Christmas at American Museum & Gardens

About

Visit the American Museum & Gardens in December for a beautiful winter day out this Christmas time, with so much to see and do across the site!

Festive Trail - until 31 December
Jump into an exciting dog trail with the cute characters from Alice Tait’s storybook No, Nancy, No! A Dog Chase in New York. Explore the gardens and Museum to find all the pictures of dogs in their Santa hats, using Alice’s illustrated map as your guide. With fun story-themed activities to collect. 

Christmas Tree - from 30 November
Be enchanted by the Georgian Manor House, festooned with a stunning 18-foot fir tree, decorated trees in our historical rooms and artisan decorations, lovingly handmade this year by our creative volunteers. The theme for our decorations is the American road trip, so come on a journey through the USA with hand-crafted, unique Christmas decorations. 

Fresh Wreath Workshop - 27 November
Join our Senior Gardener for a sustainable wreath workshop, using beautiful ingredients gathered from the estate. A wonderful way to decorate your home and welcome the start of the season. 

Macramé Wreath Workshop - 8 December
Get creative with artist and macramé maker, Aggy from Knots and Stalks, and make your own decorative macramé wreath to take home for a Christmas tablescape or wall hanging. 

Festive Weekends
Creative activities are available to enjoy all weekend. Christmas storytelling performances with artist Michael Loader are on 8, 15 and 22 December at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm. Michael will be performing a number of stories, including ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas! Face painting is on 30 November, 7 and 21 December.

Museums, gardens, deli and shop
Be inspired at the Unforgettable Behaviour exhibition, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year show, with lots of interactive activities for families, as well as the fascinating Museum experience. At this time of year, the gardens are full of frosty seedheads and frothy grasses, set against misty valley views – a lovely setting for a wellbeing walk. Find lots of Christmas treats in the deli and festive gifts in the shop.

Opening times
Christmas at the American Museum & Gardens is open until 31 December, except Mondays during school terms, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when we are closed. The site is open from 10am–4pm, however please note that areas open and close at different times within this:

Exhibition, Gardens, Gift Shop, and Car Park: 10am–4pm (last entry 3pm)
American Garden Deli: 10am–3.30pm (last entry 3pm, last orders at 3.20pm)
Museum: 11am–4pm (last entry 3pm)