Exbury House
BEST FOR
Ages 3+
ENTRY
from £6.50
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Southampton
What it’s like
200 acres of woodland gardens plus a steam train that runs six times a day, with proper rhododendrons in spring.
This is a garden visit built around a small railway. The steam train runs six times a day from 11am, and it's £7.50 on top of your entry ticket, so factor that in before you promise the kids a ride. The gardens themselves are the real acreage though, 200 of them, with rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias that the site says peak late April into May, tailing off with late-flowering varieties into June. If you go outside that window you're mostly there for the woodland and the trails rather than a blaze of colour.
Ages 3 and up work here, and under-16s need an adult with them throughout. Four hours is the typical visit length, which sounds like a lot for a garden until you remember there's a train timetable to build the day around, plus workshops and family trails in school holidays. It's not a quick stop-off; you want the morning and a chunk of the afternoon.
Food comes from four different spots, a restaurant, an outdoor café by the old tennis courts, a potting shed and an ice cream kitchen, so nobody's stuck eating one thing. Picnics are allowed too if you'd rather bring your own. One genuine faff: it's card only, no cash, so don't turn up assuming you can pay in coins for the train.
Parking's free and there's space for 250 cars, with blue badge bays right by the entrance and pneumatic wheelchairs to borrow if you need one. Booking online gets you 10% off, but walk-ups are just as welcome, there's no cap on numbers. Around Halloween there's a Ghost Train with a circus theme, and at Christmas it's a Santa meet-and-greet with donkeys, both worth timing a visit around if that's your kids' sort of thing.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 3 upwards, with a train timetable that suits a full day out
- Last entry
- 4:30pm
- Booking
- 10% discount for online advance booking
- Parking
- Free on-site parking for approx. 250 cars and 50 coaches
- How long to allow
- Around 4 hours typical
- Food
- Mr Eddy's Restaurant, Old Tennis Courts outdoor café, Potting Shed
- Picnics
- Allowed (question on FAQ
- Wheelchairs
- Pneumatic wheelchairs available to borrow free from entrance
- Dogs
- Policy not clearly stated
- Getting there by bus or train
- Brockenhurst train station 10 miles away
- It's card only, no cash accepted anywhere on site
- Steam train tickets are separate from garden entry, £7.50 a head
- Last entry is 4:30pm even though the gardens close at 5:30pm
- RHS members get free entry in March, June and September
- Mobility scooters can occasionally break down with short notice, so factor that in if you're relying on one
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£14.50 for an adult, £6.50 for a child aged 3 to 15, or £39.90 for a family of two adults and two children. The steam train is an extra £7.50 per person.
Do we need to book ahead?
No, you can pay on arrival and there's no limit on visitor numbers. Booking online just gets you 10% off.
Is it OK for a toddler?
Entry starts at age 3, and under-16s need to be with an adult the whole visit.
How long do people stay?
Around four hours is typical, once you factor in the gardens, a train ride and maybe a workshop.
What are the train times?
Six rides a day: 11am, 11:45am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:15pm and 3pm.
Is parking free?
Free parking for around 250 cars, with an overflow car park across the road when it's busy. Blue badge bays are right by the entrance.
What about food?
There's a restaurant, an outdoor café by the old tennis courts, a potting shed spot and an ice cream kitchen, all run by local caterers.
Can we pay by cash?
It's card only across the site.
When's best to see the flowers?
Late April through May is the peak for rhododendrons and azaleas, with late-flowering varieties carrying colour into June.
Will it close in bad weather?
It can close for extreme weather like high winds, snow or ice, and they'd post updates on their website and social media rather than warn you in advance.
Is there a discount for groups?
Groups of 15 or more get a discounted rate on both garden entry and train rides, but you have to pre-book to get it.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
There are pneumatic wheelchairs to borrow free at the entrance, accessible toilets, and four adapted carriages on the steam railway. Carers get in free.
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