Meet Father Christmas in Maidstone: the museum from 5 to 19 December at £15, Kent Life from 28 November, Leeds Castle from 21 November. Dates, prices, booking.
Three places in and around Maidstone have opened bookings for Father Christmas this year, and they suit different budgets. Maidstone Museum has the cheapest visit, at £15 per child including a gift, from 5 to 19 December. Kent Life at Sandling runs a full Christmas day out with a grotto from 28 November. Leeds Castle has a 40-minute show with Father Christmas from 21 November to 24 December, on top of an admission ticket. All three need booking in advance.
The quick answer
- Maidstone Museum, Father Christmas’s Fireplace: 5 to 19 December, £15 per child, gift included. New weekday slots this year for quieter visits.
- Kent Life, Christmas at Kent Life: selected dates from 28 November to 24 December; a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) is £78, or £62.40 on the discounted opening weekend.
- Leeds Castle, Father Christmas: 21 November to 24 December, children aged 3 to 10; you need a castle admission ticket as well.
Side by side
| Maidstone Museum | Kent Life | Leeds Castle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Sat 5 to Sat 19 December | 28 and 29 November; 5, 6, 12, 13 December; 19 to 24 December | 21, 22, 28, 29 November; 4 to 6 December; 11 to 24 December |
| Price | £15 per visitor receiving a gift | Child £22.95, adult £16.95; family £78 | Show ticket plus admission (from £34.50 adult, £24.50 child online) |
| What is included | Meet Father Christmas in his library, leave a wish list, a gift, a selfie | Grotto and a gift from the toy shop, live show, Jingle Express ride, gingerbread decorating, mulled wine and mince pie for adults, all-day farm entry | A 40-minute group show with elves, then meeting Father Christmas, in the Gatehouse |
| Booking | Museum website; non-refundable | Kent Life website; non-refundable, no changes | Great Grottos booking page; non-refundable, can reschedule |
Maidstone Museum: Father Christmas’s Fireplace
Father Christmas sits in the museum’s “festive library” from Saturday 5 to Saturday 19 December. Children leave a wish list, get a gift and a photo, and the ticket is “£15 per visitor receiving a gift”. The event is run with Maidstone Rotary Club (Maidstone Museum).
What is new this year is a set of weekday time slots alongside the Saturday ones, which the museum says suit SEND teenagers and adults, pre-schoolers “or anyone who’d prefer a quieter, more relaxed visit”. The library has step-free access on the main floor near the entrance. If you are bringing more than one child, book consecutive slots, one child per slot, and they go in together. Bookings cannot be changed once confirmed.
Saturday 5 December is also the museum’s free Christmas Craft Market, 10am to 3pm, with small businesses selling candles, jewellery, home decor and knitted goods (Maidstone Museum). The museum warns the grotto will be busier and noisier that day.
Kent Life: Christmas at Kent Life
Kent Life’s ticket is a full day out: a timed slot in Father Christmas’s grotto, where children choose a present from the toy shop, plus a live show, the Jingle Express, gingerbread decorating, the farm animals, and a free mulled wine (or alcohol-free alternative) and mince pie for adults. Build-a-bear, animal feed and reindeer food cost a little extra (Kent Life).
| Ticket | 28 and 29 November | December dates, non-member | December dates, member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child (1 to 15) | £18.36 | £22.95 | £21.05 |
| Adult | £13.56 | £16.95 | £15.45 |
| Under 1 | £9.60 | £12 | £11 |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | £62.40 | £78 | £71.10 |
The November weekend prices already carry a 20% discount, so member discounts do not apply then. Disabled children pay the child price and can bring a carer free. The farm is open 9.30am to 5.30pm on grotto days, closing at 3pm on 24 December, and is closed on 25 and 26 December. Your time slot is when you enter the grotto, and Kent Life asks you to be at the entrance 15 minutes before it.
One thing to check when you book: Kent Life’s page lists the last run of dates as “Friday 19 December” through “Wednesday 24 December”. In 2026, 19 December is a Saturday and 24 December is a Thursday, so the weekday labels look carried over from last year. The dates themselves, 19 to 24 December, are the ones to go by; confirm on the booking calendar.
Leeds Castle: Father Christmas
This year’s show at Leeds Castle has Father Christmas losing his memory after a jet-pack accident, with three elves and Hoopstar Theatrical helping children bring it back before they meet him. Sessions last about 40 minutes and are shared with other families; the show is aimed at ages 3 to 10. Each booking covers up to four children and two adults, and everyone needs a valid Leeds Castle admission ticket for the same day, which is sold separately. On 25 September the booking calendar showed sessions on 21, 22, 28 and 29 November, 4 to 6 December, and every day from 11 to 24 December (Leeds Castle; booking). The booking page does not show the price until you choose a date. Our Leeds Castle Christmas page has the rest of the castle’s season.
What is still to be confirmed
- Leeds Castle’s Father Christmas ticket price, shown only at booking.
- The weekdays on Kent Life’s December dates.
- Any Father Christmas visits in the town centre, which One Maidstone or the council would announce with the Christmas lights switch-on.
For a Christmas show instead, see our Maidstone pantomime page. Driving in? Our parking in Maidstone page has the car parks.
Sources
- Maidstone Museum, Father Christmas’s Fireplace 2026 and Christmas Craft Market 2026
- Kent Life, Christmas at Kent Life
- Leeds Castle, Father Christmas at Leeds Castle and Great Grottos, booking page
- Leeds Castle, Pricing and tickets
Have your say