Greetings from Santa’s Harewood Helpers!
Here’s all the information you need for your visit to Father Christmas.
Arrival
Please ensure that you arrive at Harewood 30 minutes before your Father Christmas time slot to allow for car-parking and getting to the House.
Please make your way to the Below Stairs entrance of the House 5 minutes before your time slot, following the Father Christmas Experience signage (see instructions below).
Should you arrive after your ticketed start time, you’ll be able to join your booked session part way through for the remaining time. Should you arrive after your booked slot has finished, unfortunately we won’t be able to accommodate late arrivals in a later slot due to being fully booked.
All tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Please note that no food or drink is permitted in the House or in the Father Christmas Experience.
When to see the rest of the House
We recommend that most visitors continue their visit around the House (including Long Live the Christmas Tree!) after their visit with Father Christmas. However, last entry to the House is 4.30pm, so if you have a later slot with Father Christmas, you may want to look around the House before your Father Christmas Experience. In this case, enter the House through the main entrance, look round Long Live the Christmas Tree! on the State Floor, then you’ll arrive at the Father Christmas Experience when you go Below Stairs, after the Christmas Shop. We recommend allowing at least 45 minutes to look round Long Live the Christmas Tree!
The House will close at 5.30pm, with the whole site closing at 6pm. We close early on Christmas Eve, so if you have Father Christmas tickets for 24 December, please check your email for specific details.
Finding the Below Stairs entrance
With your back to the main car park, with the House in front of you, take the middle road towards the side of the House (the road wide enough for cars, not the path to the Terrace). When you reach the House, turn right through the bauble arch, which will bring you to a door. Go through the door and walk into the corridor. Turn left just before the steps, and you will find the Father Christmas Experience in the Old Kitchen on the left.
Accompanying adults
This is a group experience with 8 children in each time slot plus their accompanying adults.
Please remember that as per the booking terms for Father Christmas, which were specified when you booked, up to 4 adults may visit in your group, with a maximum of 2 adults per child (for example, if you booked for 3 children they may be accompanied by 4 adults, but if you booked for 1 child, only 2 adults may accompany). All adults must have a valid Membership or a day ticket for entry.
All children, with the exception of ‘babes in arms’ or under 6 months, require a ticket before joining the event on the day. Only children with a purchased ticket will receive a gift from Father Christmas. We are unable to admit any extra children who don’t have a Father Christmas ticket.
Harewood House Trust supports a kind and respectful approach in everything we do. We do not tolerate anti-social, abusive, aggressive or violent behaviour made in person, over the telephone, in written communication or on our social media channels.