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

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 10 September 2025. Royal Museums Greenwich Members’ pre-sale will be on Tuesday 9 September 2025. 

• General tickets: £27 per person
• Member tickets: £24.30 per Member
• Under 1s: Free 

Book ticketsBook Member tickets

We have an Early Bird offer of £25 which ends on 30 September. Early Bird Member tickets are £22.50 per Member.

All adults and children visiting Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House will need a ticket. 

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

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House will be extremely popular with families and we expect timeslots to sell out. Grab your tickets early and secure your preferred dates by taking advantage of our Early Bird Special Offer! 

The Early Bird offer is £25 per ticket for any date during the Grotto season at the Queen’s House. Be quick, the Early Bird offer ends on 30 September.

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is in the Orangery in the Queen’s House (park side). The entrance will be signposted.

The Grotto is open every Saturday and Sunday from 22 November–24 December 2025. It is also open on selected weekdays. Please check the ticket booking calendar for live availability.

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

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is suitable for children aged 2–9 years. Older children 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. 

All children and adults visiting Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House need a ticket. Children must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ years. Children will receive a gift from Santa. Unfortunately, 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 our Queen’s House admission desk. Royal Museums Greenwich Members can book tickets here. 

You can book tickets in person at the Queen's House admission desk, subject to availability. 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 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 at bookings@rmg.co.uk. Please quote your order number and the team will be in touch to discuss the next steps.

Please check your spam mailbox as our email may have gone there. Not there? Please contact our Bookings team at bookings@rmg.co.uk. 

Please get in touch with our Bookings team at bookings@rmg.co.uk. We ask for a ratio of 1 adult to every 5 children.

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is a world of enchantment and wonder. Ticket holders will be taken on a festive journey with live interactive performances, such as theatre, music and storytelling. 

And, of course, a special one-on-one moment with Santa.   

This is a performance experience which includes a visit to Santa’s Grotto. Sessions will last up to 45 minutes.

• Guests will be greeted and entertained at the entrance by a Tin Soldier – approx. 15 minutes

• Clara and the Nutcracker mini show – approx. 15 minutes

• Guests will visit ‘Land of Sweets’ and the ‘Land of Ice and Snow’ that Clara visits in the story of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

• Visit to Santa’s Grotto – approx. 15 minutes (includes a special one-on-one moment with Santa)

Yes, the story of The Nutcracker. This is a performance experience set on Christmas Eve and follows a young girl, Clara, who receives a Nutcracker doll as a present.

Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is a shared experience with other families. However, only one family will visit Santa at any time. There will be no more than 20 people per session.

Please arrive 5–10 minutes before your session time to allow for check-in. Ticket holders will be greeted by a charming Tin Soldier entertainer, who will escort guests into the Queen’s House, marking the beginning of their festive journey.

Unfortunately, if you are late for your allocated time, we cannot offer a refund or allow you into the Grotto. Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House is a live interactive show experience. Once the show has started, we cannot restart it or stop it for other customers. 

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

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

Eat and drink at Royal Museums Greenwich

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, adults and children under 1 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. 

Yes, the lighting in this experience will be carefully curated and will feature coloured uplighters, shimmering effects, fairy lights and delicate 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. 

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

We kindly ask wheelchair users and visitors using mobility scooters to contact us in advance of visits. Please email bookings@rmg.co.uk.  

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 Companion ticket to a guest accompanying a disabled visitor. These tickets can be selected online with any paid ticket. 

Our Visitor Assistants are also trained in disability awareness, so please ask a member of staff for any assistance you may need during your visit. Click here for useful information about facilities at our museums.

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

Facilities and access at Royal Museums Greenwich

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.

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.

There is a secure public 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. The car park is open daily: 10am–5pm. Please note that parking is limited on weekdays. The car park will be closed on 24 December. 

Parking at the National Maritime Museum car park will not be available for guests with session times after 5pm.

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.

Getting to Royal Museums Greenwich 

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 send the team an email at bookings@rmg.co.uk