I’m a self confessed history geek, particularly all things Tudors (and not just Henry VII!). With that in mind, it’s fairly inevitable really that I’d have to do a review of Hampton Court Palace at some stage. It’s an amazing, and very full, family day out only just outside of London. It’s also great for kids, and they have some fantastic entertainment during the school holidays.
The first thing you notice when you arrive is how big Hampton Court Palace is. It’s massive, and most of it is hidden from initial view so it’s even bigger than you think. It makes Blenheim Palace look small. It also has extensive grounds for you to explore. Near the car park there is the kitchen garden, wilderness, rose garden and the world’s oldest puzzle maze. This is also where you can access the Magic Garden. This is the adventure playground part of the gardens, but it’s only open at certain times of the year. The first time that we visited Hampton Court Palace it was closed so I couldn’t include the details on my first review. Don’t worry we’ve been back!!
Once you’ve gone through the palace there are also the formal gardens. Again, these are vast (over 60 acres) and have so many different areas. Impressive highlights include the longest herbaceous mixed flower border in Britain, the largest vine in the world (it’s 250 years old) and an exotic flower collection. Despite being on site for 6 hours we didn’t really get chance to look around the gardens at all! Again, that’s another reason for us to go back.
The palace
Back to Hampton Court Palace itself; the palace has four massive courtyards and very distinct phases of building. The front of the palace looks nothing like the back! The first courtyard you come to is all about Henry VIII. You can explore the kitchens (at 75 rooms it’s actually a street rather than “a” kitchen!) and the story of a young Henry. You can also access a couple of galleries from here. There’s no sign to tell you what it is, but there’s a replica of the wine fountain in the first courtyard, complete with drunks! The boys thought that was hilarious.
As you come in the front of the palace you’d be forgiven for thinking the massive building with all the stained glass is the church. It’s actually the Great Hall. Within Henry VIII’s apartments you can see a copy of Henry’s crown and walk down a corridor that is apparently haunted by Katherine Howard! You’ll also find some of the most famous paintings of Henry and his many wives / offspring in these apartments. Honestly, I was a very happy little camper in here. Actually, they give you lots of information about who the pictures are, so it helps to keep the kids’ attention.
The staircase that leads up to William III’s apartments seems unassuming as you go through a door in the corner of clock court, but once you’re in there it is a staircase like no other. It’s a little bit odd though because it’s become a thoroughfare between the two courts on either side. It is all very cold stone and outside, then you stumble across this epic staircase!
Events during the school holidays at Hampton Court Palace
Throughout the day they have lots of events going on. When we visited they had a walking play which was really good fun. There would be a little skit in one area, then you’d all be led off to another area by one of the actors, there’d be another bit of acting, off to a different area and then another scene. Different mini-plays were held over the course of the day. You could either pop in and out (we only watched one play) or you can watch all of them, but it would take up most of the day.
We only stumbled across the play by accident (we quite literally walked into one of the actors as she was about to walk on “stage”) and I did find it a bit confusing where we should have been to pick up the next part of the play 15 minutes later. What I did find really interesting was how it highlighted how the story of Hampton Court Palace links with that of Blenheim Palace, read that review here.
The second time we visited Hampton Court Palace, to review the Magic Garden, it was Halloween. This is the perfect place for Halloween because there are so many ghost stories. Again they had actors to bring the stories to life. Well, not life actually, but you know what I mean!
The Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace
When we visited Hampton Court Palace the first time to do a review I was pretty annoyed the Magic Garden was closed! Mainly because I’d seen on the website how cool it looked. I’m really glad we went back and checked it out because the kids loved it. During busy times you get a 90 minute session and you cannot (currently) pre-book sessions. It’s best to double check when’s the best time to visit. When we visited it was quietest in the morning and got busier in the afternoon. Normally it’s the other way around though.
In the Magic Garden there’s a couple of jousting towers, a massive play frame (because I can’t think of another way of describing it), a tele-tubby mound with a huge crown on top that the kids loved sliding down! They’ve kindly added an actual slide as part of this, but apparently that was less fun. A big chunk of the magic garden is dedicated to a sand and water play area, which just so happens to have a MASSIVE DRAGON curled up alongside it. Obviously!
It’s not a particularly big adventure playground, but the kids really enjoyed themselves. We spent our full 90 minutes there, but the kids would quite happily have spent longer. There’s a natural comparison to the Children’s Garden at Kew (because it’s not too far away and quite similar). It’s smaller, but they’ve packed a lot into a small area.
Visiting Hampton Court Palace with families
There was so much to do that we didn’t manage to explore all of the palace, and like I said we didn’t explore much of the grounds either. I think you’d have to visit two or three times to really do this place justice. Someone mentioned that they found getting around quite confusing, I can see why. Make sure you definitely get a map.
Very helpfully they have a buggy and bag store. It’s free but you do need a £1 coin to operate the lockers. They’re a decent size, although there were no tags on the keys so you have to be careful not to lose them. The buggy store isn’t secure but it is indoors. If you have anything of value then just stick it in a locker.
We had such a lovely time and there is still lots to explore. There are very few places we’ve been to where you physically couldn’t do everything in just one day, and Hampton Court Palace is one of those.
Admission Cost
Family ticket – £69.50 (Plus optional 10% donation). Family membership is £116 so if you’re planning on visiting the Tower of London or Kensington Palace in the next 12 months it’s worth looking at membership as you’ll automatically save money. Members also save 10% on admission to Kew Gardens.
Blue Peter badge holders get in for FREE. Up to two BP card holders can gain free admission per paying adult. You can combine membership with Blue Peter badges. This means that instead of paying £151 for four of us to visit both the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, we’ve only paid £89. Bargain!
Parking / How to get there
Parking – on-site but it is expensive. The closest car park is £1.60 per hour. One slightly further away is £1.50 per hour. The car parks are small and can fill up quite quickly, particularly at weekends and in the holidays. If you can use public transport then I would.
There’s alternative parking at Bushey Park which is a few minute’s walk away and is currently free.
Address – Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU
Toilets
Numerous dotted around the site, including baby change
Food
Cafe on-site. Picnics are welcome and there are various places you can have them.
Our Hampton Court Palace review
This place is AMAZING. The history. How family friendly it is. The magic garden. The palace. All of it! You won’t be able to do it all in one day really, at least not and do it justice. I can’t wait to go back again.
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook