Visiting Eltham Palace with Children: A Family Day-Out Guide

Eltham Palace is one of London's most under-rated family days out: 19 acres of garden, a hidden bathroom of gold, and a very tolerant Great Hall.

Eltham Palace and Gardens is a good family day out for ages roughly 4 to 12: it combines an Art Deco house they can walk right through, a medieval Great Hall big enough to run in, and 19 acres of gardens with hiding places, a moat and open lawn. Allow three to four hours end to end.

Getting there without a car

The nearest station is Mottingham (about 15 minutes' walk); Eltham station is about 25 minutes. Both are on Southeastern services from London Bridge, Charing Cross and Cannon Street. Buggies are fine on the walk from Mottingham; there is a gentle uphill.

The best order to see things with children

Start in the gardens for 30–45 minutes so children can run before the house.
Do the Great Hall next — it is one large room and easy to reset attention spans.
Go into the Art Deco house third; use the family activity pack from the ticket desk.
Finish at the moat and the rock garden with an ice cream from the café.

Things children tend to remember

Mah-Jongg the lemur's centrally heated bedroom with its bamboo mural.
Virginia Courtauld's gold-mosaic bathroom with the lion-mask tap.
The Second World War map room in the basement, kept exactly as it was in 1944.
The stone bridge across the moat — the oldest working bridge in London.

Food and toilets

There is a café in the visitor centre serving hot lunches until about 3pm and cakes/drinks until closing. Toilets and baby-change are near the entrance and in the gardens. Picnicking on the lawns is allowed and encouraged in summer.

Buggies, wheelchairs and access

The ground floor of the Art Deco house and the Great Hall are step-free. The upper floor of the house has stairs only; a virtual tour is available on tablets at the desk. Most garden paths are firm gravel or lawn — a robust off-road buggy will manage.

Weekends versus weekdays

The palace is much quieter on weekday mornings during term time. English Heritage members get in free, which makes short repeat visits worthwhile if you live locally. See our Tickets & Opening Times page for current prices in GBP.