Pre-booking is essential to guarantee your entry during autumn - 30 Sep - 12 Nov. Tickets on sale 7 days in advance - Find out more
Exploratree play area will be closed Mon 02 - Wed 04 Oct for essential path work. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Visitor information

A magical tree garden, where you can explore trees from all over the globe

Book tickets

Home to 2,500 different species from the far corners of the globe and 5 national tree collections, Westonbirt is the perfect place for you to escape, relax or have an adventure! Take a journey up into the canopy on the STIHL Tree Top Walkway, stop by the café for a tasty treat or see if you can spot the Gruffalo!

See how autumn is looking at the arboretum with our weekly autumn watch videos

A family hold hands in a line looking in awe at brightly coloured lights of enchanted Chrismtas surrounding them.

Enchanted Christmas

Prepare to be dazzled by an enthralling winter wonderland, filled with sparkling lights, festive sounds, and mesmerising installations – making for an unforgettable experience for all the family.

What's on

Forest event
Sat 07 Oct
10.30am & 1pm
Westonbirt Arboretum

Following last year's very popular event, to celebrate National Fungus Day, further public fungus forays will be held at Westonbirt Old Arboretum on Saturday 7th October 2023. The forays are fun and informative for all ages. So why not join us to learn about the fascinating, and often beautiful, world of fungi. A supervised display of fungi finds and informative talks will be held in the Education Centre from 10:30 onwards. This is open to the public.

Book your place by emailing the Cotswold Fungus Group.

Don't forget to pre-book your day admission ticket to the arboretum. 

Forest event
12 fortnightly sessions
9.30am - 4.30pm
Community Shelter

A twelve-week hands-on course to introduce you to the basics of woodland management and greenwood products.

Taking a birch tree as a focus, utilise the whole tree, from the tips of the branches to the base of the trunk. Make your own bench, board, broom, shrink pot, spoon and more. Split wood, cook on an open fire, work with tools. You will have something to sit on, to eat out of and eat with, next to a fire you’ve kindled yourself.

Would be ideal for those starting a woodland career, wanting an introduction to greenwood craft. Or woodland owners wishing to make the most from their own trees.

The cost is £450 for a series of 12 weekday sessions (fortnightly over six months) starting in October 2023.

For more information and dates please contact Jane Gray-Wallis on jane@spoonsouthwest.co.uk or call 07855535717

Forest event
24 Nov - 23 Dec, open on selected evenings
4.00pm - 9.30pm
Westonbirt Arboretum

Welcome to Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum, where the magic of the festive season comes to life in spectacular illuminated fashion!

Prepare to be dazzled by an enthralling winter wonderland, filled with sparkling lights, festive sounds, and mesmerising installations – making for an unforgettable experience for all the family.

Westonbirt’s captivating landscape and stunningly lit trees creates an enchanting world full of wonder and imagination – the perfect place to create cherished memories that will last a lifetime.

Dates

Friday 24 - Saturday 25 November

Friday 01 - Saturday 02 December

Friday 08 - Saturday 09 December

Friday 15 - Sunday 17 December

Tuesday 19 - Saturday 23 December

Time

4.00pm - 9.30pm.

Advanced booking essential

Trail entry time slots

To avoid overcrowding and ensure the enjoyment of all visitors on the illuminated trail you will be prompted at time of booking to select a time slot to begin exploring the trail. Time slots are every 10 minutes from 4.30pm – 8.20pm. Relaxed session time slots are 4pm or 4.15pm. Please ensure you arrive at the trail entrance promptly for your allocated start time. Trail admittance timeslots will be shown on a screen by the entrance to the illuminated trail. If you arrive late to the trail, we cannot guarantee entry/access to the full experience.

Prices

Tickets are priced according to the date and time slot, please select the time slot you wish to book and the relevant prices will be shown. Standard and off peak times vary by date. Off peak tends to apply to later timeslots. Standard pricing tends to apply to weekends, closer to Christmas and earlier timeslots.

  Standard Off peak Relaxed Adult £21 £19 £21 Child (3-16 years old) £14 £12 £14 Infant (0-2 years old) Free* Free* Free* Concessions (students & job seekers) £19 £17 £19 Personal assistant Free* Free* Free*

 * There is no charge for infant or personal assistant entry but they must be booked in conjunction with a full price ticket.

All orders subject to £2 transaction fee.

Relaxed Sessions - Saturday 25 November & Saturday 02 December

Sat 25 Nov & Sat 02 Dec from 4pm - 5pm the trail will be adapted to suit those with additional needs such as autism. For example, strong flashing lights, loud sound effects and smoke effects will be temporarily deactivated. All usual functions will resume ready for the general public to enter the trail at 5pm.

Buy relaxed tickets

Groups 10+

Book online or call our Customer Relations team on 0300 068 0400 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm) who will make the booking for you. 

Dogs

Dogs are not permitted on the illuminated trail, except assistance dogs. 

Food and Drink

Local food carts will be selling seasonal food from 4pm - 9pm.

Accessibility 

Trail fully accessible for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, prams and push chairs.

If you would like to hire a free mobility scooter you can do so here. We would recommend checking availability of mobility scooters before you book your tickets.

Father Christmas 

There will not be a Santa Grotto at Enchanted Christmas. However, Father Christmas will be located on the illuminated trail and all visitors will get the opportunity to see him.

Christmas Village

You can arrive anytime before your trail time slot to soak up some seasonal cheer in our Christmas Village. Once complete you will exit via the Christmas Village. The village will have food and drink stalls and traditional fairground rides. 

Visiting during the day

Unfortunately, we are not able to allow visitors with Enchanted Christmas tickets to visit the arboretum for free during the day. On an Enchanted Christmas day the Old Arboretum will close at 2pm to allow for set up.

Forest event
Every third Saturday of the month
10am - 4pm
Community Shelter

Our Wild Westonbirt programme is aimed at young adults aged 14 - 18.

Leave the well- trodden paths and explore the wilder side of the arboretum. Activities include practical woodland conservation work, fire-lighting, star gazing, wildlife watching, bushfire cook-ups, natural art and woodland crafts. 

You can join our monthly bushcraft and conservation youth club at any point in the year. Whilst enjoying all these fun activities and building your skills, you can also work towards your Duke of Edinburgh or a John Muir Award. Contact us to find out more.

Food and drink

A father and son sit at a table with food in front of them. The father looks at his son who smiles back.

Food and Drink

Enjoy delicious, freshly prepared hot and cold refreshments while visiting the arboretum.

Trail starts mid September and ends Thu 30 Nov

Birtha is the woodland spirit of autumn, and she’s feeling a bit under the weather.

To help Birtha get back to her colourful self, follow the trail to find her woodland friends, all of whom will have something to help her!

Along the way find Pippin the cone, Flitwing the seed, Folia the leaf and Lichley the lichen. Barry the earthworm is your guide along the trail, offering fun facts, activities and funny quips!

Trail created by children’s illustrator and author Duncan Beedie.

This trail is aimed at families with children aged 3-9, but can be enjoyed by all.

Choose one of our walks at Westonbirt Arboretum and find inspiration in one of the most diverse and beautiful botanical collections in the world.

Spending time amongst the trees and really noticing nature is scientifically proven to boost our mental and physical health. Follow the trail to take a mindful walk through the arboretum that invites you to really relax. 

What to expect 

Themed panels along the trail will invite you to pause, notice and connect with the forest environment around you. 

A forest wellbeing journal is also available to help you get even more benefit from the experience, offering additional mindful things to do while you’re out in the forest and at home.  

Get your copy on-site at the Welcome Building or download your forest wellbeing journal before you visit.  

About the route 

Walk over the Treetop Walkway into Silk Wood to find the starting point. Follow the path as it meanders around The Link up past Maple Loop and back down Willesley Drive. 

All paths are hard and suitable for buggies and mobility aids. 

Does your child LOVE Westonbirt? Give them a birthday to remember with one of our outdoor children's parties.

Learning With Nature host birthday parties at Westonbirt. There are a range of different party themes to suit everyone from mini adventures to big adventures for older children. Everyone has a chance to toast something over an open fire and food and drink is provided with all parties.

Our work

Holford Ride Westonbirt

Our work

Westonbirt Arboretum is one of the most beautiful and important plant collections in the world. With 15,000 specimens, and 2,500 species of tree from all over the globe, the arboretum plays a vital part in research and conservation, as well as being a stunningly beautiful place to visit.

Our history

westonbirt historic

Our History

Created almost 200 years ago by Victorian horticulturalist Robert Holford, discover how one man's passion for plants created the world's most beautiful botanical collections.
Family following a map in the forest

Westonbirt map

There are 600 acres and 17 miles of hard and grassy paths at Westonbirt Arboretum, allowing visitors to spend an entire day exploring it! The arboretum is split into 3 key areas. Dog friendly Silk Wood, the central Downs and dog free Old Arboretum.
Volunteer with us invitation - click to discover volunteer opportunities across England
Westonbirt Friends