Carer tickets when you book online. They must be booked with other paid tickets. We ask all carers to bring with you evidence of carer status, which we will check in the Ticket Office.

If you, or someone you care for, requires two-to-one support, please contact the Tickets Office who can help you book your tickets (sales@castlehoward.co.uk / 01653 648333). This is to help us understand more about how we can make your day as smooth as possible.

Alice in Christmas Wonderland Calm Sessions

• 22, 23, 24 November, 9.30am – 10am
• These sessions are designed to create a more relaxed environment for visitors who would prefer a quieter space to enjoy our Christmas installations. Specifically, there are fewer slots available, making for a less busy environment in our main House, and reduced lighting and sound effects.

Father Christmas in the Castle

• Relaxed Performance - Friday 6th December 6.30pm
• BSL Interpreted Performance - Saturday 7th December 10.15am

Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse

• Relaxed Performance, Sunday 8th December 11.45pm
• BSL Interpreted Performance, Saturday 14th December 13.10pm

Meet the Designers

• BSL Interpreted Tour, 28th November 4.30pm

Our main House is decorated with floral displays, props, crafts, stage lighting and installations, inspired by the story of Alice in Wonderland. As you travel around the House, each space tells a story. We use costumes, sound, and projections to create a theatrical and immersive effect. The spaces also are intended to inspire you to use your imagination, with some areas open to your interpretation. There are no live performers in this experience.

Entry to the main House for Alice’s Christmas Wonderland is timed in 30-minute slots. We do this to manage the number of visitors in the House, stagger entry throughout the day, and to prevent queues. Sometimes queues do occur, due to a higher number of walk-up visitors, a late coach party, and more. We kindly ask for your patience if you do encounter a queue. The queue into the main House is outdoors, so we recommend dressing warmly.

If you are running late, you do not need to call us or contact us to let us know – we’ll happily admit you to a later time slot. If you’re running late for the last slot of the day, we might not be able to guarantee your entry. We highly recommend arriving in plenty of time for Father Christmas in the Castle and Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse, as latecomers to these events will not be admitted.

We recommend 40 minutes to enjoy the whole experience at a steady pace. Some visitors move more quickly, others more slowly.

There is limited seating available, and there isn’t seating in every room. There are some places where visitors can temporarily rest, but we can’t guarantee this at our busiest times.

Portable stools can be borrowed from our House entrance - please ask a member of staff. Please note these are camping-style stools with no arms or back. Please return the stools to the Gift Shop or House entrance. Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow from the Ticket Office of House Entrance – please ask a member of staff.

Photography is welcome in the House. Please keep your flash turned off and do not use a tripod or a selfie stick. Professional photography of any kind needs to be arranged and agreed in advance. If you’re a professional photographer, please contact Georgie Sykes gsykes@castlehoward.co.uk.

Babies and children until 24 months can visit Alice’s Christmas Wonderland for free. We ask you to kindly book a Under 24 Months ticket so we can manage our capacities. This rule is different for Father Christmas in the Castle and Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse, where only children under 12 months can visit for free with a paying Child ticket.

You are welcome to bring children of any age to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.

Father Christmas in the Castle is inside our main House and is a 20-minute performance, followed with a one-to-one moment with Father Christmas and Mrs Claus. The whole experience can last up 35 - 55 minutes, depending on the number of groups, and at which point you have your moment with Father Christmas and Mrs Claus. Tickets to Father Christmas in the Castle include entry to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.

Santa’s Grotto is at the Boathouse and includes a 20-minute experience, with the first 10 minutes performed by Story Craft Theatre’s jolly Christmas friends, with Santa joining the performance for the remaining time. The whole experience can be up to 20 minutes, depending on the number of groups, and at which point you have your moment with Santa. Tickets to Santa’s Grotto with do not include tickets to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.

Father Christmas in the Castle is sadly inaccessible for wheelchair users; the show location is up two flights of stairs. We understand that this is disappointing, and it’s our ambition to make adjustments in the future. We invite wheelchair users to enjoy Santa’s Grotto with and Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.

We want to make your visit special and memorable and help where we can. You can contact us directly about your booking to discuss the particulars of access required, and if any solutions or arrangements can be made.

Yes, your group will have a private interaction with Father Christmas, separate to the performance space.

A soft toy.

Yes. Your ticket includes access to the Gardens, Skelf Island Adventure Playground and Alice’s Christmas Wonderland. Please double check your ticket time, as our Playground closes after dark for safety reasons. We ask all Father Christmas in the Castle bookers to visit Alice’s Christmas Wonderland first, if your show slot is in the afternoon.

Yes. There will be seating available for children and accompanying adults.

As often as possible, the Front of House team will ensure that groups are sat together. We cannot guarantee this for latecomers.

No. The entrance and exit to the Father Christmas in the Castle will be separate to the Alice’s Christmas Wonderland experience and you will leave the way you entered.

Father Christmas, WonderPhil and Mrs Claus.

Two accompanying adults per booking.

We recommend Father Christmas in the Castle for ages 4+. If you would like to bring a newborn or baby to meet Father Christmas, we would recommend Santa’s Grotto at the Boathouse.

All Father Christmas in the Castle bookings require a paying child ticket to make the booking. If you have a babe in arms as well as a paying child ticket, you will be able to add the babe in arms to the booking.

Gifts are available for paid tickets only. For example, if you bring a babe in arms and one child, one gift will be given.

Babe in arms tickets are valid for children under 12 months. Older children must have a Child ticket.

Yes. Your ticket includes access to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland, however, these are separate experiences and have different meeting points. Alice’s Christmas Wonderland starts at the main House entrance, accessible via the North Drive. The Father Christmas in the Castle meeting point is accessible via our Christmas Marquee, where signage will point you in the right direction.

You will not need to queue in the House entrance queue if you are on your way to the Father Christmas in the Castle. The meeting point for Father Christmas in the Castle can be accessed via the Christmas Marquee. Please follow the signs and you will be greeted by a Castle Howard member of staff.

When you are ready to visit Alice’s Christmas Wonderland, make your way to the regular House entrance.

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes prior to your booking slot. It might take around 15 minutes to travel from the car park to the meeting point, which is in the main House.

You are welcome to visit any time during the House opening hours. Please see our Opening Times and Prices page for full details, and double check this before you arrive. We recommend visiting Alice’s Christmas Wonderland in the House before your Father Christmas in the Castle show to prevent you being in a rush, particularly if your show is in the afternoon.

This year, your Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse ticket does include access to the Gardens, including the Skelf Island Adventure Playground.

Your Santa’s Grotto ticket does not include access to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland. You can add an upgrade ticket when you book your tickets.

Yes, your group will have an interaction with Santa, but this might be in the presence of other groups.

A soft toy.

Please meet in front of the Boathouse doors 15 minutes ahead of your show time. The Boathouse is located next to Skelf Island Adventure Playground. It can take around 15 minutes to travel to this part of the site from the main Visitor Car Park on foot or using the Kelly Car. We recommend allowing plenty of time.

All Santa’s Grotto bookings require a paying child ticket to make the booking. If you have a babe in arms as well as a paying child ticket, you will be able to add the babe in arms to the booking. Gifts are available for paid tickets only. For example, if you bring a babe in arms and one child, one gift will be given.

Babe in arms tickets are valid for children under 12 months. Older children must have a Child ticket.

You are welcome to visit any time during the House opening hours. Please see our Opening Times and Prices page for full details, and double check this before you arrive. We recommend visiting Alice’s Christmas Wonderland in the House before your Santa’s Grotto at the Boathouse show to prevent you being in a rush, particularly if your show is in the afternoon.

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea
November: 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th
December: 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 28th, 29th

Take a seat at the most elegant of tea parties! Our sumptuous festive Afternoon Tea includes delicate sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and intricate miniature cakes, served with a selection of tea and coffee in Castle Howard’s Grecian Hall – the perfect Christmas treat. Expect whimsical decoration and delightful presentation.

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea hosted by the Hatter
November: 23rd, 24th, 30th
December: 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd

This sumptuous festive Afternoon Tea is hosted by the Mad Hatter themselves, in Castle Howard’s bespoke Tea Party space, The Chess Club. This Afternoon Tea sitting will feature special theatrical appearances by the Hatter, bringing joyful surprises to the festive occasion!

The Chess Club
Weekdays from 18th November – 20th December

Immerse yourself even further in Alice’s curious Christmas world inside Castle Howard’s secret dining room, for grown-ups only. Delicate tea pots filled with Wonderland-themed cocktails, mocktails, and sharing platters of Yorkshire cheeses, charcuterie, sweet treats and tasty accompaniments are on the menu, served in an atmospheric environment. Mix and match by booking delectable tasting boards in advance, and order delicious cocktails served in teapots and teacups on the day.

You can add these experiences to Gardens, Alice’s Christmas Wonderland, Father Christmas in the Castle, Meet the Designer’s and Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse tickets – they will automatically appear as you make your booking subject to availability. These experiences are only bookable in advance.

• Our Christmas Marquee, attached to the main House, will be bigger than ever this year with more seating. We are working on new delightful festive food offers, including delicious handmade pizza and indulgent crumbles, and of course bringing back our famous and very popular turkey rolls. Open daily.
• Our Courtyard Café in the Stable Courtyard serves freshly prepared seasonal meals in a cosy setting. Open daily.
• Our Coffee Shop in the Stable Courtyard serves hot drinks, cakes and snacks. Open daily.
• The Boathouse Café will not be open during our Christmas period. A trailer serving hot drinks, marshmallows, cakes and snacks will be open on days when Santa’s Grotto at the Boathouse is running.
• A trailer on the North Front will be open during busy periods serving hot drinks and snacks.

Yes. Pop into the Farm Shop to collect your Christmas Food to Order form or visit our website for more details, which will be available from October.

Yes! They will be available from mid-November.

Much-loved treats, including the famous Fat Rascals, fondant fancies, hampers and Christmas gifts, will all be available from the Bettys shop. A bespoke Alice-themed fancy will also be featured. The Bettys pop-up is a retail-only space, and not a café. Please see our Opening Times and Prices page for full details. This page will be updated as we move closer towards Christmas.

From the Gift Shop in the main House.

The Gardens are open to everyone from 9am. Please check our opening times page for up-to-date closing times.

We line our North Drive with lit Christmas trees, and light a beautiful, large Christmas tree on our North Front. There are also firepits to toast marshmallows on the North Front, and a trailer serving hot drinks and snacks.

Yes. Please double check your ticket time, as our Playground closes after dark for safety reasons.

• Gold Members (including Ryedale) are entitled to two visits per valid membership card to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.
• Silver Members (including Ryedale) are entitled to ¬one visit per valid membership to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland.
• *New for 2024* Members Preview Day: the 14th November is reserved for Members-only, 10am – 6pm. Tickets to this day counts as one visit.
• On our busiest days the number of free tickets available to Members is limited and can be pre-booked on a first come first served basis. We are limiting the overall capacity on these days to ensure we minimise queues and the House experience does not feel overcrowded. The member tickets are spready equally throughout all time slots:

• 30th November – 500 member tickets available
• 1st December – 500 member tickets available
• 7th December – 500 member tickets available
• 8th December - 500 member tickets available
• 14th December - 200 member tickets available
• 15th December - 200 member tickets available
• 20th December - 100 member tickets available
• 21st December - 100 member tickets available
• 22nd December - 100 member tickets available
• 23rd December - 100 member tickets available
• 24th December - 100 member tickets available

• We have analysed data from previous years and have found that Members sometimes book a free ticket and then do not attend, which means paying guests can’t use the tickets. We encourage you to use the SeeTickets portal to cancel any tickets you know you can’t use, which will release them for other Members or paying guests.
• Outside of these times there are no restrictions on how many Members can book their free ticket and we have plenty of capacity across the run.
• Walk ups are not available on the above dates but are available on other dates (subject to availability).
• We recommend you pre-book your tickets online prior to your visit. We may refuse entry if tickets are not pre-booked, and there is not availability.

Father Christmas Experiences Members Tickets

Father Christmas in the Castle

• Child Members receive a £10 discount (£50 from £60)
• Adult Members may use one of their free visit entitlements to accompany their child.
• A maximum of two adults can accompany their child – this is to help us manage capacities in the room, and reserve space for children wishing to see Father Christmas.

Santa’s Grotto in the Boathouse

• Child Members receive a £2 discount (£34.50 from £36.50)
• Adult Members may accompany their child free of charge as part of their membership. This event is not in the main House and does not count as a free visit.
• A maximum of two adults can accompany their child – this is to help us manage capacities in the room, and reserve space for children wishing to see the Grotto.
  
  

Please check the following:

• Are you using the lead member’s number?
• Have you included the MEM (not all membership numbers include this) without spaces?
• Have you pressed ‘use code’?
• Have you just bought a Membership? New membership numbers sync nightly at 2am, so you might need to wait until the following day to book your tickets.

Does it come up with ‘invalid code’ in red?  If so, please email marketing@castlehoward.co.uk

Make sure you have selected Member tickets, rather than standard Adult or Child tickets.

You will be asked to show a valid membership card on your arrival at the Ticket Office. If your card has passed its expiry you will be asked to purchase your tickets at full price.

You must bring your Membership card with you.