Family fun activities

We have a wide range of activities and tours available at Hampton Court Palace to entertain families.

Cartoon illustration of Queen Anne hunting on horse-drawn cart, by Tim Archbold

Top 10 for families

Ghosts at the palace

Is the palace haunted? People say it is haunted by the ghost of Queen Catherine Howard, one of Henry VIII’s wives. But she isn't the only one! Did you feel anything? Are ghosts real? A ghostly children’s trail is available to help you track down our other ghosts. Click here for further information

A living Tudor world

Join King Henry VIII's courtiers to hear about this much married king, learn about the business of the Court and to dress up in a Tudor gown. If you are lucky you may even see the man himself... Click here for more information

Costumed tours and presentations

Meet characters from the Court of King Henry VIII. Check 'Your day at court' for tour times. Click here for more information on costumed guided tours.

Family room

Our family room, in which under 5's can let off a bit of steam, is located next to the left luggage lockers and buggy park off Clock Court. It contains some large lego, books, clothes to dress up in and large soft blocks to keep younger members of the family happy and give parents and older siblings a bit of a break.

The Maze

The star attraction in our gardens. Test your skills as a family and get enjoyably lost in 'the most famous Maze in the history of the world'. The two metre high hedges twist and turn, with false routes and dead ends. See who gets to the middle first. Admission is included in your palace ticket. Click here for more information on the Maze.

The BIG Hampton Court Palace poster competition

Winning poster creative Earlier this year we ran The BIG Hampton Court Palace poster competition, encouraging children and young people aged 16 and under to design a poster celebrating the palace and what it means to them.

We received an amazing 1500 entries from children up and down the country who drew inspiration from all around the palace to create their mini masterpieces.

Winning poster creative Following on from the success of the competition and subsequent display of entries during August 2011 in the Cartoon Gallery at the palace, we've started to feature the winning posters in both our print and online advertising campaigns.

Tudor kitchens

Built to feed the Court of Henry VIII, the kitchens were expected to provide meals for 600 people twice a day. See the kitchens and experience the sights and smells of a real Tudor kitchen! Click here to learn more on the Tudor kitchens.

The great outdoors

The palace is surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens featuring sparkling fountains, glorious displays of over 200,000 flowering bulbs and 750 acres of tranquil royal parkland. Take care when visiting the gardens that contain water features, such as ponds and canals. Click here for more information and to download a map of the gardens.

The King's Guard Chamber

King William III decorated his guard chamber with 2,846 pieces of arms and armour. A special children’s audio guide and/or family trail takes you on a fun-filled tour through the rest of the King’s magnificent rooms. Look out for his very comfy toilet!

Family audio guides

Family audio tours are available to help you explore the history and stories at Hampton Court Palace. Aimed at children aged 6 or over, they present the palace in a light-hearted way. Collect your free audio guides from the Information Centre.

Family trails

Packed with fun quizzes, activities, facts and illustrations, our free family trails for different age groups are the perfect way to explore Hampton Court Palace as a family. Hard copies are available at the palace's Information Centre after you have purchased your tickets. When you've completed one, bring it back for a prize! Click below to download a sample family trail.

Henry's dinners: The Tudor Kitchens >
(PDF 603KB) How do you feed 600 hungry people twice a day? Find out in this Tudor food factory.

More entertaining activities

Visiting a Historic Royal Palace shouldn’t be boring. Try these entertaining activities with your family:

Give us a clue! You’ll hear about all sorts of interesting people during your visit. Take it in turns to pretend to be one of them, or act out part of their story and see if the others can guess who you are.

Hide and seek in the 20th century garden. The rule is no-one can leave the garden.

Decipher the ciphers. The royals have left their initials, called royal ciphers, everywhere in the Palace. Instead of their surnames, they all end in ‘R’, for the Latin Rex or Regina, meaning king or queen. You’ve seen the ciphers of recent kings and queens on post boxes. See how many different ones you can find here.

Watch out, beasts about. There are carvings of animals everywhere: proud lions, scary dragons, fast greyhounds, beautiful unicorns. See how many different ones you can find, including real animals from ducks to deer in the park and gardens.

Kids rule! Tudor King Edward VI was born at Hampton Court Palace. He became King when he was only 9. How about letting your children take the lead? You might be surprised where they want to go. Remember to call them ‘Your Majesty’ and to bow and curtsey! Find out more about Henry VIII's children.

School holidays. During school holidays, we have costumed guided events and craft activities that are aimed at primary school aged children. Visit ‘What’s on’ for more information on current and upcoming events.