A Nutcracker Christmas at Mottisfont

A Nutcracker Christmas at Mottisfont

23 November 2024 - 5 January 2025 (whole property closed 24 and 25 December)

Enter the magical world of theatre this Christmas, as Mottisfont unveils The Nutcracker. Collect your ticket and souvenir programme at our pop-up ‘Box Office’ then follow the miniature Nutcrackers along the boardwalk towards the house. There, the story unfolds, in rooms filled with sparkling trees, music and enchanting scenes to discover and enjoy.

In the house

It's Christmas Eve as you walk through a charming German village to reach the family home of Clara, where the story begins. A clock strikes midnight and you enter into the magical worlds of the Nutcracker. Discover drifts of snowflakes in a frosty wonderland, Sugar Plum Fairies twirling in the Land of Sweets, and a thrilling duel scene between the Nutcracker prince and the Mouse King.

Nutcracker trail

Outside, the adventure continues on The Nutcracker trail. Perfect for all ages, the trail invites you to follow Clara and her beloved Nutcracker toy as he springs to life on Christmas Eve. Together, they journey through a fantasy world of wonder and excitement. Discover charming miniature theatre scenes of Clara's family home, and enjoy fun games and activities inspired by her journey. Kids can climb aboard the chocolate boat destined for the Kingdom of Sweets. Here, the Sugar Plum Fairy invites you onto her colourful little stage where you can perform your own show.

Planning your visit: what you need to know

Entry: Normal property admission price (free for National Trust members, Art Fund members and under-fives). If you’re with a carer or essential companion, they visit for free. For group visits (of 15 or more - see our group visits page for more information).

Timed tickets: To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for all visitors during the festive season, we will be operating a timed ticket system for House visits only to avoid overcrowding on busy days.

How to get a ticket on the day: To visit the Nutcracker-themed Christmas inside the House, it’s essential to pick up a timed ticket from Visitor Reception upon arrival. These tickets apply only to the house, this does not apply to the car park, gardens or family trail.

The tickets are available from 10am on the day you visit. No pre-booking is required. The house opens at 10:30am, with the last entry at 3:00pm. The Visitor Welcome team will assign you the next available time slot on arrival at Visitor Reception, which you hand in to the House team when it’s your time slot to enter the house.

We’ve designed the ticketing structure to ensure there are enough tickets for everyone to enjoy the festive displays inside the house throughout the day.

Visiting the house: Please arrive at the house entrance within the half-hour time slot stated on your ticket, as we are unable to accommodate early or late arrivals. This helps us ensure a smooth flow of visitors and avoid congestion or delays for others.

When to visit: Christmas can be a busy time at Mottisfont, especially during the holidays. Most of our visitors tend to arrive before 2pm, which can cause congestion in the car park. If you arrive after 2pm, there’s still time to enjoy all that a Mottisfont Christmas has to offer. If you have the flexibility, a weekday visit is generally quieter than a weekend, even during school holidays. If you can only visit over the weekend, Saturdays are usually less busy than Sundays.

As Christmas is very popular, you may need to queue to view the decorations inside the house.

Parking: there's free parking in the car park next to the Welcome Centre, including accessible spaces. Please note that our car park surface can become uneven and muddy, particularly during periods of bad weather. Our car park can fill quickly on our busiest days, so you may need to queue; in extreme circumstances we may have to close the car park to allow spaces to free up. Please don't park in the village or on nearby verges.

Accessibility: Inside the house, as well as the ground level showroom floor, two rooms on the top floor of the house will be open and dressed as part of the Christmas offer. One of the rooms features information about the history of The Nutcracker and the second room is dressed to represent the land of Snowflakes. For visitors who are unable to access the top floor, images and information will be made avaible on a iPad. Please get in touch with the property should you wish to discuss access arrangements.

Toilets and changing facilities located at the entrance and at key points around the grounds. Buggies/pushchairs welcome in the gardens, but not in the house - please be prepared to leave these outside if going inside. Ramped or level entrances into the Welcome Centre, cafés and house. Gently-sloping areas and wide pathways around much of the grounds, which can be uneven and muddy in places during winter: sturdy footwear is recommended. Volunteer-driven mobility buggy service available.

Refreshments: drinks, snacks and light lunches with festive and family-friendly options are available from our cafés and additional outlets. Our cafés are busiest between 11am and 2pm, so you may need to queue at these peak times. If you’re looking to get a quick bite to takeaway, we recommend popping in before peak lunch hour to avoid the crowds.