Darwin's Down House opens weekends only, 10am to 4pm, from 2 November, plus 27 and 28 Dec, New Year's Day and February half term. Adults £17 online.

Down House, Charles Darwin’s home at Downe, stays open daily until the end of October half term. From Monday 2 November it opens at weekends only, 10am to 4pm, and keeps that pattern through the winter. The exceptions are a few days around Christmas and New Year and the whole of the February half term. These dates come from English Heritage’s own opening calendar for the house, which runs to mid-March 2027.

The quick answer

  • Winter hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm, from 2 November 2026. Daily opening returns for 15 to 21 February 2027, the February half term.
  • Christmas: open Sunday 27 December, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January to Sunday 3 January. Closed 21 to 26 December and 29 to 31 December.
  • Advance adult ticket £17, child £8.50 and family £42.50, before any donation. Prices vary by date and are higher on the gate. Members go free.

Opening days, October 2026 to March 2027

Dates Open Hours
Until Saturday 24 October Every day 10am to 5pm
Sunday 25 October Open 10am to 4pm
Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November Every day 10am to 4pm
2 November to 20 December Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm
21 to 26 December Closed
Sunday 27 and Monday 28 December Open 10am to 4pm
Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December Closed
Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January 2027 Open 10am to 4pm
4 January to 14 February Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm
15 to 21 February Every day 10am to 4pm
22 February to 14 March Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm

Source: the calendar on English Heritage’s Down House prices and opening times page, which is published up to 16 March 2027. English Heritage gives last entry as 4pm when the house closes at 5pm. It does not list a last entry for the winter hours, so allow at least an hour.

Two points for Bromley families. The house is open daily across both weeks of the borough’s two-week October half term, 19 to 30 October. And the February daily week matches the council’s February half term exactly, 15 to 19 February. School dates are on our term dates page.

Winter events

  • Worm Weekend, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, 10am to 3pm. A family event about Darwin’s earthworm experiments, with hands-on worm sampling in the gardens. English Heritage says it is included in general admission (event page).
  • Origin Weekend, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 10am to 3pm. Talks and tours across both days marking the anniversary of On the Origin of Species, suitable for everyone. You book through the Down House booking page (event page).

English Heritage has not listed a Christmas event at Down House. Its events page for the house currently shows none beyond these two.

Prices

English Heritage prices change with the season and the day, so the calendar shows three price bands: standard, peak and off-peak. These are the advance online prices without a donation, from the same page:

Ticket Off-peak Standard Peak
Adult £15.38 £17.00 £19.29
Child (5 to 17) £7.65 £8.50 £9.60
Concession £13.85 £15.38 £17.76
Family (2 adults) £38.59 £42.50 £48.28
Family (1 adult) £23.12 £25.50 £28.90

Buying on the day costs more: a standard adult ticket is £20 on the gate, compared with £17 online. Advance booking closes at midnight the day before your visit. Tickets are valid all day, and English Heritage members get in free. Adding the optional donation raises each price by about a tenth; the adult standard ticket becomes £18.70.

Getting there and the café

Down House is on Luxted Road, Downe, BR6 7JT. The café in the old kitchen serves soups from November to March in place of the summer baguettes, according to English Heritage’s Down House page.

More Christmas plans are on our pages for the Christmas lights switch-on, the Christmas markets, Santa’s grottos and the pantomime. If you are travelling between Christmas and New Year, check our Christmas trains page.

Still to be confirmed

  • Opening from mid-March 2027 and the spring return to daily opening. English Heritage’s calendar currently ends on 16 March.
  • Any festive event. None is listed yet; we will recheck in November.

Sources