Things to See and Do

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Get an intimate glimpse into royal life as you explore the grand house at Osborne, complete with beautiful works of art and furnishings from the Royal Collection. Wander among flower-filled gardens, discover the quirky museum in the Swiss Cottage, and relax on the beach where the royal children learnt to swim.

Read on for a flavour of what you can expect during your visit. Alternatively, the plan your visit section gives more information on directions to Osborne, plus access and facilities at Osborne.

State rooms

Step into the sumptuous state rooms of Queen Victoria at Osborne, where the Queen of England entertained her important guests. Osborne was built specifically for Victoria and Albert, and its architecture and furnishings reflect their passions, taste and style.

You can feel a real sense of history here. Heads of state, inventors, princes and princesses all walked these opulent corridors, when Osborne was at the centre of a vast British Empire.

Here you can explore some of the highlights from the collection on loan from the Royal Collection Trust at Osborne.

Family rooms

Peek into the private world of Victoria and Albert and their nine children, in the family rooms at Osborne.

Visit the queen's sitting room and see the balcony where Victoria and Albert used to listen to nightingales on a summer's evening. See the queen's personal bath tub in the dressing room and, next door, the bedroom where she died, on 22 January 1901.

Queen Victoria kept Prince Albert's private suite as it was during his lifetime. Many of the personal items he used at Osborne still lie where he left them.

Please note, the nursery and table deckers are closed until further notice. Please accept our apologies for any disappointment this may cause.

Four young children wearing a mix of shorts, t-shirts and summer dresses jump for joy in front of a Punch and Judy show on Osborne beach

Queen Victoria's beach

"We have quite a charming beach to ourselves," Victoria wrote in 1845, and it was here at Osborne beach that the Queen regularly bathed and her children learnt to swim.

Enjoy the magnificent views out to sea from Queen Victoria's alcove, and pop inside her bathing machine to see where she got undressed.

Why not take to the water yourself and paddle or swim from the sandy and shingle beach? Then relax with a mouth-watering ice cream or steamy fresh coffee from the café.

An elderly couple walk through the gardens in front of Swiss Cottage at Osborne

Swiss Cottage

Explore the world of the Victorian royal children at Swiss Cottage, thanks to the generous funding of several donors including the Heritage Fund.

Discover the interests and personalities of each of the nine princes and princesses in the 'Childhood at Osborne' exhibition. Play where the royal children played, and step back in time to 1861 as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert join their offspring for afternoon tea.

See fascinating objects from around the world in the museum; wander in between the royal children's vegetable plots; and enjoy a wildlife trail on your way to the beach.

Garden and grounds

Complementing the magnificent Italianate 'royal palace by the sea', are gardens and grounds at Osborne are filled with breathtaking views. Osborne's gardens offer a place to relax and discover seasonal colour throughout the year.

Osborne's ornate terrace gardens, renovated in 2016–17 as part of a major conservation project, are a riot of tulips in spring. The mild Mediterranean climate allows stunning bedding displays in summer. Wander the Victorian walled garden with its espaliered fruit trees, and explore the wider parkland with its historic trees, many planted by Prince Albert.

The Terrace Restaurant at Osborne with white chairs, bright windows and gorgeous blue walls

Food and drink

Dine like a queen in the elegant Terrace Restaurant and Orangery at Osborne, or enjoy soup and snacks at our café in the Petty Officers' Quarters, next door to the gift shop.

Busy playing and exploring? Then stroll to the sea to savour a mouth-watering ice cream or fresh frothy coffee at the Beach Pavilion Ice-Cream Parlour.

Explore where you can eat and drink at Osborne.

Family Tree Trail

Osborne is teeming with countless fascinating trees, planted by the estate's former Royal inhabitants. Some trees were planted as scientific experiments, whereas others were done to mark special occasions such as birthdays and jubilees.

Traverse our tremendous tree trail, touring 12 of the most noteworthy specimens dotted around Osborne's estate, and complete activities as a family as you go. Pick up a copy of the Family Tree Trail map at admissions, or print your own here. How many can you find? Don't forget to share your pictures with us afterwards.

Two women in summer clothes walk down the Grand Corridor at Osborne, looking at the sumptuous sculptures and artworks that line the walls.

Royal Collection

Many of the great paintings in the state rooms and Queen Victoria's belongings in the family rooms are still owned by the Royal family and are looked after on their behalf by the Royal Collection Trust. You can see more fascinating objects on loan from the Royal Collection Trust in the museum in the gardens at Swiss Cottage.

Queen Victoria's children were avid collectors. They quickly filled up a room in the cottage with natural history specimens, fossils and antiquities, so a new separate museum, also in the Swiss-chalet style, was built nearby.

The museum still remains with its contents of thousands of objects, including the first transatlantic telegraph message and a five-legged deer.