Two Medway grottos are on sale: Mission Christmas at Chatham Dockyard from 29 November, £25 a child, and Fort Amherst from £27.50. What each includes.
Two proper Santa’s grottos in the Medway towns are already on sale for Christmas 2026, both in Chatham: Mission Christmas at the Historic Dockyard, from Sunday 29 November, and the Christmas Grotto at Fort Amherst. Both are booked in advance by time slot, so this is not a turn-up-and-queue visit.
The quick answer
- Historic Dockyard, Mission Christmas: selected dates 29 November to 24 December. Child (4 to 15) £25 with a present, adult £17.50, under 4s £8.50. A 45-minute story, then a private meeting with Father Christmas.
- Fort Amherst Christmas Grotto: child (1 to 12) £27.50 to £32.50, adults £7.50. Includes a Christmas lunchbox for each child and free parking for one car per booking. Dates are in the booking calendar only.
- Cheapest option: the Guildhall Museum in Rochester runs Mrs Claus story sessions on six weekend days from 14 November, included with admission (child £1.10).
Checked on 3 October 2026 against each organiser’s own page.
Mission Christmas, the Historic Dockyard Chatham
This year’s story is The Tale of Elfenezer: an elf who has lost his Christmas spirit and locked away the Golden Ledger, which families unlock before meeting Father Christmas (Historic Dockyard: Mission Christmas). The Dockyard says it is most suitable for children aged 4 to 10, with up to 25 people in each group.
| Dates | Selected dates, 29 November to 24 December 2026 |
| Adult (16 and over) | £17.50 |
| Child (4 to 15), with present | £25 |
| Child (3 and under), with present | £8.50 |
| Family ticket | None |
| Length | 45-minute guided story, then a private meet and greet |
| On sale | Since Friday 25 September 2026 |
What the ticket includes. The guided story with activities, a private meeting with Father Christmas for your group, a gift for each child, and one professional photograph per booking group, with more photos and a storybook on sale at the end. Babies only need a ticket if you want them to get a wrapped gift.
Quiet sessions. Two reduced-capacity sessions run on Sunday 29 November at 2.30pm and 3pm, with quieter music, lower lighting and a slower pace. They are booked separately on the same page.
Things to know. Annual Dockyard tickets are not valid for Mission Christmas. Arrive 20 minutes before your slot. Date changes cost £10 and cannot be made on the day. The buildings are kept at “ambient temperature”, so the Dockyard says to wrap up. Only assistance dogs are allowed.
Where it is. The Dockyard’s own page is inconsistent here: one answer says the experience is “exclusively inside the Mast Houses near the main visitor car park”, another describes it as running through the Command of the Oceans and Hearts of Oak galleries. Either way it is reached from the visitor entrance on Western Avenue, ME4 4TY. The rest of the Dockyard’s attractions are closed for winter maintenance and reopen in February 2027, so a Mission Christmas visit is not a full Dockyard day out. Our Dockyard Christmas page has more on that.
Christmas Grotto at Fort Amherst, Chatham
Fort Amherst’s grotto is back for 2026, with tickets on sale since 25 August (Fort Amherst: Santa’s Grotto). Children help the elves sort the naughty and nice list, decorate baubles and biscuits, hear a story from Mrs Claus and then have personal time with Santa and a gift. Afterwards each child gets a Christmas lunchbox in the Cannon Cafe (the fort lists sandwiches, a mini Yule log, crisps and a Fruit Shoot) while adults get a free tea or coffee (Fort Amherst ticket portal).
| Child (1 to 12) | £27.50 to £32.50, depending on the slot |
| Adult | £7.50 (entry and a hot drink, not the activities) |
| First Christmas (under 1) | £7.50 (Santa and an age-appropriate gift) |
| Parking | Free for one vehicle per booking |
| Photos | Take as many as you like, no charge |
How long it lasts. The fort’s two pages disagree: its website says about 60 minutes, its booking page about 90. Allow the longer.
Dates. The fort has not published a list of grotto dates outside its booking calendar, so choose your day there. Fort Amherst is on Dock Road, Chatham ME4 4UB, on 01634 847747. Its Cannon Cafe also takes Christmas dinner bookings: one course £24.95, two £29.95, three £34.95, with a £10 deposit (Fort Amherst).
Mrs Claus at the Guildhall Museum, Rochester
For a cheaper, shorter visit, the council’s Guildhall Museum on Rochester High Street runs a Create your own Christmas Story workshop with Mrs Claus and an elf, where children decide what happens in the story; quill pens are provided and it suits under 5s too (Visit Medway). Sessions are at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm on:
- Saturday 14, 21 and 28 November
- Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December (the Dickensian festival weekend)
- Saturday 12 December
Drop-in places are offered on the day, subject to capacity. It is included with admission: adults £5, children £1.10, or a £12 annual family pass. The museum also runs an elf trail from 14 November to 2 January and drop-in Christmas crafts on Saturdays (Visit Medway: elf trail). Note this is Mrs Claus, not Father Christmas himself.
Still to be announced
We found no other Medway grotto with 2026 details on its own site as of 3 October. Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre has run one in previous years, but its site lists nothing for 2026 yet. We will add any grotto that publishes dates, so check back in November.
Getting there
Fort Amherst and the Dockyard are both in Chatham; the Guildhall Museum is on Rochester High Street, close to the Christmas market in Castle Gardens. For car parks and charges, see parking in Medway, and check roadworks and travel before you go. On market weekends Rochester gets very busy: see our Rochester Christmas Market page for the dates to avoid or aim for, and the Medway pantomime if you are planning a full Christmas outing.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Mission Christmas at Chatham Dockyard?
£25 for a child aged 4 to 15 with a present, £17.50 for anyone 16 or over and £8.50 for a child aged 3 and under with a present. There is no family ticket.
When does Fort Amherst’s grotto open?
Fort Amherst has not published grotto dates outside its booking calendar. Tickets have been on sale since 25 August 2026; child tickets cost £27.50 to £32.50.
Is there a quiet or relaxed Santa session in Medway?
Yes. Mission Christmas at the Historic Dockyard has two quiet sessions on Sunday 29 November, at 2.30pm and 3pm, with reduced numbers, quieter music and lower lighting.
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