Find answers to common questions about A Christmas Carol Experience, meeting Father Christmas, tickets, accessibility and everything you need to know before your visit.
Yes. Christmas Carol Experience tickets are timed and must be booked in advance.
Please arrive within 20 minutes of your booked entry time. For example, if your ticket is for 10am, you should arrive between 10am and 10.20am. There is no need to arrive early. If you’ve booked Meet Father Christmas, please arrive 10 minutes before your Father Christmas time slot instead.
Your Milestones annual ticket becomes valid from the date of your first visit, rather than the date you book your tickets.
If you’ve booked a visit to Milestones in the coming weeks, but haven’t yet attended, your annual ticket won’t be active, so the annual ticket holder discount won’t appear when you try to book for Christmas.
Once you’ve made your first visit, your annual ticket will become active and you’ll be able to access your annual ticket holder benefits when booking for Christmas.
Not quite! This Christmas, Milestones is being completely transformed into the immersive world of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Rather than a traditional museum visit, you’ll journey through spectacular sets, encounter live characters and discover Scrooge’s story unfolding around you.
And the best part? This year, your Christmas Carol Experience ticket includes unlimited return visits to Milestones for up to 12 months, so you can come back as often as you like – to discover the museum in its usual setting and enjoy everything it has to offer.
Yes, if you have an annual ticket and it is valid on the date of your visit, then you can enjoy the A Christmas Carol Experience for free this year.
If you would like to meet Father Christmas as part of your visit, book through our Meet Father Christmas page here.
Absolutely! You’re welcome to take photographs throughout the experience to capture your favourite moments and festive memories. We just ask that you’re considerate of other visitors and performers.
No, this is an immersive, walk-through experience rather than a traditional seated performance. You’ll step inside the world of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, exploring the different scenes at your own pace, encountering live actors and watching the story unfold all around you.
We recommend allowing approximately 1.5 hours to enjoy the full experience. You’ll be free to explore the different scenes at your own pace, so you can take your time and soak up the festive atmosphere.
The experience is designed to be enjoyed by all ages! The themes and story follow Dickens’ classic tale, with plenty to discover for children and adults alike, from live characters and festive scenes to atmospheric details throughout your journey.
Please arrive 10 minutes before your booked Meet Father Christmas time slot to ensure you’re ready for your personalised visit.
Your ticket also includes A Christmas Carol Experience, which you’ll enjoy after meeting Father Christmas. On 5 and 6 December, your ticket includes entry to the Christmas Market instead.
Babes in arms do not need a ticket unless you would like them to receive a Christmas gift.
Yes. All adults visiting Father Christmas must have a ticket.
Yes. Father Christmas visits are timed and must be booked in advance.
No. Meet Father Christmas requires a separate paid ticket. However, if your Milestones annual ticket is valid on the date of your visit, this year you can enjoy A Christmas Carol Experience at no extra charge.
On most dates, your ticket includes your visit to Father Christmas and A Christmas Carol Experience. On 5 and 6 December, your ticket includes Father Christmas and entry to the Christmas Market instead. All child tickets for Meet Father Christmas include a special gift, suitable for all ages.
Yes. You’ll have the opportunity to take photographs during your visit to Father Christmas.
On most dates, you’ll continue into the world of A Christmas Carol Experience. On 5 and 6 December, you can enjoy the Christmas Market instead. Both experiences are self-led, so you can explore at your own pace. There will also be time to take a toilet break after your visit with Father Christmas.
No. Your timed slot is your entry time, so please arrive 10 minutes before the time of your booked visit.
Every ticketed child receives a special Christmas gift from Father Christmas. Babes in arms who do not have a ticket do not receive a gift.
Yes. When booking, you’ll be prompted to provide your child’s name, age and anything you’d like Father Christmas to know, helping to make their visit personal and special.
You’ll spend 10 minutes with Father Christmas.
6 people are permitted to be in the grotto at one time. If you plan to have a larger group than 6 people, please reach out to us at milestones.museum@hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk before you book your tickets.
Father Christmas visits are available on selected dates throughout the Christmas season from 28th November to the 23rd of December. Choose your preferred date and 10-minute time slot when booking.
Enjoy a meal, snack or refreshing drink at our family-friendly Rooftops Café, or purchase delicious festive treats at Fezziwig’s party during A Christmas Carol Experience.
Pets are not allowed in the museum. Assistance and guide dogs are welcome, as long as they are clearly identifiable.
Yes, we have two baby change toilets on the lower floor and one on the upper floor.
For visitors who require assistance due to a disability or access requirement, we offer a complimentary carer ticket. The person requiring support must purchase an appropriate admission or event ticket, and one accompanying carer may attend free of charge. We may ask for supporting documentation to confirm eligibility.
Carer tickets must be booked in advance by calling 01256 639550. They cannot be booked online.
Yes. Father Christmas’s grotto is accessible to wheelchair users, with step-free access. Please note that some areas of Milestones Museum have cobbled floors and kerbs, reflecting the terrain of a historic high street. Dropped kerbs are available to help visitors navigate these areas.
If you have any questions about accessibility, please call us on 01256 639550, email milestones.museum@hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk or visit our accessibility page.
At Milestones we aim to be as accessible as possible to everyone. We are a wheelchair friendly museum with stair free access to all floors of the museum. Please note that when exploring the Christmas Carol experience some areas in the museum have cobbled floors and kerb sides, reflecting the terrain of a real, historic high-street. If you have any queries regarding access please do call us on 01256 639550 or email us here.
Yes, for groups of 10 or more we offer tickets to A Christmas Carol Experience for just £20 per person. Please use the booking form here. The group tickets are single day entry tickets, and do not offer Annual Ticket holder benefits, so are not valid for unlimited entry.
Yes, we have ample free parking at the venue, the car park in front of the building is sometimes full or reserved for blue badge only (during large events), in this situation you may use any of the car parks across Basingstoke Leisure Park and follow pedestrian signage to the venue.
Milestones is part of Hampshire Cultural Trust, which is a charity. With your help, we’re able to benefit from the UK government’s Gift Aid scheme. By purchasing your ticket and choosing to Gift Aid your purchase, you allow us to treat your ticket price as a donation. This enables us to reclaim the tax on your ticket price at 25p for every £1, at no extra cost to you. Find out more about Gift Aid.
Your ticket will be issued via email as an e-ticket. You can either print this out and bring it with you, or display your e-ticket to a member of staff using your smartphone / tablet. If you lose your e-ticket, our staff will be able to search for you using the details you provided on purchase. This can be name, email address, post code etc.
No, you can also display your e-ticket to a member of staff at our Welcome Desk using your smartphone / tablet.
There are no charging points at the venue. The closest charging points are at Morrisons Basingstoke (RG21 8BJ) which is 0.2miles away.
