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
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Accessible loos
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Accessible parking
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Bike storage facilities
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Cafe / restaurant
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Facilities for children
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Free parking
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Mostly wheelchair accessible
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Parkland / open spaces
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Pet friendly
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Picnic area
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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.
Regular Opening Times
Chiltern Open Air Museum is open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 10am to 5pm. From Sunday 25 October onwards, the closing time changes to 4pm.
The museum is also open daily during Buckinghamshire school holidays.
School Holiday Opening Dates
The museum opens daily during the following school holiday periods in 2026:
- Easter Holidays: 30 March to 12 April
- May Half-term: 25 May to 31 May
- Summer Holidays: 20 July to 4 September
- October Half-term: 26 October to 29 October
Special Events & Seasonal Weekends
Throughout the year, the museum hosts special themed weekends and events:
- Festive Weekend: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December
- Harvest Weekend: Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September
- Heritage Crafts Weekend: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July. Demonstrations take place across the 45-acre site, both outdoors and within historic buildings. Demonstrations are subject to change and weather conditions and may vary between Saturday and Sunday.
- Wild About Wool: Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October
- Halloween Spectacular: Friday 30 October, 5pm to 9pm
- Diwali Celebration: Saturday 17 October, 11am to 3pm (details coming soon)
Self-Led Trails
- Find the Missing Celebrity Sheep Trail: 28 March to 17 May 2026
Heritage Crafts & Demonstrations
The museum features regular demonstrations and activities throughout the season, including:
- Chair Making Demonstrations
- Blacksmithing Demonstrations
- Traditional Spinning Demonstrations
- Wheelwright Demonstrations
- Spoon Carving Demonstrations
- Decorative Coach Painting Demonstrations
- Leatherwork Demonstrations
- Amber Jewellery Making Demonstrations
- Ropemaking Demonstrations
- Natural Dyeing and Weaving Demonstrations
- Traditional Baking
Music & Entertainment
The museum hosts regular performances on the Bandstand throughout the season, featuring local bands and musicians. Special performances include:
- Chorleywood Jazz: Sunday 10 May
- Chiltern Hills Brass: Sunday 17 May
- RAF Halton Voluntary Band: Sunday 31 May
- Bottlefolk: Sunday 12 July
- Folk in the Barn – The Seer Green Folk Collective: Sunday 13 September, 2pm to 3pm
Family Activities
Terrific Tuesday sessions run throughout the summer and autumn, offering themed nature activities from 11am to 3pm on the following dates:
- Tuesday 26 May – Nature
- Tuesday 28 July – Water
- Tuesday 4 August – Fire
- Tuesday 11 August – Earth
- Tuesday 18 August – Metal
- Tuesday 25 August – Wood
- Tuesday 27 October – Autumn
Wildlife Activities
- Wildlife Survey – Moth Trap Opening: Sunday 17 May, 10:30am to 12pm
- Access to Gardens Only – National Open Gardens Scheme: Thursday 25 June
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.
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