Chiltern Open Air Museum covers 45 acres in leafy Buckinghamshire so there are lots of green spaces for you and your family to enjoy.
The Village Green
Chiltern Open Air Museum's Village Green offers an ideal spot to pause and appreciate the surrounding structures while seated beneath our centuries-old Lime Tree. It’s also a hub of activity on our special event days. You can purchase a cup of tea and a snack in Skippings Barn, located on the Village Green, and sit at a picnic bench and relax while the kids play in the adventure playground.
Woodlands & Meadows
Explore the trails in our woodland and arboretum or discover the hidden meadow of chalk downland - a haven for insects and a haven for wildlife.
Cherry & Apple Orchards
Our apple orchard has a variety of trees that represent those that were grown in the Chilterns including D’Arcy Spice, Golden Harvey, and Langley Pippin.
The Museum has acquired over 20 heritage cherry trees in an attempt to help preserve rare varieties including Prestwood Black and Prestwood White.
Chiltern Open Air Museum proudly features a selection of traditional gardens, meticulously designed to complement the specific periods of the buildings.
Among them, you'll discover a formal Arts and Crafts garden inspired by the designs of Gertrude Jekyll, a charming cottage garden, a Victorian fernery, an Iron Age herb garden, and a 'Dig for victory' allotment adjacent to the 1940s prefab.
Our Traditional Gardens
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Dig for Victory Allotment
Traditional varieties of vegetables are grown including leeks, beetroot, courgettes and cucumber which help supply the Museum tea room.
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Astleham Manor Garden
Astleham manor cottage is the house you will see directly in front of you as you enter the Museum and boasts the most extensive of the cottage gardens.
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Leagrave Cottage Garden
A cottage garden with vegetable beds, sweet peas, and rambling roses. The garden, known in its original location as apple tree yard, contains a singular apple tree.
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Post WWII Prefab Garden
The Post WWII prefab garden demonstrates a typical garden of the era. Including neatly mown lawns, rose beds & vegetable gardens.
Our Volunteer Gardeners
The majority of the hard work needed to both develop and maintain our gardens and outdoor spaces is provided by a team of volunteers who look after them as if they were their own prized gardens.
Find out more about volunteering at the Museum.
Read our Blogs
What Our Visitors Say
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“Kids loved the freedom to roam in the open spaces and the mixture of things to see. Topped off with really friendly staff and volunteers.”
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“ The weather was beautiful and we had a lovely time picnicking on the village green and visiting the houses at our own pace”
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What an amazing place. So much to see and do, a step back in time and a real treat.”