Bournemouth's Russell-Cotes dresses for a Victorian Christmas from 17 November to 3 January. Father Christmas is £17.50 on 12 and 13 December; tours are £6.
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum on Bournemouth’s East Cliff runs “Christmas by Candlelight” from Tuesday 17 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with the historic house decorated for a Victorian Christmas and a family trail. Father Christmas visits on 12 and 13 December, and the museum closes only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The quick answer
- Christmas by Candlelight: 17 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, included in normal admission of £12.50 an adult, £6 a child and £30 a family
- Father Christmas: Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, £17.50 a child, timed tickets, pre-booking essential
- Closed 25 and 26 December, open again from Sunday 27 December and on the Monday 28 December bank holiday
Everything here is from the museum’s own Christmas page and the event pages it links to.
Opening times and prices
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays, 10am to 5pm, and the café 10am to 4.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday (Russell-Cotes, opening times). It is closed on ordinary Mondays.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult or senior | £12.50 |
| Child, 5 to 17 | £6.00 |
| Child under 5 | Free |
| Family, up to 2 adults and 3 children | £30.00 |
| Student, or on means-tested benefits | £6.00 |
| Essential carer or companion | Free |
| Art Fund and Historic Houses members, Friends | Free |
The prices include a voluntary 10% Gift Aid donation; tell the desk if you want the standard fee instead. You can pay on the day or book ahead, and admission cannot be refunded (Russell-Cotes, admission prices).
The café and café gallery are free to walk into.
The Christmas events
| Event | When | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas by Candlelight, decorated house and family trail | 17 Nov to 3 Jan | Normal admission |
| Christmas Afternoon Tea | 17 Nov to 3 Jan | From £20.50 a person, minimum two |
| Victorian Christmas Tours | 4 to 22 Dec, six dates | £6 plus admission |
| Father Christmas | 12 and 13 Dec, 10.15am to 3.45pm | £17.50 a child |
| Victorian Christmas Evening | Thu 17 Dec, 6pm to 8.30pm | £15, Friends £12 |
Father Christmas
Children get a personalised chat in a grotto inside the decorated house and a gift to take home. Tickets are £17.50 per child, timed, and must be booked. Siblings can go in together but each needs a ticket. Seeing the rest of the house costs standard admission on top.
The grotto room is up three steps. The museum says it will move the visit to an accessible room if you tell it at booking (Russell-Cotes, Father Christmas).
Other grottos and Santa trains around the town are on our Bournemouth Santa’s grotto page.
Victorian Christmas Tours
A guided tour on Victorian Christmas traditions and festive stories from the collection. £6 plus admission, pre-booking essential. The dates are:
- Friday 4 December, 11am
- Tuesday 8 December, 11am
- Friday 11 December, 11am
- Tuesday 15 December, 12 noon
- Friday 18 December, 11am
- Tuesday 22 December, 11am
The tour uses parts of the house reached only by stairs. Tickets cannot be refunded unless the tour is cancelled or changed (Russell-Cotes, Victorian Christmas Tours).
Christmas Afternoon Tea
Served from 17 November to 3 January, pre-booked, for at least two people:
- £20.50 a person
- £23.50 with mulled wine
- £26.50 with prosecco
The tea does not include entry to the house, and it cannot be refunded (Russell-Cotes, Christmas Afternoon Tea).
Victorian Christmas Evening
Thursday 17 December, 6pm to 8.30pm. Christmas music, readings, short talks and objects from the museum store, with the café open from 5pm to 8pm. £15, or £12 for Friends. The museum recommends booking. The Edo Women exhibition is closed during the evening (Russell-Cotes, Victorian Christmas Evening).
Before Christmas: two cheaper days
- Sixpence Day, Tuesday 10 November: free entry all day, 10am to 5pm, at the 1922 price of sixpence, with 6p or more welcomed as a donation. No booking, and there may be a queue (Russell-Cotes, Sixpence Day)
- October half term, 24 October to 1 November: a free ghost trail in the house for ticket holders, a garden trail and drop-in crafts at £4.50 a child on 27, 28 and 29 October (Russell-Cotes, half term)
The exhibitions this winter
- Edo Women: Japanese Prints 1820 to 1900, 24 October 2026 to 11 April 2027 (Russell-Cotes)
- Reading the Room: Domestic Interiors in Art, to 3 January 2027
- Flower Fairies: Enchantment by the Sea closes on 4 October 2026
Still to be confirmed
- The museum expects a short closure in the new year for building work, dates not yet set (Russell-Cotes, forthcoming closures)
- The full schedule for the Victorian Christmas Evening, which the museum says will follow
- Any new tour dates, which the museum says may be added
Getting there
The museum is on the East Cliff Promenade, about two minutes’ walk from Bournemouth Pier. Parking near the seafront is on our Parking in Bournemouth page, and road closures on Bournemouth roadworks and travel.
Also on this site
- Bournemouth Christmas market and Tree Wonderland
- Bournemouth pantomime
- Bournemouth Santa’s grotto and Santa trains
- Bournemouth Christmas travel
- Things to do in Bournemouth
Sources: russellcotes.com pages for Christmas, opening times, admission prices, forthcoming closures and each event listed. Checked 25 September 2026.
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