Bressingham's Santa Express runs on nine December days from 6 to 24 December. Adults £15, children £20 with a present, and 25% off if booked by 6 October.

Bressingham Steam Museum, near Diss, is the district’s big Christmas day out, and 2026 tickets are on sale now. Christmas at Bressingham runs on 6, 12, 13 and 19 to 24 December. Every ticket is timed to a grotto slot. Full prices are £15 for adults and £20 for a child aged 3 to 15. Book between 23 September and 6 October and you get 25% off, which takes an adult to £11.25 and a child to £15. The detail below is from the museum’s event page, its Christmas FAQ and its booking page, all checked on 25 September 2026.

The quick answer

  • Dates: Sunday 6, Saturday 12, Sunday 13, and Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December 2026.
  • Adults £15, children 3 to 15 £20 with a present. Everyone needs a ticket.
  • 25% off if you book by Tuesday 6 October. No other vouchers or discounts are accepted.

Dates

Date Session
Sat 5 Dec SEN day
Sun 6 Dec Christmas at Bressingham
Sat 12 Dec Christmas at Bressingham
Sun 13 Dec Christmas at Bressingham
Fri 18 Dec Toddler morning
Sat 19 Dec to Thu 24 Dec Christmas at Bressingham, every day

The SEN day and toddler morning are booked separately, through the museum’s Christmas tickets page. They are listed at the same prices.

Prices

The booking page shows each price as a range: the lower figure is the 25% early booking price, the higher the full price. The museum also offers each ticket with a voluntary donation added, which lets it claim Gift Aid.

Ticket Book by 6 Oct Full price Full price with donation
Adult (16 and over) £11.25 £15.00 £16.50
Child 3 to 15 £15.00 £20.00 £22.00
Child 2 to 3 £9.00 £12.00 £13.20
Child 1 or under £5.25 £7.00 £7.70
Carer £5.63 £7.50 £8.25

A family of two adults and two children aged 3 to 15 pays £70 at full price, or £52.50 if booked by 6 October.

Only children with a grotto ticket get a present, and the museum says the gifts are for children aged 12 and under. A child who does not want to see Father Christmas is booked on an adult ticket, and cannot go through the grotto without a grotto present ticket.

What a ticket includes

From the museum’s FAQ:

  • Father Christmas in his grotto, in the exhibition hall. The whole family can go in with a child who has a grotto ticket.
  • One ride on the Christmas train and three rides on the Victorian Gallopers per ticket. The rides are not unlimited.
  • Magic shows at intervals through the day, plus colouring, decoration making and games in the exhibition hall.
  • The café and the sweet shop are open. Food is paid for separately.

Not open at Christmas: the gardens, the loco sheds, the Garden Railway and the Waveney Railway. If you want the full site, go in the main season instead; our things to do in Wymondham page explains Bressingham’s day types.

How the timed slots work

Your ticket time is both your arrival time and your grotto time. The museum asks you to arrive no more than 10 to 15 minutes early, go straight to the grotto, and do the rest afterwards. On days when the last slot is 4pm the site stays open until 6.30pm, and the last train is at 6pm.

The small print

  • No refunds unless the museum is forced to close, and none if a diesel replaces the steam engine on the day.
  • Date changes cost £5, by phone only, and are not guaranteed.
  • No dogs, apart from assistance dogs.
  • Season ticket holders must still book, through the “Book member tickets” button and the online membership portal.
  • The museum may ask for ID to check a child’s age or carer status.

On the day, the ticket office is on 01379 686900. The museum is at Low Road, Bressingham, Diss IP22 2AA.

Other Santas nearby

Our Santa’s grottoes page lists the others around Wymondham and Diss, including the Lions’ grottoes at Wymondham Heritage Museum and the Diss Museum grotto on the night of the Diss lights switch-on.

Also on this site

Sources