Knebworth House

About the museum

Knebworth House has been the home of the Lytton family for nineteen generations. Sir Robert Lytton bought the manor of Knebworth in 1490, and around 1500 he began a four-sided brick house around a courtyard, building on to an older gatehouse. In 1813 Elizabeth Bulwer Lytton found the house old-fashioned and too large and had three sides demolished, leaving the wing that survives today.

From 1843 the novelist and politician Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton transformed the remaining wing into a Tudor Gothic fantasy of domes, turrets, gargoyles and stained glass, with interiors by John Gregory Crace. Charles Dickens performed in the Jacobean banqueting hall during this period. In 1881 Robert, the 1st Earl of Lytton, who was Viceroy of India, added a third storey and a watch tower. From 1908 the architect Edwin Lutyens, brother-in-law of the 2nd Earl, advised on modernising the house and gardens.

After the two world wars and heavy taxation the house fell into disrepair, and some possessions were sold to pay for emergency repairs. In 1971 the Lytton Cobbold family opened the house and park to the public, and the park became a venue for open-air rock concerts, with more than thirty major concerts since 1974. A trust set up in 1984 carried out major restoration work, and the house is now open on selected days for visits to the house, gardens and park.

Highlights

• Tudor Gothic house with domes, turrets and gargoyles
• Jacobean banqueting hall where Charles Dickens performed
• Gardens and park with a dinosaur trail and an adventure playground
• Exhibitions on the Lyttons in India and on concerts at Knebworth
• Watch tower and Lutyens-influenced garden design

Permanent exhibitions

• Knebworth House – The family home with its rooms and the Jacobean banqueting hall.
• Lyttons in India – An exhibition about the Lytton family’s links with India, where Robert, 1st Earl of Lytton, served as Viceroy.
• Live at Knebworth – An exhibition on the open-air rock concerts held in the park since 1974.

Founded

1971

Operated by

Lytton Cobbold family (Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust)

Admission & discounts

Prices are the online prices for 2026 (booking online saves money; gate prices are £1–4 higher, for example £23.50 for an adult house, gardens and park ticket and £90 for a family of four). Members of Historic Houses get free access to the house on non-event days but must buy a gardens and park ticket on event days, and RHS members get free entry to the gardens and park from Monday to Friday except bank holidays. Art Fund passes are no longer accepted.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The ground-floor rooms of the house are wheelchair accessible, but there is no lift to the first floor, and pushchairs, electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters are not allowed in the house or the exhibition. One wheelchair can be borrowed from the gift shop on a first-come basis. Accessible toilets are at the garden entrance, the Garden Terrace Tea Room, the house and the adventure playground. Accessible parking spaces are marked at the playground and barns car parks. Guide dogs are welcome throughout on open days; companions need proof of eligibility (such as a DLA, PIP or Herts Card). An accessibility guide is available as a PDF.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area

The park has a dinosaur trail and an adventure playground; children aged 3 and over need a ticket.

Getting there & parking

Access is from junction 7 of the A1(M) at Stevenage South, about 29 miles north of London. Satnav: SG1 2AX. There is no pedestrian access through the main entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Garden Terrace Tea Room and a gift shop. Cards and cash are accepted at the main gate, shop and tea room; there is no cash point on site. Picnics are allowed in the park but not in the gardens.

Events & venue rental

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

Venue hire for weddings, corporate events, filming, large public events and celebrations.

Plan your visit