Basildon Park's Christmas is a musicals theme, 14 Nov to 3 Jan: no booking, £20 adults, £10 children, members free. Shut 24 and 25 Dec; house opens 11am.
Christmas at Basildon Park runs from Saturday 14 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and this year the National Trust has given the mansion a musicals theme. There is nothing to book: you pay normal admission on the day, and National Trust members and under fives get in free. The house is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The quick answer
- Dates: 14 November to 3 January. Closed Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December.
- Hours: grounds 10am to 4pm, house 11am to 4pm, tea-room 10am to 3.30pm (National Trust calendar for November and December).
- Price: £20 adults, £10 children aged 5 to 17, £50 for a family of two adults and up to three children, £30 for one adult with children. Members and under fives free. Gift Aid prices are £22, £11, £55 and £33.
- Booking: none. Carers and essential companions go free.
- Quietest times: weekdays, or before 11am and after 1pm, the Trust says.
Everything on this page was checked on 26 October 2026 against the National Trust’s own Christmas at Basildon Park page, its listing on What’s On Reading, and the Trust’s published prices, opening calendar and directions for the property.
What is on
The Trust describes “an all singing and dancing world of theatre”: trees, lights and decorations through the mansion inspired by famous musicals, with “moments of singing, dancing and acting” in the rooms. Outside, the gardens have music and dance installations, including a giant piano to tap out a tune on and dance moves to copy.
It is a decorated-house visit, not a ticketed show. The Christmas page lists no separate grotto, Santa or late-night openings for 2026. In the tea-room there is hot soup and mince pies, and the shop in the Stableyard sells gifts and stocking fillers.
Opening times
From the National Trust’s own opening calendar for Basildon Park:
| House | Grounds | Tea-room | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 to 13 November | Closed | 10am to 4pm | 10am to 3.30pm |
| 14 November to 23 December | 11am to 4pm | 10am to 4pm | 10am to 3.30pm |
| 24 and 25 December | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| 26 to 31 December | 11am to 4pm | 10am to 4pm | 10am to 3.30pm |
The house shuts for the week before the Christmas opening, from Monday 9 to Friday 13 November, while the grounds stay open. The Trust’s published calendar runs only to 31 December, so it does not yet show times for 1 to 3 January; the Christmas page says the season runs to 3 January, so check the property’s page before a New Year visit.
Prices
Normal admission applies, with no Christmas supplement:
| Ticket | Standard | With Gift Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18 and over) | £20 | £22 |
| Child (5 to 17) | £10 | £11 |
| Family (two adults, up to three children) | £50 | £55 |
| Family (one adult) | £30 | £33 |
Under fives and National Trust members go free, and so does a carer or essential companion.
Getting there and parking
Basildon Park is on the west side of the A329 at Lower Basildon, RG8 9NR, about seven miles north-west of Reading. The Trust’s route is to leave the M4 at junction 12 and follow the signs for Beale Park and Pangbourne, then for Basildon Park. Use the main entrance from the A329.
Parking is the catch at Christmas. The Trust warns that the car park “can fill quickly on our busiest days”, that you may have to queue, and that “in extreme circumstances we may have to close the car park”. The surface gets uneven and muddy in wet weather. Arrive before 11am, after 1pm or on a weekday.
By train, the nearest stations are Pangbourne (two and a half miles) and Goring and Streatley (three miles). There is no taxi rank at either, so book one ahead; the Trust advises against walking, because the route is along a busy main road. If you are setting off from Reading, check our Reading roadworks and travel page first, and our parking in Reading page if you are combining the trip with the town centre.
Access
The toilets and changing facilities are in the Stableyard. Pushchairs are welcome in the gardens but not in the house, so be ready to leave one outside. Paths are mostly wide and gently sloping but can be uneven and muddy in winter, and a buggy service runs when volunteers are available.
More Christmas near Reading
Beale Wildlife Park, also at Lower Basildon, has Father Christmas on set December dates included in admission; see our Santa’s grotto page. In town, the Christmas lights switch-on and the Broad Street Christmas market both start on 14 November, the same day as Basildon Park’s Christmas opening.
This page will be updated if the Trust adds Christmas events or publishes the January opening times.
Have your say