Yes, this year we have planned a group experience rather than individual family sessions, we are confident that this will be a special, memorable, immersive experience for each family. Each session will be a 45 minute interactive experience, every child will have the chance to speak individually with Father Christmas, and every family will have a photo opportunity in our beautifully decorated rooms.
This year we are permitting 2 adults per booking. Both adults must be named Members, and the parents, grandparents or guardians of the children they bring.
Priority booking for the Father Christmas Experience is a benefit of Harewood Membership. You can find out more about Membership here. If there are any tickets left after the initial booking process we will make them available to non-Members on our website.
Please do not attempt to book tickets for non-Members, which would be unfair on the Members who generously support Harewood House Trust. If we find that any terms and conditions have been ignored we will refund the tickets and put them back on general sale.
Yes. All children and adults must be covered by a valid Membership. For guardians wishing to treat children not named on their membership, please book a non-member child’s ticket.
The very high demand for tickets in previous years meant that many Members experienced booking issues and ensuing disappointment at not being able to book tickets. Demand for Father Christmas was so high that our website and ticketing system didn’t cope as well as we’d hoped. We also got lots of feedback that Members weren’t able to log on at the ticket release time due to work and personal commitments – for example, those who work in the NHS or have carer responsibilities. Wishing to be fair to everyone, last year we ran a ballot for tickets and this received good feedback from Members.
This year we are asking Members to express their interest in tickets, so we can gauge the most effective next steps to ensure a fair, stress-free booking process.
Please ensure that you arrive at Harewood with plenty of time to spare to allow for car parking etc. Please make your way to the East Porch entrance to the House 5 minutes before your time slot. Follow the signage from the car park, through the Terrace Gardens.
The expression of interest process is not first-come, first-served. Everyone who registers their interest between 8 and 15 August has an equal chance of being given the opportunity to book tickets. When we know many people are interested in tickets, we will quickly let you know the next steps.
We recommend that most visitors continue their visit around the House after their visit with Father Christmas. If you have a later slot with Father Christmas, please allow time to look around the House before your experience.
Last entry to the House is 4:30pm.
The House will close at 17:30 (15.00 on Christmas Eve), with the car parks closing at 6pm (4pm on Christmas Eve).
There are more tickets available for this year’s Father Christmas experience than in 2022, and in 2022 there were twice as many places available compared to 2021. We are keen to make as many places available as possible as we know our Members love visiting Father Christmas at Harewood. However, as a charity with a focus on ensuring the best possible Harewood experience for everyone all year round, there is a limit to the volume of tickets we can make available for this one experience.
Prams and strollers are not allowed on the State Floor or Below Stairs to protect our collections and floors from damage. Please ensure all prams are left at the storage area.