Christmas Past
1. Hampton Court Palace
Surrey
Visitors to this former royal palace can join King Henry VIII in the state apartment - which will be filled with elaborate decorations - and watch as he reclines regally, enjoying festive food and wine while enthusiastic courtiers vie for his attention with gifts and entertainments. The costumed actors are just part of the festive Tudor fun at the palace; visitors can also watch chefs in the Tudor kitchens preparing a Christmas feast fit for a king, and can dine on Tudor-inspired dishes in the restaurant.
• 27 December to 1 January, 10am to 4.30pm. Adults £13.30, children £6.65. 0844 482 7777; hrp.org.uk
2. Weald and Downland Open Air Museum
Near Chichester, West Sussex
Home to more than 45 historic buildings, the museum will be decorated to reflect the spirit of Christmas through the ages. The hall of the 15th-century Bayleaf farmhouse will be draped with evergreens, including holly and ivy gathered from the museum's woodland. Whittaker's Cottages, dating from the 1860s, will have a Victorian Christmas feel, complete with an elaborately decorated tree. The Pendean farmhouse, built in 1609, will reflect Christmas in Stuart England. You can also try Christmas dishes from each period in the museum's working Tudor kitchen and take part in some traditional games.
• 26 December to 1 January, 10.30am to 4pm. Adults £8.50, children £4.50. 01243 811363; wealddown.co.uk
3. Castle Drogo
Near Exeter, Devon
This privately owned castle, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and set above the Teign Gorge with sweeping views over Dartmoor, is going back to its roots this year. It will be decorated in 1930s style, to celebrate the period when the castle was completed. There'll be Thirties' tree decorations and garlands and a huge orange crêpe paper Big Ben that belonged to the first family who lived here. There'll be a pianist playing festive tunes, while fruit punch and mince pies will be served in the library.
• Today and this Thursday to 22 December, 11am to 4pm. Adults £5, children £2.85. 01647 433306; nationaltrust.org.uk
4. Imperial War Museum
London
In October 1914, Princess Mary declared that she wanted to 'send a Christmas present from the whole of the nation to every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front'; soon after, more than 355,000 gift boxes were sent out. Visitors to London's Imperial War Museum will be able to handle some of these original gift boxes, and using ideas from some of the decorations on the boxes, make their own First World War-themed decoration to hang on the museum's grand Christmas tree.
• From Saturday to 23 December, 27 to 30 December, 11am to 4pm. Admission free. 020 7416 5320; iwm.org.uk
5. Beaulieu Brockenhurst
Hampshire
Palace House, home of the Montagu family since 1538, will be adorned in Victorian-style decorations. Children can dress in period costume and talk to characters from the 19th century to discover what life was like 'Upstairs and Downstairs' during Christmas at the house. There'll be carols around the grand piano in the lower drawing room, parlour games in the upper drawing room and in the dining room you can sip hot fruit punch in front of the roaring log fire. Fans of Raymond Briggs's The Snowman should hop on the simulator ride, which is accompanied by images and music from the film.
• From Saturday to 4 January. Adults £15.50, children £8.25. 01590 612888; beaulieu.co.uk
Grottoes with a twist
6. Cheddar Gorge
Somerset
A team of elves is leading children to the enormous Gough's Cave, a magical setting in which to meet Saint Nick. There's a huge rock face decorated with a snow scene and movement-sensitive toys that come to life. While there, make sure you see the colourful rock formations in Cox's Cave and stop by the Cheddar Man and the Cannibals museum, which reveals tales of life and death in the Stone Age.
• Daily until Sunday, 2.30pm to 5.30pm on weekdays, 2.30pm to 6pm at weekends. Adults £3.50, children £7.50. Booking advised. 01934 742343; cheddarcaves.co.uk
7. National Museum of Flight
North Berwick, Near Edinburgh
A private aircraft is probably the last place you'd expect to find Father Christmas, but head to this aerospace museum and that's exactly where you'll find him, lounging in one of the passenger seats. Children are invited to join him onboard for a chat or to join the elves in the free toy-making workshops, where they'll make parachuting presents to take home.
• From Saturday to 24 December, noon to 4pm. Adults £5.50, children £5. 0870 421 4299; nms.ac.uk/flight
8. National Coal Mining Museum
Wakefield
8It might sound daunting, but children are invited to travel 460ft down a coal mine to see Father Christmas and his reindeer. His grotto is quite a sight, decked out with hundreds of fluorescent lights, lanterns and tinsel. After coming back up to ground level, make sure you visit the pit ponies and join in Santa's reindeer hunt.
• Today and then from this Friday to 23 December, 10am to 3.30pm. Booking essential. Adults £2.50, children £5.50. 01924 848806; ncm.org.uk
9. Bodiam Castle
East Sussex
Visitors to this moated castle will get to visit Santa in a unique grotto, located inside one of the medieval towers. After collecting their gift (as long as they've been good this year), children can set off on Sir Edward Bear's festive trail around the castle, where they have to hunt for hidden wreaths.
• Today and this Saturday and Sunday, 10.30am to 3pm. Adults £5.20, children £2.60. Extra £5 charge to visit the grotto. 01580 830196; nationaltrust.org.uk
10. Thames RIB Experience
London Thames
Sure to get the prize for being the fastest grotto in the country, the Thames RIB is welcoming children onboard for a high-speed journey along the river, alongside a thrill-seeking Santa. Festive tunes will be played over the stereo while passengers take in unbeatable views of London's top landmarks. Choose from the Canary Wharf Experience, a 50-minute ride from Embankment via the famous skyscraper, or the Greenwich, O² and Thames Barrier Experience, which takes about an hour and 30 minutes.
• Daily until 24 December. Canary Wharf Experience, adults £29, children £16; Greenwich, O2 and Thames Barrier Experience, adults £45, children £27. 0870 224 4200; thamesribexperience.com
Feeling theatrical
11. Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens
Northumberland
Guaranteed to make you smile, this 14th-century medieval castle is putting on performances of Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol. With lashings of comedy and song, shows will take place in the library and are aimed at all ages. The question is, will Scrooge repent in time for Christmas or be doomed to a life of misery?
• 27 to 29 December, 11am and 2pm. Adults £6.40, children £3.20. 01661 881636; english-heritage.org.uk
12. Hartlepool's Maritime Experience
County Durham
Don your finest Rudolph costume and head for Hartlepool's Maritime Experience, a re-creation of an 18th-century seaport, on Thursday. The streets will be teeming with activity; there'll be walk-about entertainment from the Bread and Butter Theatre, story-telling from Hartlepool People's Theatre, a magician, balloon modelling, stilt-walkers and fire-breathing, as well as on-the-spot prizes for the best Christmas costumes. There will also be carol singing, face painting and real reindeer.
• 5pm to 8pm. £3 per person. Booking recommended. 01429 890000; hartlepoolsmaritimeexperience.com
13. Kew Gardens
Surrey
It's all about the 'Planto' at Kew Gardens. Visit the Climbers and Creepers play area for a pantomime with a botanical twist - Buzzie Bee and Snap, Trap and Venus the flytraps, interpret the traditional story of Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose) in a 30-minute show. It aims to teach children of all ages a little about plant conservation. You can also visit the beautiful Winter Garden, go ice skating and hop on a horse and carriage ride.
• The Planto is on today, then this Saturday to 23 December, 11am, 1pm and 2pm. Free with admission: adults £13, children free. Horse and carriage rides today, 10.30pm to 1.30pm; and from tomorrow to 4 January, 10.30am to 3.30pm (excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Adults £2.50, children £1.50. 020 8332 5655; kew.org
Wild Times
14. Blue Planet Aquarium
Liverpool
Kids won't believe their eyes when they see Santa, fully dressed in his red felt suit and hat, diving with sharks. The sub-aquatic Saint Nick will be sharing the 830,000 gallon tank with 10ft-long sand tiger sharks, lemon sharks, giant stingrays and more than 1,500 other tropical fish. It's all part of the Aquatheatre show, where Crystal the Christmas Fairy tells the tale of the pirates stealing Christmas and asks children to help Santa by finding the presents hidden by the pirates around the aquarium.
• Today and then this Thursday to 23 December, 12.30 and 2.30pm. Adults £14.50, children £10.50. 0151 357 8804; blueplanetaquarium.com
15. Whipsnade Zoo
Bedfordshire
Christmas is a busy time for the zoo, so staff are calling on 'little helpers' to ease the load. They'll make a special Christmas treat for Elvis the chimp and his gang of friends - which will encourage their natural behaviours, such as foraging for food - while learning about the living habits of these amazing apes and what they'll be eating on 25 December. While there, kids should definitely pay the reindeer a seasonal visit, and also check out the cheetahs in their new 5,000 sq m enclosure.
• Saturday to 4 January, 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Adults £15.50, children £12.50. 01582 872171; zsl.org
16. Rievaulx Abbey
North Yorkshire
Watch eagle owls and lanner falcons soar above the ruins of this impressive monastic site, while discovering how hunting birds helped to celebrate Christmas in medieval times. Costumed falconers will be putting on spectacular birds of prey displays, one of which will focus on how birds would be used for Christmas hunts to bring back vast quantities of food for a feast. You'll hear how the royal table would have had very different foods from the other tables.
• Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 3pm. Adults £5, children £2.50. 01439 798228; english-heritage.org.uk
17. Knowsley Safari Park
Prescott, Merseyside
Sealions Max, Biffo and Arthur are the stars of a panto-style production. The trio have learnt a number of Christmas-themed tricks and routines for the show in which Santa makes an unexpected appearance midway through to give them their presents, before taking part in the rest of the act. While you're at the park, visit Mizzy Lake Farm and - if you're brave enough - the Bug House, which contains a fascinating array of creepy crawlies, from leaf-cutter ants to death's head cockroaches.
• Daily until 23 December. 10.30am to 3pm. Adults £12, children £9 (see website for discounts). 0151 430 9009; knowsley.com
Get some fresh air
18. Festival of Winter Walks
Nationwide
Wrap up warm and join Britain's biggest walking event, the Festival of Winter Walks, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. There are more than 700 free walks taking place all over the country. Around 17,500 people, from toddlers to great grandparents, are expected to enjoy the walks, which range from four-mile city strolls to 14-mile hill hikes. Some come with a theme; there's a Polzeath Cake Walk in Cornwall on 27 December and a Worst Dressed Rambler Amble in Aberdeen on 2 January.
• 26 December to 4 January. ramblers.org.uk/winterwalks
19. Hyde Park
London
Following its phenomenal success in its first year - with more than half a million visitors - Hyde Park has again been transformed into an outdoor winter wonderland. Have a spin on the ice rink, the largest in the capital; soak up cityscape views on the 200ft-high big wheel; feast on gingerbread hearts at the German Christmas market, and be thrilled by the rides, including the 200ft toboggan snow slide and haunted mansion.
• Daily until 4 January (except Christmas Day). Free to enter; prices for rides and attractions vary. hydeparkwinterwonderland.com
20. Hardwick Hall
Derbyshire
Visit one of the most glorious Elizabethan country houses in England and follow in the footsteps of Bess of Hardwick, one of Tudor England's most powerful and wealthy women, on a relaxed three-hour walk of the estate. Suitable for older children, the walk takes in the Old Hall, where the flame-haired prodigy was born, and the pond and quarry, which Bess used to get the raw materials to repair and build many halls and houses on the estate.
• 1 January, 12pm to 3pm. Adults £6, children £3. Booking essential. 01246 858400; nationaltrust.org.uk
21. Washington Wetland Centre
Tyne and Wear
Here's one for twitchers - the Wetland Centre is launching a special Winter Wonderland discovery trail on Friday. Grab your binoculars and set off on the 45-minute wet woodland walk, which takes you past many bird hides, including the Hawthorne Wood hide, which is particularly interesting at this time of year, with bullfinches, great-spotted woodpeckers and long-tailed tits. Information boards will tell you how birds hibernate and migrate to cope with the winter.
• Friday, 26 December and 2 January. Adults £6.95, children £3.50. 0191 416 5454; wwt.org.uk
22. Stockeld Park
Near Wetherby, Yorkshire
The sprawling grounds of this beautiful country estate are hosting some fantastic attractions this yuletide. Explore the Enchanted Wood, filled with illuminated mythical sculptures; then you could try cross-country skiing on the 4,000ft synthetic ski circuit around the grounds and afterwards get lost within the superb 'snowflake' maze, which is made from over 2,500 yew trees and has a 12 Days of Christmas theme.
• Daily until 11 January (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Free; activities from £3.50 for the maze. 01937 586333; thechristmasadventure.com
Escape the festivities
23. Royal Observatory
London
Calling all budding astronauts and astronomers - a new planetarium show called Invaders of Mars is being held at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. As it takes you on a virtual ride into space, you'll discover what the Earth's fleet of space probes has uncovered in their expeditions to the red planet, and you'll explore the great chasms, canyons and volcanoes of Earth's closest neighbour yourself, through thrilling computer-generated imagery.
• Daily until 31 March (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Suitable for over-fives. Adults £6, children £4. 020 8312 8575; nmm.ac.uk/invaders
24. Ironbridge Gorge Museum
Shropshire
Excited by the 2012 London Olympic Games? See how posters add to the hype with a visit to the Coalbrookdale Gallery, which is showcasing the Victoria and Albert Museum's touring exhibition, A Century of Olympic Posters. It explores the representation of 'the greatest sporting show on Earth' over the decades through posters, and includes many rare and beautiful examples, most of which are shown together for the first time.
• Daily until 11 January, 10am to 5pm (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Free admission. 01952 884391; ironbridge.org.uk
25. At-Bristol
Bristol
Two of the centre's under-eights exhibitions are being combined with presenter-led storytelling this December. For the In the Jungle exhibition, kids can dress up as a jungle character and look through microscopes at jungle creatures. For the Jet Set, Go! exhibition, they can dress up as a pilot or air steward and put their luggage through the x-ray machine and even 'fly' a plane. Visitors can also take part in the Kaleidoshow, a new family show all about colour; discover if purple makes you forget things, dress up as a famous colour scientist from the past and watch your friends and family turn red. • Storytelling today, tomorrow and this Saturday to 23 December, 27 to 31 December, 2.30pm. Kaleidoshow runs until 22 March. Adults £9.90, children £7.70. 0845 345 1235; at-bristol.org.uk
• This article was amende on Thursday 18 December 2008. Above we said hybernate when we meant hibernate. This has been amended.
