Chiltern Open Air Museum
An outdoor museum with a collection of historic buildings.
Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, HP8 4AB
Facilities
-
Accessible loos
-
Accessible parking
-
Bike storage facilities
-
Cafe / restaurant
-
Facilities for children
-
Free parking
-
Mostly wheelchair accessible
-
Parkland / open spaces
-
Pet friendly
-
Picnic area
-
Shop
Chiltern Open Air Museum is mostly accessible. There are accessible toilets. We have mobility scooters and off-road wheelchairs that can be borrowed (pre-booking advised) and staff are happy to give less mobile visitors a lift in a golf buggy. The site is rural, the pathways are not smooth and there is a gradient. A full accessibility guide can be found at www.coam.org.uk
Chiltern Open Air Museum is an outdoor museum with a collection of historic buildings that were the workplaces or homes of ordinary people. The museum has over 30 historic buildings in its collection includes a 1940s prefab, tin chapel, earth cottage, blacksmith’s forge, Victorian toll house, Nissen war huts, historic working farm, and lots more. Lots of the buildings are dressed to show what they would have looked like inside and visitors are able to go inside and explore many of them.
The museum is set in a 45-acre landscaped site. There are a number of traditional cottage gardens, a Victorian fernery, and a ‘Dig for Victory’ allotment. There is also a woodland, apple and cherry orchards, and adventure playground.
There are traditional games such as Victorian hoops that you can play and there are opportunities to dress up. The museum has an orienteering course, sensory trail and from Easter 2024 you can see a variety of willow sculptures around the site. There are traditional craft demonstrations on selected dates. The museum has an extensive events programme and full details can be found at www.coam.org.uk
The museum is a popular filming venue and has been used for filming of Midsomer Murders, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Horrible Histories, The Suspicions of Mr Whitcher, Grantchester, Mary Queen of Scots, Taskmaster, and many more.
There is an onsite tea room selling light lunches and snacks. The museum shop sells local products as well as products made on-site including apple juice, charcoal, and products made in the forge.
There are accessible toilets on-site and lots of free parking. Visitors can borrow mobility scooters, off-road wheelchairs, and sensory backpacks (pre-booking advised). A full accessibility guide can be found at www.coam.org.uk
Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.
The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.
General Opening Times
Chiltern Open Air Museum is open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 10am to 5pm. During Buckinghamshire school holidays, the museum opens daily at these times.
From Sunday 25 October, the closing time changes to 4pm.
Please note: The museum is closed on Monday 18 May for a private event, and closed on Sunday 28 June to allow the team to celebrate the museum's 50th anniversary.
School Holiday Opening
The museum opens daily during the following school holiday periods:
- Easter Holidays: 30 March to 12 April 2026
- May Half-term: 25 May to 31 May 2026
- Summer Holidays: 20 July to 4 September 2026
- October Half-term: 26 October to 29 October 2026
School Group Visits
The museum is open for school group bookings every weekday during term time, all year round. School visits run from arrival at 10am to departure by 2:30pm. A quieter week discount of 15% off is available for weeks commencing: 13 July, 20 July, 31 August, 7 September, and 14 December.
Group Visits
Group visit tickets must be pre-booked at least 48 hours before the visit date. 2026 group rates apply.
Facilities
The Natural and Adventure Playground is available during all museum opening hours.
Special Events and Activities
Throughout 2026, the museum hosts a variety of special events, demonstrations, and activities. These include living history experiences, traditional craft demonstrations, themed weekends, and interactive trails. Notable events include:
- Tudors: Life, Falconry and Folk – 3 to 6 April (Easter Bank Holiday weekend)
- Clash of Steel: Medieval Knights and the Legend of St. George – 18 & 19 April
- English Civil War Weekend – 13 & 14 June
- National Open Gardens Scheme: Access to Gardens Only – 25 June (10am – 4pm)
- Heritage Crafts Weekend – 25 & 26 July
- Rogues and Highwaymen – 1 & 2 August
- Britain at War – 8 & 9 August
- Victorian Weekend – 22 & 23 August
- Viking Raid – 30 & 31 August
- Harvest Weekend – 26 & 27 September
- Wild About Wool – 10 & 11 October
- Diwali Celebration – 17 October (11:00 – 15:00, details coming soon)
Regular demonstrations throughout the year include blacksmithing, chair making, traditional spinning, traditional baking, amber jewellery making, spoon carving, ropemaking, leatherwork, and natural dyeing and weaving.
Self-led trails include the Willow Sculpture Nature Trail (7 March to 6 December) and the Find the Missing Celebrity Sheep Trail (28 March to 17 May).
Terrific Tuesdays are held during school holidays and throughout the summer, featuring themed activities such as Nature, Water, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Wood.
Standard Admission
£13 Adult/ Disabled Person and Companion
£12 – Concession
£10 – Child (4-16 years)
Under 4s free
Premium Admission (Special Event Days)
£16 – Adult / Disabled Person and Companion
£15 – Concession
£11 – Child
Under 4s free
Historic Houses members get free admission on Standard Admission Days. These can be redeemed at the Ticket Office.
Pre-booked groups of 15 or more paying visitors can take advantage of discounted prices
£13.50 per person for Premium Admission Days
£10 per person for Standard Admission Days
£8 per person for uniformed groups (eg. scouts, guides etc.)
There is the option to pre-book a tour for an additional £40 (maximum of 16 people per tour)
We are also able to arrange groups experience days and workshops including willow weaving, photography, sewing, bronze casting, straw plaiting, woodcraft and more. Groups can also pre-book a catering package. Please contact [email protected] with requirements for further details.
If your group is over 50 people and you would like to visit on a date outside of our advertised opening dates then please contact us on [email protected]
We have an award winning schools education programme offering a range of immersive workshops. We can also arrange self-led visits. Please visit www.coam.org.uk to see our full list or email [email protected] or call 01494 875 542.
Chiltern Open Air Museum is mostly accessible. There are accessible toilets. We have mobility scooters and off-road wheelchairs that can be borrowed (pre-booking advised) and staff are happy to give less mobile visitors a lift in a golf buggy. The site is rural, the pathways are not smooth and there is a gradient. A full accessibility guide can be found at www.coam.org.uk
Getting here
Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, HP8 4AB
By car
We are close to a number of main routes and can be reached from the M25 at Junction 17. Follow the brown tourist signs to the Museum.
The Museum is also signposted from the A413 at Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St Giles.
Look out for the Comer Homes Newland Park Development signs and we’re on the left down the main driveway.
By Train
The Chiltern Line from Marylebone or the Metropolitan Line from Baker Street to Chalfont & Latimer Station or Chorleywood Station are within short taxi rides of the Museum.
By Bus
There are no buses to Newland Park. The nearest bus stop in Chalfont St Giles, around 30 minutes walk away, is on the A30, and 353 routes.
Advice for Coach Drivers
The Museum is in a rural setting, and approached down country lanes. The lane to the museum from the Maple Cross direction is particularly narrow. We recommend that coaches approach the Museum from Chalfont St Peter. Turn off the A413 at the Waggon and Horses Pub, and then drive up Chesham Lane to join Gorelands Lane.
Become a Historic Houses member
Explore the nation’s heritage from just £71 per year.
Hundreds of the most beautiful historic houses, castles, and gardens across Britain offer our members free entry.
Also: receive a quarterly magazine, enjoy monthly online lectures, get exclusive invitations to buy tickets for behind-the-scenes tours, and take up a range of special offers on holidays, books, and other products you might like.
