Christmas at Blenheim Palace – Palace of Oz

It’s my annual tradition to use my pass to visit the Christmas palace displays at Blenheim. This year’s Christmas at Blenheim Palace was themed the Palace of Oz, based on The Wizard of Oz. Very apt as my visit was a day before Wicked For Good was released at the cinema. So I had a Wicked/Oz week.

To get the best deal, I always arrive to park before 10am. This means free parking (although you still need to book parking in advance), and slightly less to walk from the permanent rather than temporary car park. As an annual pass holder it only costs me the booking fee. Although this year I’ve not made best use of my pass so I’m not sure I’ll be renewing it next year.

It was a chilly but dry day, proper wintry weather, so perfect to get wrapped up and enjoy some Christmassy activities. Going during the week and early means you miss the coach trip arrivals, and generally you don’t see too many families at that time either.

I did a bit of a wander down to the lake as I was well ahead of opening times. Then mooched around the shop. But I’d only been a few weeks before so there wasn’t anything new to see.  

Usually the staff don’t let you into the courtyard until 10, but this time we were let through about 5 minutes early, so could wander to the palace a bit more leisurely than the 10am rush usually is.

Once the doors were open we were in to the hall and seeing Dorothy’s house landing post cyclone.

Then it was through to Munchkinland with the moving munchkins and the quirky little houses amongst the Christmas decor. There’s always so much detail with the flowers and animals.

With the long walkways through the palace there’s always plenty of decorations and lights to see, they’re as beautiful as ever.

Onto meet the Scarecrow amongst where you see posters searching for the Wicked Witch of the East, who we know got killed by the house falling on her.

Both the Scarecrow and Tinman ‘speak’ so you can hear what they’re up to, although the cowardly lion in the poppies is asleep.

The green hits as you walk through to Oz. With the usual Salon under scaffolding for roof repairs, there’s interactive Oz to ask for a heart, courage or to go home if you stand on the spotlights. Noone wanted to in the few people walking through around me. 

Through the room displays there are talking points and digital animations of the Wizard, Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West as the story unfolds.  It brings the displays to life.

Once the Wicked Witch is gone, we head through to the long library and get to meet Dorothy and Toto (disappointingly not a real dog). 

There’s always so much to spot from the book and film as you walk through, and the Good Witch also appears on screen while Oz escapes in his balloon.

Once you’ve had your fill in the displays, you’re out and overlooking Blenheim Palace’s courtyard where the market stalls are set up. Even with all the scaffolding and covers over the frontage of the palace, it’s still a beautiful place to see in the sun.

Don’t forget the chapel with its nativity scene, and the wishing tree which you can tie a ribbon around and make a wish.

I was a little early for the market which opens at 10.30. But I only had a few minutes to wait.

There were a few different stalls to previous years which was nice to see. Some beautiful jewellery, and glass handmade baubles. 

I enjoyed sampling a lot of different cheeses (the benefit of being first around the market!) without the hustle and bustle you usually get. And there were some delicious Indian sauces/chutneys I tried after chatting to the stall holder. I bought something from both stalls, and am looking forward to trying these.

It was a bit early to be buying streetfood which was a shame because some of it looked my kind of thing.  But I had places to be and had had my Blenheim Palace Christmas fill for the year.

As well as the Christmas at Blenheim Palace displays, you can book the light trail and ice skating so there’s lots to do as well as the usual few fair rides too.

What Christmas displays are on near you that you rate?