There are so many opportunities to create long-lasting memories at Chatsworth this summer; from discovering 500 years of history in the house and new ways to play in our garden, woodland and playground, to taking part in a creative or nature-themed workshop.
Learn more about our summer programme below.
Visiting with children
Children's tickets are available at a flat rate of £11 (£10 without optional donation) whether you're visiting the house and garden, the garden, the farmyard and playground, or all three. Book in advance, and receive complimentary parking for one vehicle.
Visit our book tickets page for more information.
Universal credit tickets available.
Free activities for families
This summer, families can enjoy a fantastic programme of free activities and entertainment running throughout the school holidays, with a variety of creative workshops, storytelling sessions, outdoor challenges and family-friendly fun included with standard garden or farmyard admission.
Alongside weekly activities, visitors can also enjoy daily favourites including Balance Play in the Pinetum and Crafts & Colouring in the Farmyard. For those looking for an even more budget-friendly day out, Chatsworth’s parkland and woodland are free to access all year round and make the perfect setting for a family picnic, nature walk or bug hunt.
Parking charges apply for visitors arriving by car, but families can also travel by bus, including the open-top Peak Sightseer service, which stops at Chatsworth every 30 minutes until 19 September. Learn more.
Free Entertainment
Enjoy free activities in the garden and farmyard.
Garden Tales & Story Trails Week: 3 - 9 August
Get Active Week: 10 - 16 August
Nature Week: 17 - 23 August
Wonderful Water Week: 22 - 28 August
Guides to Identifying Birds, Butterflies and Wildflowers
Use our nature spotting guides to identify and record different kinds of wildlife you may see while exploring the great outdoors. How many species can you spot?
Become a Woodland Explorer
Listen to birdsong, go on a bug hunt, build the best den ever, or just enjoy being beneath nature's green canopy, Stand Wood is free to access all year round. Enter via the gate next to the farmyard.
Roam (for) Free in the Parkland
Incorporating acres of grassland, woodland, and the river Derwent, the park around Chatsworth House offers a variety of walks as well as space to run, jump and expel pent-up energy. Keep your eyes peeled for our herd of deer.
Nature and Wellbeing
Reap the benefits of enjoying gentle nature themed activities, such as a wordsearch or sketching.
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a great way to keep kids occupied outdoors. A pastime that can be enjoyed in all seasons, this helpful guide from The Woodland Trust contains a list of the things you could challenge your children to look for.
Activities for Young Explorers
Chatsworth offers a varied range of children's events and family days out designed to inspire and educate, as well as create long-lasting memories.
Little Pips Gardening Club (ages 3-5)
Mondays, 23 March to 12 October
A fortnightly gardening club for pre-school aged children. Explore the garden, meet new friends and learn new skills while making, growing and having fun.
Seedlings Gardening Club (ages 4-11)
24 March - 20 October
A monthly after-school gardening club where children will learn how to grow different flowers, fruits and vegetables, and discover the abundance of wildlife at Chatsworth.
Squirrels Nature Club (SEN)
25 April - 10 October
A nature club for children with additional needs to explore and learn about the wildlife at Chatsworth.
Young Farmers
18, 19, 29 & 31 July
4, 6, 12, 13, 17, & 21 August
19 & 20 September
Spend an afternoon helping the farmyard team with their daily jobs, from collecting eggs to grooming the animals.
Summer at Chatsworth
18 July - 31 August
From storytelling workshops and playful Pilates to a mini Olympics in the garden, discover big adventures for little explorers.
Cinema in the park: Sing (U)
Saturday 25 July
Watch the animated musical 'Sing' on the big outdoor cinema screen in the park.
Cinema in the park: The Gruffalo and Stick Man (U)
Sunday 26 July
Experience two animated versions of Julia Donaldson's best loved books, on a large outdoor cinema screen.
The Big Tree Climb
10 - 12 August
Enjoy Stand Wood from a new perspective by taking part in our big tree climb this summer; a great adventure for all the family.
Includes entry to the garden and farmyard.
The Big Tree Climb - Relaxed Session
10 - 12 August
A relaxed and supportive tree climbing session in Stand Wood under expert guidance.
Includes entry to the garden and farmyard.
Country Fair
4 - 6 September
Featuring spectacular grand ring displays in the air and on land, demos from celebrity chefs plus entertainment for all the family. Book before 30 June 2026 to save up to £10 per ticket.
Ways to Play Trail
This free family trail map encourages you to explore our beautiful woodland and garden in playful new ways.
Young Explorers Trail
Nature can be found everywhere at Chatsworth. Follow this trail around the house and garden to see what wonders of the natural world you can spot.
Outdoor events
Enjoy spending time outdoors with one of these memory making events.
Classic Ibiza
11 July 2026
An open-air celebration of house music, reinvented by a 32-piece orchestra, headline DJs and live vocalists.
Live Opera: The Magic Flute
31 July 2026
Experience Mozart's classic opera performed in English by Opera Anywhere.
Live Opera: Pirates of Penzance
1 August 2026
Opera Anywhere perform a joyful and comical re-enactment of Gilbert & Sullivan's popular operetta, The Pirates of Penzance.
Chatsworth Country Fair
4 - 6 September
Experience thrilling grand ring entertainment on land and in the air, cookery demonstrations by TV and local chefs, get involved in rural crafts and pursuits under expert tuition, plus shopping, a fine food village and plenty of family entertainment.
Summer Lecture Series
A new series of talks has been launched for Summer 2026.
Taking place every Friday lunchtime, from 24 July, the talks focus on themes including literature, nature, history, and how items preserved in our archives and textiles collections can reveal stories about the people who lived and worked on the estate.
Some of the talks include complimentary access to the Chatsworth Garden, see event listings for more information.
Talk: The Literary-Scientific World of Margaret Cavendish
Friday 24 July | 11.30am
Dr Charlotte Newcombe introduces Margaret Cavendish, one of the most prolific women writers of the 17th Century, and explores her connection to Chatsworth and the Devonshires.
Talk: Staff Stories 1850-1920
Friday 31 July | 11.30am
Learn more about the lives of staff working from the Devonshires in the 19th and early 20th century, as told by textiles and archival materials preserved in the Devonshire Collections by Chatsworth House Trust.
Includes complimentary garden entry.
Talk: Sustainable Beauty - Chatsworth's Ornamental Garden
Friday 7 August 2026 | 11.30am
Discover the careful management and natural processes adopted by the Chatsworth Garden team to build a sustainable and resilient landscape.
Includes complimentary garden entry.
Talk: Caroline Norton's Papers at Chatsworth
Friday 14 August 2026 | 11.30am
Join Fran Baker, Head of Archives and Library, to discover more about the life of author, editor and campaigner, Caroline Norton, and the key themes held in unpublished letters, preserved by Chatsworth House Trust in the Devonshire Collections.
Talk: Plant Stories from Chatsworth
Friday 25 September 2026 | 11.30am
Discover the origin stories of some of the most interesting or unusual plants at Chatsworth, and their connection to both classic and modern literature.
In the house
View art and artefacts that span 4000 years, uncover the history of the family that has lived here for almost 500 years, and explore our latest exhibition, The Gorgeous Nothings: Flowers at Chatsworth.
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is renowned for its art, landscape and hospitality, and has evolved through the centuries to reflect the tastes, passions and interests of succeeding generations of the Devonshire family.
Today, Chatsworth is cared for by a registered charity, Chatsworth House Trust.
House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library
21 March - 4 October
Across four centuries, the Devonshire family has read, collected, and championed great writing. Our 2026 exhibition in the house shares their most treasured works for the first time.
History of Chatsworth
Learn more about 17 generations of the Devonshire family, responsible for the development of the house, garden, landscape, and the art and artefacts in the Devonshire Collections.
In the garden
Discover a garden where history and natural beauty meet.
105 acres to explore
Lose yourself in 105 acres, with modern and historic waterways, a Victorian rock garden, arboretum and kitchen and cutting garden.
Music in the Garden
On weekends from July to August, enjoy live music from local musicians in the garden.
Guided Tours
Join one of our friendly and knowledgeable guides on a guided tour of the Chatsworth Garden and discover almost 500 years of horticultural history. Or take a tour of the Belvedere for a birds eye view of the Chatsworth landscape.
At the Farmyard and Adventure Playground
At our farmyard, discover our rare breed animals and enjoy a cuddle with our guinea pigs before taking the secret tunnel to the playground for exciting woodland adventures.
Summer Activities
From thrilling tractor trailer rides to creative chalk art, there are exciting activities for the whole family all around the farmyard.
Meet the Animals
In the farmyard you can meet our friendly animals, from pigs and horses to mischievous goats and guinea pigs. We're also home to a number of rare breeds including Suffolk Punch horses, Shire horses, Albion cattle, Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, Bagot goats, Cream Legbar chickens and more.
Daily Activities
Feed the animals, watch milking demonstrations, and cuddle our friendly guinea pigs.
Woodland Adventure Playground
Take the secret tunnel from the farmyard to our newly reopened woodland adventure playground.
Our shops and restaurants
From pasties and fresh sandwiches to sit down meals, our cafes, restaurants and food to go outlets cater for all occasions.
Carriage House Café
Ideal for families, serving freshly made dishes using local and seasonal ingredients.
The Parlour
Handmade ice cream sourced from Derbyshire dairies, barista-brewed coffee and patisserie style cakes.
Summer Glasshouse Dining
Friday to Monday, from 31 July - 31 August | 11.30am - 4pm
Choose from a selection of lunch items including sharing platters, light snacks, sandwiches, and homemade cakes and local ice cream.
Chatsworth Kitchen Pizza Pop Up
18 July - 3 September
Enjoy freshly made pizzas from the Chatsworth Kitchen pop up in the Stables this summer, served daily from 11.30am to 4.00pm. Pizzas to-go will also be available in the farmyard courtyard from Wednesday 22 July.
Food To Go
Hot and cold food and drinks - perfect for on the go while exploring the garden and parkland.
Cavendish Restaurant
A seasonal menu showcasing the best of estate and local produce, as well as afternoon teas.
Chatsworth Farm Shop
Stock up on fresh produce from the estate and local makers in the Chatsworth Farm Shop, just a few minutes away in Pilsley. You'll find everything you need for the perfect picnic in the garden or by the river
Water Refills and Reusable Cups
Refill your water bottle for free at any of our food outlets, and receive 10% off any hot drink when you bring your own reusable cup to our food to go shops.
Stay with us
Whether bug hunting in Stand Wood, cycling on the Tissington Trail, or hitching a ride on a historic steam engine, Chatsworth and the Peak District are a dream destination for an unforgettable family escape. Find a stay with us in a cottage, shepherd’s hut, inn or hotel.
