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Attractions in the New Forest

The New Forest is home to many attractions, all offering fantastic days out for all the family to enjoy. From historic houses and castles, theme parks and animal attractions, there is plenty to choose from come rain or shine.

Family attractions and days out

Whether you have young family, older children, or simply want the entire family to spend a day together then you will find the perfect option in The New Forest with all of our amazing family friendly attractions.

If you are here on a family holiday then there are some fantastic family attractions on offer, including the theme park at Paulton’s Park (home to the ever-popular Peppa Pig World). Here you can get the pulse racing with rollercoaster rides, flumes, play areas and themed Peppa Pig characters.

Another theme park that’s well worth a visit is Adventure Wonderland, located on the outskirts of Bournemouth.

For anyone who enjoys learning about wildlife then the New Forest Wildlife Park and Marwell Zoo make great places to visit. At both sites you can discover some of the species of animal from across the globe. Find out about farmyard animals at Longdown Activity Farm, near Ashurst and at the Dorset Heavy Horse Centre.

Bring the dog too, we have a great choice of dog friendly attractions that your four-legged friend will enjoy just as much as you!

If you're looking for some evening entertainment, we are home to loads of local cinemas, including The Regal Cinema, theatres and live music venues. Find out more about all of this great entertainment for the whole family here.

History, heritage and cultural attractions in The New Forest

Take yourself on a journey back in time to discover the history and heritage of The New Forest. Discover the unique history of the area by starting at the New Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst. Some of our fantastic museums and historic houses include the ship building village at Buckler’s Hard (which is also home to the maritime museum), Hurst Castle - built as a defence castle by Henry VIII and of course, the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. At Beaulieu, you can also explore the site’s history as a monastery, until its demise during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII and the Victorian ways of life that were enjoyed at Palace House.

Lovers of historic motorcycles should add the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum to their itinerary as well as stopping in at Beaulieu’s for the World of Top Gear and other motoring related exhibitions.

Head to the Eling Tide Mill Experience to see the 900 year old mill in action! Go and check out how the power of the tide turns the watermill and powers the millstones to grind wheat into flour - learn all about the mill at their new interactive exhibition.

If you enjoy the arts, then be sure to explore our local crafts and art galleries as well as the theatre and performances at Forest Arts Centre and temporary art exhibitions at both the New Forest Centre (mentioned above) and the St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery in Lymington.

Some of our attractions are also based around our amazing local food & drink too! Go on a tour around the famous Ringwood Brewery, learning about and seeing with your own eyes how some of the best New Forest ales are made, you will even get to try some yourself during the Tour!

It's all about Gin at the moment, and lucky for us just up the road from the New Forest is the wonderful Bombay Sapphire Distillery, based at Laverstoke Mill. Learn all about the amazing history of Bombay Sapphire and watch the production behind the scenes.

Parks, gardens and nature

Take a stroll through our local parks and gardens and take in the sights and fragrances of the different seasons.

The famous Exbury Gardens, encompasses a large bit of land in the south of the New Forest National Park. A popular time to visit is during spring for the colourful display of rhododendrons and azaleas. Visitors of all ages usually enjoy the miniature steam railway which circulates part of the garden as well.

Slightly more informal are the Furzey Gardens at Minstead. Established in 1922, these gardens offer a spot of tranquillity with woodland walks, a lake and a children’s play area.

On the edge of the National Park, near Landford lies New Forest Lavender with its lavender farm, onsite nursery and café. Visit Fairweather's Garden Centre where you can find a huge array of beautiful flora and fauna, have a wander around their shop and enjoy something to eat at Steff's Kitchen.

Near to Ringwood and Fordingbridge is also the lovely Hockey's Farm, where you can meet loads of new friends including, ponies, sheep, pigs, donkeys and even alpacas! Head to their wonderful local produce shop and enjoy some delicious food and a refreshing drink while you're there too.

Discover more about the area’s flora and fauna on a trip to the New Forest Reptile Centre, near Lyndhurst or by stopping by at the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary. There are several nature reserves including Blashford Lakes, Landford Bog and the Keyhaven Marshes where bird watchers and nature enthusiasts can enjoy exploring.

Or why not simply embark on a nature walk in our beautiful national park before or after visiting some of our attractions? There are a wealth of different walk available, not matter what your ability.

Discover more about the attractions in The New Forest

Use these pages to help you to explore just how much there is to see and do in the area. If you get stuck, the search box on this page will help you to find the perfect things to do or take a look for one of our local information points across the forest.

Keep an eye on our blog, where we feature top ideas for what to do over bank holiday weekends, school holidays and more. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well where we share tips on days out and what you can see and do at the time of your visit to the New Forest.

We would also highly recommend that you purchase the £10 Go New Forest Card before you visit. This will help give you nearly 400 money-saving offers on days out, activities, places to eat and drink and even places to stay.

Top tips on how to become a Forest-friendly visitor

The New Forest National Park is a wonderful place to visit and you can help it stay that way by being a Forest-friendly visitor.

The ponies and other animals have no road sense and frequently stand or walk on the unfenced roads, so give them (and walkers, cyclists and horse-riders) a wide berth and be especially careful when driving at night.

Highlights

Forest Leisure Cycling

Located close to the trails, Cycle routes for all ages and abilities. Open 7 days, All Year Round…

New Forest Lavender Farm

Thoughtfully and lovingly planted in recent years around an area of established lavender, the…

New Forest Classic Car Hire

New Forest Classic Car Hire provides a unique self drive experience across the New Forest.

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Number of results: 56

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
7254 reviews
Paultons Park, Home of Peppa Pig World

Romsey

Paultons Park, home to the UK's only Peppa Pig World, has more than 70 wonderful rides and attractions included in the admission price.

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
5741 reviews
National Motor Museum Beaulieu

Beaulieu featuring the world famous National Motor Museum, Palace House home of the Montagu family and Abbey Ruins containing an exhibition of monastic life.

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Buckler's Hard

A unique 18th Century village where warships for Nelson's Navy were built. Maritime museum, historic 18th Century cottages, riverside walk, SS Persia Exhibition, St Mary's Chapel and optional river cruise.

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
210 reviews
New Forest Lavender Farm

Giles Lane

Thoughtfully and lovingly planted in recent years around an area of established lavender, the Gardener of this quintessentially English Garden has introduced a range of unusual and favourite herbaceous and annual plants.

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Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum

New Milton

Apart from the Museum itself, the Museum Complex contains the Bashley Manor Tea Rooms, three craft & gift shops, children's play area, free parking and many animals to pet and enjoy.

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Bombay Sapphire Distillery

Whitchurch

Based at Laverstoke Mill in rural Hampshire, just 15 miles from Winchester and 10 miles from Basingstoke, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery is in a conservation area with over 1000 years of history. The distillery showcases the care, skill and artistry…

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505 reviews
Fairweather's Garden Centre

Beaulieu

Using passion and expertise Fairweather’s have created a unique Plant and Garden Centre in the heart of Beaulieu.

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39 reviews
Rockbourne Roman Villa

Fordingbridge

Rockbourne Roman Villa is a unique archaeological site and museum, situated in a peaceful part of Hampshire near the historic town of Fordingbridge, on the edge of the New Forest.

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Eling Tide Mill Experience

Totton

Eling Tide Mill has stood at the centre of life in Eling for centuries. For 900 years millers have been harnessing the power of the tides in Eling Creek to grind wheat into flour.

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Forest Forge Theatre

RINGWOOD

Forest Forge Theatre Company is a charity (Charity Number:289644) based in Ringwood specialises in creating professional performances, running participation groups and workshops for all, working with schools, outreach programmes and local…

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Ringwood Brewery

Ringwood

Come and taste the different malted barleys, sniff the hops, see the fermentatious bubbling and sample the delicious beers from Ringwood Brewery including Razorback, Boondoggle, Circadian IPA, Forty Niner and Old Thumper.

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New Forest Deer Safari

Burley

Take a Tractor and Trailer ride in Burley Park to see the Red Deer. Tickets, fruit and vegetables from farm shop in park. Rides available summer Sundays and holidays.

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Longdown Activity Farm

Ashurst

Fun for all ages with hands-on activities every day - small animal handling, bottle-feeding calves and kids, duck feeding. Indoor and outdoor play areas. Tearoom, and farm produce shop.

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Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary

Bolderwood is situated in the heart of the New Forest along the Ornamental Drive.

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Moors Valley Country Park and Forest

Nr Ringwood

Whether you want to enjoy a peaceful walk or cycle ride through the Forest, experience a ride on an authentic narrow-gauge steam train or even Go Ape on a high wire forest adventure swinging through the tree tops, there is something for everyone at…

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
382 reviews
Furzey Gardens

Minstead

Furzey Gardens is an informal woodland garden nestled in a tranquil New Forest setting, full of dozens of fairy doors to enchant visitors of all ages.
The garden is well known for its riotous spring colour and stunning autumn leaves, as well as its…

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1133 reviews
Hurst Castle & Ferry

Lymington

Situated mid-Solent the Henry 8th Fortress prison of Charles 1st contains exhibits from all periods including 38 ton guns, World War 2 theatre and lighthouse exhibition. Cafe. Frequent ferrys from Keyhaven Quay.

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Hockeys Farm

Fordingbridge

Come and meet the wonderful animals at Hockeys Farm, including ponies, donkeys, sheep, pigs and even alpacas!

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Adventure Wonderland

Hurn

It's really three parks in one, with Adventureland and Wonderland outside and the Wild Thing! Aztec play centre inside. It's an all inclusive experience which combines the timeless fun and games of the Alice in Wonderland story.
Special Offers
- 'Take off' with Adventure Wonderland
  Children visiting Adventure Wonderland this season can get FREE same day entry to the Aviation Museum opposite.
  Visitors can sit in the cockpits of the aircraft and helicopters, fly a plane around Dorset on a simulator and also climb on board the big yellow bus and sit in the driver's seat or go on the top deck and enjoy the panoramic view of Bournemouth Airport.
  Aircraft at the Aviation Museum include a Vulcan bomber, a sleek black Hunter jet fighter and a supersonic Lightning fighter.
  Visitors to Adventure Wonderland just need to show their ticket receipt at the Aviation Museum and children will be admitted free of charge on the same day.
  More offers like this - Things to Do Special Offers
- Kids get £5 OFF in fancy dress
  Children dressed as Alice, the Mad Hatter or any other Alice in Wonderland character will get £5.00 off entry* to Adventure Wonderland when accompanied by a full paying adult this May Bank Holiday weekend, 4th-6th May.
  Plus, there will be the chance for them to win a child's season ticket with a daily fancy dress competition, judged by the park's very own resident Alice and Mad Hatter. There will be two categories, Under 5's and 5 & overs.
  And, if that isn’t enough, Alice and Hatter will be hosting a FREE tea party every day at 4pm with Queen of Hearts jam tarts and squash.
  There's also loads of outside rides and attractions and visitors can meet some pint-sized ponies in the new Shetland World, where they’ll have the opportunity to pat and stroke them.
  Inside, the kids can let off some steam in the vast Aztec adventure play centre, Wild Thing! including the brand new interactive Jungle Zap Zone and enjoy (new show, Alice at the Musicals in the Happydrome Theatre)(storytime twice a day).
  Plus, new for 2019, children visiting Adventure Wonderland can get in for FREE at the Aviation Museum opposite!
  *Terms and Conditions apply. £5 discount applied to full price single admission only & cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts.
  More offers like this - Things to Do Special Offers
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1062 reviews
Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway

Southampton

Exbury Gardens is a spectacular 200-acre site, world-famous for the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and rare trees and shrubs. Exbury also boasts a 1.25 mile miniature steam railway, adventure play area and newly…

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