The Natural History Museum at Tring and Berkhamsted Castle are free, an hour on real snow costs £28.80. Days out in Hemel, Berkhamsted and Tring, with prices.
Two of the best days out in this district cost nothing at all, and one of them is a national museum. The other big draw is an indoor mountain: a real-snow ski slope on the edge of Hemel Hempstead that runs all summer. Everything below has been checked against the venue’s own website this week, with the price and the opening hours as they stand in August 2026.
The free ones first
Natural History Museum at Tring
Walter Rothschild’s private museum, given to the nation, and still laid out much as he left it: galleries of mounted mammals, birds and fish in Victorian cases. Entry is free, but walk-up spaces are limited and the museum asks you to book a free ticket in advance.
- Where: Akeman Street, Tring, HP23 6AP.
- Open: Tuesday to Sunday and bank holidays, 10:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:00. Closed 24 to 26 December.
- Worth knowing: on Sunday 16 August 2026 the museum is closed to general visitors from 10:00 to 12:00 for a pre-booked SENDsational Mornings session for neurodiverse children.
Source: Natural History Museum at Tring.
Berkhamsted Castle
Substantial earthworks and flint walls of an 11th to 15th century motte-and-bailey castle, right beside the railway line. Free, and open every day.
- Where: White Hill, Berkhamsted, HP4 1LJ.
- Open: daily, 10am to 6pm in British Summer Time, 10am to 4pm in winter. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
- Worth knowing: there is no on-site parking and no facilities on site, though there are toilets at the railway station next door. The main paths are gravel and take buggies and wheelchairs; getting on to the motte means steps. Dogs on leads are welcome. Climbing on the ruins is not allowed.
Managed by the Berkhamsted Castle Trust. Source: English Heritage.
Gadebridge Park and the splash park
Dacorum’s principal park, 32 hectares split either side of the Leighton Buzzard Road, with a free splash park open daily from 10am to 6pm through the summer.
- Large play area next to the splash park, with inclusive equipment and wheelchair access to the sand pit.
- A skate park by the Leighton Buzzard Road car park.
- An outdoor gym built by Henkel out of recycled aerosol cans.
- The Walled Garden, open 8am to 7pm April to October and 8am to 2.30pm November to March.
- A listed Roman archaeological site, excavated and re-interred, on the western slope.
- The River Gade running through it, one of a small number of chalk streams anywhere in the world.
Children under 10 need an adult with them at the splash park, and babies and toddlers need swim nappies. Parking at Gadebridge Lane is free for any length of stay. Source: Dacorum Borough Council.
Jellicoe Water Gardens
The most unusual thing in Hemel Hempstead town centre and the easiest to walk past. Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe was asked in 1957 to design a new town centre park, and channelled the River Gade into the shape of a serpent, with the lake and its fountain as the eye and the ornamental flower garden as a howdah on its back. The gardens opened in 1962 and are one of the most intact schemes Jellicoe left.
They were restored in 2017 with £2.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund, plus £1 million from the council. They went on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in 2010 and have taken a Green Flag every year since 2018.
- Where: Hemel Hempstead town centre, HP1 1BS. A 25-minute walk from the railway station.
- Look for: the Rock and Roll sculpture by the French sculptor Hubert Yencesse, set on the lake so the figures appear to be dancing on the water.
- Wheelchair accessible. Source: Dacorum Borough Council.
The ones worth paying for
The Snow Centre
Real snow, indoors, all year. A 160-metre main slope and a separate 100-metre lesson slope at St Albans Hill, HP3 9NH. Lift passes include skis or a snowboard, boots and a helmet.
| Pass | From | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | £28.80 | Kit and helmet |
| 2 hours | £37.80 | Kit and helmet |
| 3 hours | £44.10 | Kit and helmet |
| 3 hours, early bird | £35.10 | Kit and helmet |
| 6 hours | £47.70 | Kit and helmet |
The catch to watch: those “from” prices include a 10% discount that runs from 13 April to 31 August. Book before the end of the month or expect to pay more in September. Source: The Snow Centre hourly lift passes.
What it means for you: the six-hour pass is £47.70 and the three-hour is £44.10. If you are going for more than an hour, the marginal cost of a long day is close to nothing, so the early-bird three-hour at £35.10 and the six-hour are the two that make sense.
The XC
An indoor climbing wall and skatepark at Jarman Park, HP2 4JS, next to the A414. Walls up to 14 metres, a bouldering area of nearly 900 square metres, and a fully indoor skatepark for skateboards, scooters, BMX and inline skates.
- Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 13:00 to 22:00, Wednesday 12:00 to 22:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 18:00. Bank and school holidays vary.
- Under-18s must wear a helmet in the skatepark at all times, and helmets are provided for under-16s in junior sessions.
- Skate lessons start at £25 an hour. Boards, scooters and protective gear can be hired on site, and pre-booking is advised in school holidays.
- The car park is free.
Source: The XC.
The Rex, Berkhamsted
A 1938 art deco cinema that should not still exist. It opened on 9 May 1938 with Heidi, closed on 28 February 1988 when single-screen cinemas were written off, spent years derelict with the main auditorium given over to bingo, and reopened on 5 December 2004 after a restoration. It now runs a different title most days and nights, 362 days a year, from a High Street building with table seating downstairs and a bar.
- Worth knowing: there is no car park. Use the town centre car parks or the streets around, and leave time.
- For matinees, trailers and adverts run before the advertised start, so the film starts on time. In the evening they run at the advertised time and the film starts about 25 minutes later.
- The advance booking membership costs £150 and opens once a year, in November.
Source: The Rex Berkhamsted.
Picking a day out
- Rainy day with children: the Natural History Museum at Tring, free, indoors, and about 40 minutes of galleries before anyone gets restless.
- Hot day with children: Gadebridge splash park, free, 10am to 6pm, with the play area and the skate park next to it.
- Teenagers: The XC. Indoors, weatherproof, and open until 10pm on weekdays.
- A treat: The Snow Centre. Book before 31 August while the 10% is still on.
- An evening out: The Rex in Berkhamsted, then walk down to the castle, which is open until 6pm in summer.
- A free hour in town: the Jellicoe Water Gardens, which most people in Hemel have walked through without knowing what they were looking at.
Getting there
Berkhamsted Castle and the Natural History Museum at Tring are both a short walk from their railway stations, which makes them the two easiest to reach without a car. Journey times and fares are on our Hemel Hempstead train times to London page.
If you are driving, the free car parks are Gadebridge Lane in Hemel, Canal Fields in Berkhamsted and the first hour at four of Tring’s car parks. Full tariffs and the current road closures are on our Hemel Hempstead roadworks and travel page.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Hemel Hempstead for free?
Gadebridge Park and its splash park, open daily 10am to 6pm in summer, and the Jellicoe Water Gardens in the town centre. A short train or drive away, both the Natural History Museum at Tring and Berkhamsted Castle are also free.
Is the Natural History Museum at Tring free?
Yes. Entry is free, and it is open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holidays from 10:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. Walk-up spaces are limited, so the museum asks visitors to book a free ticket in advance.
How much does The Snow Centre cost?
A one-hour lift pass starts at £28.80 including skis or a snowboard, boots and a helmet. Two hours is from £37.80, three hours from £44.10, an early-bird three hours from £35.10 and six hours from £47.70. Those prices include a 10% discount that runs to 31 August 2026.
Can you visit Berkhamsted Castle?
Yes, free of charge, every day from 10am to 6pm in summer and 10am to 4pm in winter. There is no parking on site and no facilities, but the railway station is next door and has toilets. Dogs on leads are welcome.
What is there to do in Hemel Hempstead when it rains?
The Natural History Museum at Tring, The XC at Jarman Park for indoor climbing and skating, The Snow Centre for indoor real snow, and The Rex in Berkhamsted for a film. All four are open whatever the weather.
Sources
- Natural History Museum at Tring for free entry, opening hours, address and the 16 August closure.
- English Heritage, Berkhamsted Castle for admission, hours, access and parking.
- Dacorum Borough Council, Gadebridge Park attractions and Gadebridge Park for the splash park hours, park size and facilities.
- Dacorum Borough Council, Jellicoe Water Gardens for the design history, restoration funding and awards.
- The Snow Centre, hourly lift passes for prices and the discount period.
- The XC, visitor information and skatepark for hours, facilities, lesson prices and parking.
- The Rex Berkhamsted and its history page for the cinema’s dates, membership and practical details.
Opening hours and prices change, particularly outside school holidays. Check with the venue before you travel. Checked August 2026.
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