Beaulieu tells us…
Vans are rolling into Beaulieu with installations to transform Palace House into Alice’s Christmas Wonderland for visitors to ‘tumble down the rabbit hole’ into a magical festive themed experience.
Designers extraordinaire Charlotte Lloyd Webber and Adrian Lillie have worked with their talented CLW Event Design team off-site, creating the showstopping maddest Mad Hatter’s tea party ever, amazing Queen of Hearts’ centrepiece and Caterpillar on a five-foot toadstool.
Get curiouser and curiouser as theatrical installations, immersive soundscapes and multi-colour projections turn the stately rooms of the Montagu family home into an imaginary world, festooned with festive twists around every corner.
Don’t be late for a very important date!
Alice’s Christmas Wonderland is open from Saturday 21st November – Sunday 3rdJanuary (excluding Christmas Day) for Beaulieu’s fabulous festive experience for 2026. Book tickets now to be one of the first to enter Lewis Carroll’s fantastical world.
Expect to see an explosion of colour in the Mad Hatter’s hat shop, the grinning Cheshire Cat and flamingo mallets with fluorescent ‘hedgehog’ balls set on a topiary floor for a game of croquet in the Motoring Room – while twinkling lights and lavish decorations get you in the festive spirit.
Hunt for Christmas trees decorated with fairy woodland toadstools, cascading playing cards and pastel-coloured butterflies, as well as Beaulieu’s 20ft Wonderland-themed real tree at the foot of the grand staircase. You can even take a little of the magic home with you, from the tempting range of the Wonderland-themed baubles and decorations on sale in the Palace House gift shop.
You may be lucky to meet live characters to entertain you along your way*. Then put yourself in Alice’s shoes for ‘end-of-pier’ peep-throughs to capture memories with a selfie.
Complete your festive journey with a Wonderland Tea & Treats, with delicious heart-shaped scones with cream and jam, cakes and sandwiches all served on an Alice in Wonderlandstand in the historic abbey Domus – and add a celebratory glass of Prosecco.**
It’s your chance to follow in the footsteps of the real Alice – Alice Liddell – who was a guest at a tea party at Palace House to celebrate the coming of age of the Hon John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, the 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu in 1887.
Design Director Adrian Lillie, from CLW Event Design, said: “We are busy putting the final touches to our preparations, before taking over Palace House to create a very special magical world. We are excited to get Alice’s Christmas Wonderland ready to unveil to visitors.”
CLW Event Design’s team of theatre designers and artists has created award-winning installations at heritage properties across the UK, including Kensington Palace, Belvoir and Bamburgh castles, Treasure House Castle Howard and the National Trust’s Polesdon Lacey. They return to Beaulieu for the second time this year.
Book tickets now
A Palace House Christmas 2026 – Alice’s Christmas Wonderland ticket includes entry to Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum with new gallery Driven: Britain’s Motoring Story, hands-on exhibition We Had One Of Those, fun adventure playground Little Beaulieu, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, the Secret Army Exhibition, unlimited rides on the tree-top monorail and beautiful grounds and gardens.
For details and tickets to Alice’s Christmas Wonderland at Beaulieu in the New Forest, Hampshire see www.beaulieu.co.uk or call 01590 612345.
* See real life characters during weekends and school holidays.
** Wonderland Tea & Treats bookable alongside your Alice’s Christmas Wonderland tickets.