Santa's Grotto at the Queen's House: frequently asked questions

Santa's Grotto tickets go on sale on 3 September 2026. There will be a pre-sale period for Royal Museums Greenwich Family Members from 1 September.

• Early bird tickets: £27 per person
• General tickets: £30 per person
• Member tickets: £27 per Member
• Under 1s: Free 

There's an additional £3 booking fee per transaction.)

Santa's Grotto at the Queen’s House is extremely popular with families, and timeslots will sell out. 

Grab your tickets early and secure your preferred dates by taking advantage of our Early Bird Special Offer! 

Early Bird ticket is £27; Early Bird Family RMG Member ticket is £25. Early Bird tickets are for any date during the Grotto season at the Queen’s House.

Be quick, the Early Bird offer ends on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

All children and adults visiting Santa's Grotto at the Queen's House need a ticket. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult aged 18+ years. Children will receive a small wrapped gift from Santa. 

Adults and children under 1 will not receive a gift.

Unfortunately, no. This is a family experience and there must be at least one child within each party.

You can book tickets online or in person at the Queen’s House admission desk. 

Royal Museums Greenwich Family Members can book tickets here.

Tickets are subject to availability and advance booking is strongly recommended.

Yes. You can book in person at the Queen's House admission desk, subject to availability. 

To avoid any disappointment, we strongly recommend that you book in advance online or in advance in person at the admissions desk.

Yes, there is a one-off transaction fee of £3 per order. The booking fee goes towards our transaction and associated booking costs, which apply for online and phone bookings only. 

Booking fees are non-refundable. This booking fee is flat rate and applies to the purchase of any number of e-tickets and ticket types.

No, all Santa's Grotto tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable. Please check your tickets carefully prior to checking out, as mistakes cannot be rectified.

We recommend contacting our Bookings team on bookings@rmg.co.uk. Please quote your order number and the team will be in touch to discuss the next steps. 

Due to high demand, we have a limit of two adults per child to ensure safety and comfort inside the Grotto.

Please check your spam mailbox as our email may have been delivered there. 

Not there? Please contact our Bookings team at bookings@rmg.co.uk. 

Yes! We are excited to offer discounted tickets to primary schools, nurseries/preschools and community groups visiting the Grotto Thursdays and Fridays during term-time. Sessions are limited. 

All school and group bookings must adhere to our adult: child ratios. For more information, please get in touch with our Bookings team at bookings@rmg.co.uk.

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is in the Orangery in the Queen's House (on the Greenwich park side of the House). 

There will be a gazebo waiting area and the Grotto entrance will be signposted.

Santa's Grotto at the Queen's House is open every Saturday and Sunday from 14 November to 24 December 2026. 

It is also open on selected weekdays. Please check the booking calendar for live availability.

We have 18 sessions daily, starting from 10am. The last session is at 5.45pm and will finish at 6.30pm.

Please arrive 5–10 minutes before your session time to allow for check-in. We will have a gazebo waiting area, but please dress appropriately for winter weather.

Toilets can be found in the main part of the Queen’s House (please note there is no direct access from the Grotto). If you anticipate needing toilet facilities before your Grotto session, please allow 15 extra minutes so you do not miss the start of your performance. To use the Queen’s House toilets after 5pm, please speak with staff on arrival.

Unfortunately, if you are late or miss your allocated time, we cannot offer a refund or allow you to reschedule. Your session time is not flexible. 

Grotto visits operate on tight scheduled time slots and live performances cannot be paused or delayed for late arrivals. 

However, it is a special time of year and, wherever possible, staff will try to allow your child to see Santa and receive their gift if you arrive late.

Toilets can be found in the main part of the Queen’s House (please note there is no direct access from the Grotto). If you anticipate needing toilet facilities before your Grotto session, please allow 15 extra minutes so you do not miss the start of your performance. To use the Queen’s House toilets after 5pm, please speak with staff on arrival.

Yes, there is a secure car park at the National Maritime Museum, which can be used by visitors to any of our museums. The car park is located on Park Row within the grounds of the Museum (SE10 9NG). The car park is open daily for the Grotto season from 10am–7pm. 

Please note that parking is limited on weekdays. The car park will be open on 24 December. 

There are off-street pay-and-display car parks in Greenwich Park (run by Royal Parks; 250 spaces, maximum four hours).

The Royal Borough of Greenwich operates car parks in nearby Park Row and Burney Street. Usual exemptions apply for Blue Badge holders.

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is suitable for children aged 2 to 9 years. Older children are welcome to join their siblings and can still enjoy the experience.

Babies in arms (under 1) are welcome to join a session with their siblings for free, but they won’t receive a present. Please book a free Under 1 ticket.

This is a performance experience with professional actors. Your experience will end with a private meet-and-greet with Santa. 

Sessions can last up to 45 minutes.

Please note that sessions may be shorter for families lucky enough to meet Santa first and spend the least amount of time waiting at the end of the experience.

Santa’s Nordic Elf will be entertaining any families waiting to see Santa and ensuring everything runs smoothly. 

Some sessions will be busier than others, especially at weekends and in the last few days leading up to the big day!

Yes, the Snow Queen has been created as a beautiful walkthrough experience based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairy tale.

Santa's Grotto at the Queen’s House is a world of enchantment and wonder. 

Visitors will be taken on a festive journey with live interactive performances, such as theatre and storytelling with professional actors. And, of course, visitors can enjoy a special one-on-one moment with Santa. This magical experience can last up to 45 minutes.

Arrival Lobby – Guests are greeted by two excitable Snow Queen characters, Kia and Gerda.

Room 1 – In Van De Velde: Studio 1, guests will next meet the Snow Queen and the Hobgoblin, the Queen’s amusing assistant.

Room 2 – In Van De Velde: Studio 2, Gerda and the Hobgoblin will take guests through the magical Sorceress’s eternal summer garden on a mission to find Kai.

Room 3 – In Van De Velde: Studio 3, guests will stumble upon the Robber’s Castle, where Gerda befriends the little robber girl.

Rooms 4 and 5 – As guests reach the finale of the experience, they will enter the Christmas Grotto designed as the Snow Queen’s Palace. 

Family groups will take it in turns to have a private meet-and-greet with Santa. 

The average number of people per session is 22.

The lighting in this experience will be carefully curated and feature coloured uplighters, shimmering effects, glimmering fairy lights, snowfall projections, and delicate LED snowflake glows.

The Queen’s House spaces will be brought to life, casting playful shadows, soft glows and twinkling highlights that will enhance the festive atmosphere and immerse guests in a truly magical world.

Royal Museums Greenwich will provide sustainably sourced gifts, which are age-appropriate for all children. The Grotto gift is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged (for cash or otherwise).

Unfortunately, children under 1 and adults will not receive a gift.

If your Grotto gift is broken or damaged, please let us know by emailing bookings@rmg.co.uk within 48 hours and we will provide a replacement gift.

No, professional photographs are not included in the ticket price for Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House. You are welcome to bring your own camera and take photos throughout the experience.

Please note that any photos should be for personal use only and not commercial use. Please refrain from taking photos of other people, even if they are in your background. We ask guests using cameras to be considerate and respect the privacy and comfort of other guests who may not want to be photographed. Please follow any other guidance provided by staff.

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is a shared experience with other families. However, individual families will have a private meet and greet with Santa, and children will be given a wrapped present to take home. 

There will be no more than 22 people per session.

Yes, but you will not be able to re-enter the experience.

No. During Museum opening hours, cafés will be open at the National Maritime Museum.

Yes, our relaxed sessions are suitable for neurodivergent and SEND visitors and those with sensory processing differences. 

Please be aware that places on our relaxed sessions are limited. 

To ensure as many SEND families as possible can attend the sessions, please try to limit the number of additional adults and children booking these sessions.

Relaxed Santa's Grotto sessions are running on the following dates:

• Sunday 15 November at 2.45pm–3.30pm.
• Saturday 28 November: 11.15am–12.30pm.
• Friday 4 December: 5.15pm.–6pm.
• Thursday 10 December: 5.15pm.–6 pm.

Our relaxed sessions have:

• Fewer tickets are available per time slot, so the experience will be quieter than usual.
• Reduced lighting and music levels for a calmer experience.
• More relaxed attitude towards noise and movement.
• Sessions designed for children with additional sensory, educational, and emotional needs.

One child and carer: £30
Additional adult: £30
Additional child: £30
Under 1s: Free
Member child and carer: £27
Additional adult Family Member: £27
Additional child Family Member: £27

Yes, the Grotto is wheelchair friendly, and accessible toilets are available at the Queen’s House.

We ask wheelchair users and visitors using mobility scooters to contact us in advance. Please email bookings@rmg.co.uk. The narrowest doorway at Santa's Grotto is 96cm or 38 inches wide.

A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge. Due to limited availability, please enquire in advance by emailing bookings@rmg.co.uk.

Royal Museums Greenwich offers a free Carer ticket to a guest accompanying a disabled visitor. These tickets can be selected online with any paid ticket.

Our Visitor & Sales Assistants are trained in disability awareness, so please ask a member of staff for any assistance you may need during your visit. For further useful information, please check our Accessibility at Royal Museums Greenwich pages.

Disabled parking is available for free for Blue Badge holders. Please book in advance by emailing bookings@rmg.co.uk.

Yes, there will be a buggy park. Please enquire on arrival. 

Unfortunately, we do not allow prams inside the Grotto. Royal Museums Greenwich accepts no responsibility for personal belongings left while visiting the Grotto.

No, but toilets can be found in the main part of the Queen’s House (please note there is no direct access from the Grotto). 

If you anticipate needing toilet facilities before your booked session, please allow around 15 extra minutes so that you do not miss the start of your performance. 

To use the Queen’s House toilets after 5pm, please speak with staff on arrival. Unfortunately, we cannot offer a refund or reschedule any parts of the experience that were missed.

No, but lockers are available at the Queen’s House, costing £1. We suggest you only bring items with you that you are happy to carry. Royal Museums Greenwich accepts no responsibility for personal belongings. Guests are not permitted to wear backpacks or carry large bags during the experience.

Facilities at the Queen's House

No dogs are allowed except for assistance or accredited therapy/support dogs. Please get in touch with our Bookings team in advance of your visit at bookings@rmg.co.uk.

No problem, our Bookings team will be delighted to help. Please email us at bookings@rmg.co.uk.