Santa’s Grotto at the Great Hall

Yes, tickets to meet Santa must be pre-booked and will not be on sale on the day. 

You will have a five minute slot with Santa. There will be lots to see and do in the hall. The time slot you booked is the time you will meet Santa. There will be crafts and activities in the hall and you’re welcome to arrive early or stay later to enjoy these! 

The experience is suitable for all the family, but gifts from Santa will be in 2 age brackets: 0-5 and 6+. All children must be accompanied by at least one accompanying adult. 

For ages 0-5, Santa will give a cuddly husky or reindeer toy in a gift bag. For children aged 6+, Santa will give one of: a wrapped magic set; a wrapped tabletop bowling game; or a wooden bird feeder to build and paint. The gifts cannot be chosen or specified. 

Relaxed sessions with a sensory–friendly environment will be held on Sunday 7 December and Thursday 11 December.

The Great Hall, where you will be greeted and you can start your experience.

There is no parking at The Great Hall or Westgate Museum. The nearest car park is only a 3-4 minutes’ walk away though – Tower Street Multi-storey.  

The station is less than 10 minutes’ walk away.

The centre of Winchester gets very busy at Christmas time. Please allow extra time for travel.

https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/parking-and-car-parks. Many people choose to use the park and ride. The nearest park and ride bus stop is Westgate, which is a 2 minute walk to the Great Hall. 

Wrap up warmly! It can get quite chilly in The Great Hall! Fancy dress is welcome!

Yes, complementary hot chocolate will be available for every ticket holder and other treats will be available to purchase including optional upgrades for luxury hot chocolate or mulled wine.

Each five minute slot is available for up to 8 people. If there are more than 8 people in your party, please book two adjacent slots. The more the merrier!

No. But tickets will be available for general admission for those not wishing to meet Santa or take part in the Christmas experience. 

Only children with a paid ticket for the experience will receive a gift from Santa. Accompanying adults or visitors with general admission tickets will not receive a gift.

Our gift shop has some lovely items that make perfect gifts! Please allow time to take a browse. 

The timeslot you book is the time you meet Santa. We strongly encourage you to leave enough travel time and arrive to your chosen time slot on time. If you miss your slot, we will do our best to add you to the next available gap but there may be a wait.

Absolutely! Let us know in advance so we can make sure everything is suitable for you. Please email us at info@historicwinchester.co.uk with your order no and we will be able to help you

Please do not purchase tickets for any Great Hall events elsewhere. We do not use any other ticketing sites or social media platforms besides our own. Unfortunately, social media scams are on the rise in recent years, which is why we will delete all comments about selling tickets. It’s nothing personal, we just want to keep everyone safe! Please purchase tickets from The Great Hall or Hampshire Cultural Trust official platforms only.