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Looking for a family-friendly adventure that blends history, nature, and fun? Knebworth House in Hertfordshire offers a brilliant day out for all ages. From grand stately home tours to beautiful gardens and an exciting adventure playground, there’s something for everyone.
Location and contact information
- Address for Visitors: Knebworth House, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AX
- Alternate Sat Nav (for events or deliveries): SG3 6PY
- Phone: 01438 812661
- Email: info@knebworthhouse.com
- Website: www.knebworthhouse.com
Getting there
Knebworth House is located just off the A1(M), making it easily accessible by car. If you’re travelling by train, Stevenage station is around two miles away, and taxis are readily available outside the station.
Follow the brown tourist signs from Junction 7 on the A1(M) for the easiest route by road. The estate is well signposted and simple to find, even for first-time visitors.
Parking and getting around
There are two main car parks at Knebworth, one near the adventure playground and one close to the house and gardens. We parked at the adventure playground to start with, which worked really well as it meant Erin could explore the play areas before it got too busy. There’s loads of parking here though!
If you’re planning to visit both areas during your day (which we definitely recommend), it’s handy to know that you don’t need to drive between them. There’s a lovely woodland walk that links the playground with the house and gardens but it’s quite a trek and will take you at least 15-20 minutes, if not longer.
If you’d rather not walk, you can move your car between the car parks. Staff at the entrance are helpful and can point you in the right direction if you’re not sure where to go, or where to park first.
The best bit is that parking is free of charge and plentiful, so it’s one less thing to worry about on the day.
First impressions of Knebworth House
We didn’t actually go inside the house on this visit, as you need a separate ticket for a timed entry tour. If you’re planning to explore the interiors, it’s definitely worth booking in advance, especially during weekends and school holidays when it can get busy.
That said, even just walking around the outside of Knebworth House is a treat. With its grand gothic towers and castle-like turrets, it makes quite the impression. You can get a great view from various areas of the garden, and it’s definitely worth spending a bit of time admiring the view.
Exploring the gardens & dinosaur trail
Something very unexpected about Knebworth is that their gardens include a huge dinosaur trail. Although it might seem a bit random for such a big stately home, it was one of our favourite parks of the visit. There are 72 life-size dinosaur models to spot, and there’s loads of information to read if you want to learn something on your walk.
We really enjoyed trying to find dinosaurs we already knew the names of, but also finding some we’d never even seen before. The dinosaurs are life-size (or as close to as possible), so there’s a lovely mix of big and small. To help keep children entertained, there are a few interactive features along the dinosaur trail.
The other half of Knebworth’s gardens are made up of actual gardens. The space isn’t huge and you don’t have to spend too much time there if you don’t want to. However, if you like a nice slow stroll like we do, it’s a beautiful area. The formal gardens are absolutely stunning, especially in late spring when everything’s in bloom.
There are winding paths, secret corners, and loads of places to stop and just enjoy being outside. Don’t miss a visit to the maze, where you can easily spend some time trying to find the middle. We went wrong so many times but Erin managed to get us out in the end! Also, enjoy trying to find all of the statues dotted around the gardens. There’s loads of they’re so much fun to look at.
Cafe and picnics
Picnics are not allowed in the gardens, and there are quite a lot of signs around to make sure people know. We were told this as we entered but helpful staff were able to point us in the direction of the cafe, where there is indoor seating. The cafe serves a range of drinks, sandwiches and hot food, as well as some really scrumptious looking cakes. There are also picnic tables outside of the cafe where you are able to eat your own food as well.
Letting Off Steam at the Adventure Playground
Our first port of call for the day was the Adventure Playground. We’d heard so many good things and couldn’t wait to explore.
The Adventure Playground is huge, with loads of different areas to suit all ages. There’s a fantastic wooden fort (Fort Knebworth), a zip wire, giant slides, climbing frames, swings, and interactive water play areas. Although I knew the play area was big ahead of our visit, I don’t think I was quite prepared enough for the size!
Fort Kmebworth was a particular highlight, and it was nice to see something with such a fun theme for children. There are huge Fort Knebworth signs on both sides of the outside walls, with a couple of different entry points. Inside, there’s loads of different climbing equipment and you can even walk around the fort’s walls at the top. Inside, there are toilets, which is ideal for parents!
Knebworth’s adventure play area is home to a huge astro slide, as well as a few others. Erin was brave and went on all 3 of the big slides, and it was great to see children having so much fun on them. These slides are staffed, making sure children are safe and go down on mats. The slides do close in extreme weather so it’s worth keeping an eye on them for this.
Dotted around the play area there are loads of picnic benches, some under cover too! There’s a cute cafe at the play area too, serving a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks and some hot food. You’re welcome to bring a picnic though if thats more your kind of thing.
Final thoughts
Knebworth House really surprised us. We went thinking it would be a gentle stroll around a historic house and a quick play in the park, but we ended up spending the whole day there.
It’s one of those rare places that genuinely caters for the whole family. Grown-ups get their dose of culture and history, the gardens offer some peaceful downtime, and the kids get to climb, slide and explore to their heart’s content.
To help you plan your visit, I recommend checking out Knebworth’s website, where you can find opening times, ticket prices, any events that might be going on. There’s everything you need for the perfect family day out and you’ll have an unforgettable time, I’m sure!
More to do in Hertfordshire
- Paradise Wildlife Park – Broxbourne
- Verulamium Park & Roman Museum – St Albans
- Willows Activity Farm – London Colney
- Lee Valley White Water Centre – Waltham Cross
- Cassiobury Park – Watford
- Knebworth House – Stevenage
