Chatsworth House

About the museum

Chatsworth has been the home of the Cavendish and Devonshire family for nearly five centuries. Bess of Hardwick and her husband began building a new house beside the River Derwent in 1553, and Mary, Queen of Scots, was held there several times in the 1570s. In the late 17th century the 1st Duke of Devonshire rebuilt the house around the old courtyard plan, and it was finished in the early 18th century. Its formal garden and Cascade date from the same period.

In the 18th century the 4th Duke had the grounds reshaped in a natural style by Capability Brown and added a stable block. In the 19th century the 6th Duke, known as the Bachelor Duke, extended the house and employed the gardener Joseph Paxton, who designed the Great Conservatory and the Emperor Fountain. After the Second World War the house, which had been used by a girls' school, was cleaned and reopened to the public. Heavy death duties led to the sale of land and works of art, but the family kept the house.

Since 1981 Chatsworth House Trust, a charity, has cared for the house, its collections, the garden and the parkland. The house contains works of art spanning some 4,000 years, from ancient sculpture to paintings by Rembrandt and Reynolds and modern pieces by artists such as Lucian Freud. The estate also has a farmyard, a woodland adventure playground and a park of about 1,800 acres that is free to enter.

Highlights

• More than 25 rooms, including the Painted Hall, State Rooms and Sculpture Gallery
• Devonshire Collection with works from ancient times to modern art
• 105-acre garden with the Cascade and the sensory garden
• Farmyard and woodland adventure playground
• About 1,800 acres of free-to-enter parkland
• Christmas decorations in the house from November to early January

Permanent exhibitions

• The house and the Devonshire Collection – More than 25 rooms with art, furniture, books and sculpture spanning 4,000 years, including the Painted Hall and the State Rooms.
• The garden – A 105-acre garden shaped over almost 500 years, with water features, a sensory garden and sculpture.
• Farmyard and adventure playground – A farmyard with rare breeds and a woodland playground with towers, slides and a zip wire.

Operated by

Chatsworth House Trust

Admission & discounts

The listed prices are for the house and garden, including the farmyard and playground, and include an optional 10% donation (Gift Aid can be claimed). The off-peak price is adult £28 and child £10 until 1 November 2026; the standard price is adult £35 and child £12. Friends membership starts at £140 and includes unlimited visits. Art Fund National Art Pass holders get 50% off a house and garden ticket between mid-March and 31 October, except on special event dates. Booking online in advance includes free car parking. Universal Credit tickets at a reduced price are offered; the park is free to enter.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A lift gives access to the whole visitor route in the house. Mobility scooters cannot be used inside the house, but manual wheelchairs and wheeled walkers can. The garden suits manual wheelchairs and electric scooters, with extra care needed on steeper slopes. Manual wheelchairs (£5) can be booked for the house, garden and farmyard, and mobility scooters (£5) for the garden only. Accessible toilets are near the house entrance, in the Carriage House restaurant and in the farmyard, and a Changing Places facility near the house entrance needs a radar key. A free carer ticket is available. A British Sign Language tour of the house runs on selected dates, and a large-print house guide, touch tours on request, a sensory garden, a visual story, sensory bags and ear defenders are offered. Blue Badge spaces are in the first row of the house car park.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

The farmyard has rare-breed animals that visitors can pet and feed, and the woodland adventure playground has climbing towers, racing slides, a zip wire and sand and water play. Free trails such as the Young Explorers Trail and the Ways to Play Trail can be downloaded. Pushchairs cannot be taken into the house. Baby changing facilities are near the house entrance, in the Carriage House Cafe and in the farmyard. A party room in the farmyard can be hired for birthdays. Dogs other than assistance dogs are not allowed in the farmyard or playground. Daily activities in the farmyard, gardening and nature clubs for children, and seasonal family events.

Getting there & parking

The Golden Gates in Baslow are not the public entrance; follow the brown signs through Baslow to the public entrance on the B6012. About 16 miles from the M1 junction 29, 8 miles from Matlock and 38 miles from Manchester. Cycle storage is at the front of the house.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Carriage House Cafe and Cavendish Restaurant at the Stables, plus the Parlour, Flora's Temple Tea Shop, a farmyard cafe, and the Farm Shop and cafe in Pilsley. Gift shops at the Stables, the Orangery and the farmyard. Left luggage room with lockers needing a refundable £1 coin; large bags are not allowed in the house.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Weddings, corporate events, private dining for 8 to 14 guests, and a party room in the farmyard.

Plan your visit