Blenheim Palace

It is a fantastic and wonderful place to visit. Plenty to see and do and all at your own pace. You do need more than one visit as you are unable to take everything in. The palace is steeped in history, and its most famous person is Sir Winston Churchill. The shop is a must and the cafe does both hot and cold food.

Beautiful! It's a magical place with so much history, you can feel it. You can go to the room where Churchill was born, see the state rooms, the chapel and visit the Churchill Museum. Gardens are also beautiful. Take your dog (not allowed inside) on the grounds for a good hike and make a day of it.

Enjoyed the Palace and Churchill exhibition. Glad we joined the free narrated tour as so much more information was learnt.Recommend buying tickets in advance. Would have liked to have seen more of the palace but a lot is not for tourists. We will be coming back to Woodstock to stay as it's a really good town,and as it's £38 for an annual pass gives you the opportunity to re explore the town and palace.Grounds are a good walk,and will be better in summer to view.

Peter Pan at Blenheim Palace was amazing. So much work goes into the displays. Great effort. Palace was fantastic. Christmas Market was good with a wide variety. Will be visiting again outside of Christmas

Really nice start to Christmas season. Went in the Peter Pan event in the house and also the light trail at night. Both really good. The light trail was probably the best I have seen. Kids and adults will enjoy! Also nice mini Xmas market with some nice stalls and good food outlets. Some food outlets catering for Gluten Free.

Beautiful palace. I’d always wanted to go and wasn’t too disappointed. We didn’t purchase tickets to go deeper inside the palace or view the private gardens (we didn’t have time), but even just walking around the grounds and around the exterior of the palace was good enough. The staff were knowledgeable about the history of the building and the family itself. The building currently has repairs going on, so there is scaffolding up.

This Palace is worth visiting. It is simply beautiful and well maintained. It is the birth place of Sir Winston Churchill. Loved the Maze and the Harry Potter tree as a Harry potter fan

Beautiful inside and out but be aware that in winter some of the paths can be muddy. There was also a lot of work going on when we arrived but didn't detract too much from the experience. A lower number of visitors makes for a less hurried and stress free experience so despite some of the areas in the grounds being unaccessible we had a great time. It's not something you can complete in one visit unless you start early and stay all day

Truth be told, palace visits aren't high on my list of priorities. Blenheim however, was hosting a "flower show" during my time in Oxford and one needed palace tickets to access. So a palace visit was in order. Here's some things worth knowing: * Public transportation (bus) to and from Blenheim Palace from Oxford is easy and direct. Utilize it. * Discounts are offered to those who arrive by public transit and have proof. I believe you can somehow get these discounts online in advance. * The web site suggests that you must purchase tickets in advance. There are ticket booths on-site, so that's not actually necessary however the lines at those booths looked very long. * The entrance to the palace is a good distance from the entrance to the palace grounds which are also quite large. You'll walk a very lot here. * During my visit the palace was featuring an "Icons of British Fashion" exhibit which was amazing. That said, if what you want to see is the palace rooms full of art, this exhibition makes that almost impossible. The exhibit is excellent and creates a huge, worthy distraction. * Snoop around out in the gorgeous gardens where you'll find a ton more to discover than inside the palace rooms. * Finally, I admit that I enjoyed the flower show more than the palace itself. Held outside the palace entrance, it was a cross between a county fair and a farmer's market replete with food trucks and lots of interesting things available to purchase. I went both before and after visiting the palace itself. If you can visit Blenheim Palace during an event such as this I highly recommend doing so.

Among palaces in England that you can visit on a day trip from London, Blenheim Palace is probably one of the least known by foreigners. It is not one of the royal palaces, so it's often overlooked. It's also the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and his gravesite is nearby. From purely the palace perspective, I'd rate it a 3/5 at best, as there are much better palaces to visit in Europe, They had an icons of British fashion event going on, which really detracted from the charm, and ruined quite a few of the pictures I took. The real treat is the expansive property itself, as the gardens and grounds (5/5) are expansive and simply amazing. There's a gift shop and cafe on site, and multiple places to purchase ice cream. A seasonal trolley tour will whisk you to the far end of the gardens. Harry Potter fans will love the "Harry Potter tree" as it's in a wonderfully picturesque spot across the lake. While Blenheim Palace may not make my "must see" list, I would recommend it as an add-on to a day trip out to the Cotswolds region. Several tour companies offer day trip options to both, including visiting Downton Abbey filming locations. On a sunny day, you'll be in for a treat with pictures you take if the gardens and fountains.

An absolute must if you're visiting Oxford. Just a 20 minute drive. Purchase tickets in advance from their website. I ordered the guided inside tour plus the "upstairs tour" as well. The entrance to the grounds allows you to walk about the 2424 acres, too. My advise is to get morning tickets to have plenty of time to visit all the gardens and awe at their beauty. We missed the hour of our reserved tour, long story that involved scooters and poor timing and missing our exit spot on the highway. Sheesh, haha. The website states very clearly that tickets are not refundable if you miss your reserved spot. We were 40 mins late and I thought for sure we were going to be turned back. In the friendliest of manners they said admittance would be no problem but we just couldn't tour the upstairs since we had booked the last of the day. I was just so happy to be let in and not made felt stupid or rude. Such nice and helpful staff. Grounds are stunning and the massiveness of the land and grandness of the architecture will leave you speechless. So much detail. The only way to appreciate it is in person. A nice gift shop at the end of your visit for you to take beautiful souvenirs. Cool fact: this was the birth place of sir Winston Churchill. Real paintings by him hang in there for you to see. So much history.

I came later in the day after a triathlon event, which meant good news (less crowded grounds) and bad news (felt a little rushed to see it all before closing). And just a heads up - Admission cost was pricier than what I was expecting. Be prepared to pay a lot. The palace and grounds were gorgeous! I really wish I had had more time to explore. But this was on me for not coming earlier in the day (or even on a different day to avoid the triathlon). One of my favorite things about my visit was the fact that a guide gave my daughter a packet that instructed her to find palace mice in specific rooms - a scavenger hunt that also gave some history. It definitely kept her engaged and was such a nice touch. As a mom traveling to Blenheim with a young child, I thought this was brilliant and really appreciated the concept. I regret that we missed out on the Adventure Play area and the butterfly house, but glad we were able to see what we could in the short amount of time that we had.

Wow! Such an impressive palace both inside and out. Tucked away in the English countryside, this is the only non-royal palace in the country. It's breathtaking from the outside and even more so in the inside. Every surface has been beautified from floor to high ceiling. An audio guide tells you about the important objects in the room and you can listen to other optional information as you see fit. It's a plus that you can take photos inside. There's a good amount of information on the objects and art in the house as well on the Duke of Marlborough, his wife Consuelo Vanderbilt and her dowry that saved the estate, and how it is the birthplace of Winston Churchill. So you get information on the house and the people who lived there (and still live there!) You can't see the entire house, but you get to see a lot of it that it takes quite a bit of time. There's also currently an exhibit more on Churchill There is a really nice garden space overlooking the river which is worth a nice stroll outside. There is also an extensive gift shop and café on site. This was an amazing historical site to see and also a visually amazing architectural wonder.

Lovely palace and gardens. We went at night for the Christmas light show and it was a fun variety of display of lights and music. Took under an hour to walk through with plenty of stands of food and drinks in between. Staff very friendly and warm. Would love to see the palace again in its daytime glory! Pay for parking online ahead of time, save a couple of pounds. It's about a 10min walk from parking lot to main palace area.

This is a good venue with some great attractions and events through the year. The annual passes look like great value when you buy them and I think if you don't have kids then they probably are - you can actually access many of the events with them and given the breadth and range of events when they do charge extra for them, it makes sense. But there's a lot in the small print. We have never managed to visit the adventure playground and make full use of our membership (i.e. all the things it sells itself on; cafe operating, water operating, no extra parking charges, sometimes you get all 3). There are also many times when you can't visit due to an event without paying; even if you don't want to attend the event. This happens for 6 weeks in Nov and Dec (i.e. times when families are generally getting together and looking for things to do) and for some weekends in the summer too. When you pay for membership to the adventure park, this is particularly jarring as the additional charges are often similar to the charge for the park and they can't distinguish whether you're doing Christmas activities or just going to the park - which is obviously something you want to do if you get that membership. It's very strange to have annual membership of somewhere but still having to check constantly if your membership is going to work on a particular day or if you'll pay extra; we should be able to rock up and enjoy the parts of the palace our membership entitles us to (yes I know in the small print this is all clear so technically we're not entitled to access the play park whenever we like for free) within reasonable opening times; I understand we might not be able to access an event but going to a rather expensive and relatively average-to-good playground that I've got membership of whenever I like (without paying £12 for parking) is a minimum expectation but one which for 10% of the year Blenheim can't meet. Note that the playpark sells itself on a cafe and very large water feature, both of which are regularly not operating.

Largest non-royal palace in the UK. James Spenser Churchill (yes that Churchill & he was born here) is the current & 12th Duke of Marlborough of this palace. Very well kept & no so long you loose patients.

I love visiting here. Always so peaceful and calm. Great time for all the family and for the offers on the tickets/annual pass it's great!! Love visiting the shows such as Pete Tong recently and Salon Privé - which I can not wait to attend this year for our local papers photography. Last time I was unable to get the tickets sent to do this, hence why 4 stars for this.

We visited Blenheim Palace on Easter Sunday and an impressive visit it was. The palace was huge with greatly decorated massive rooms and halls. The connection with Winston Churchill is clear, especially with the special collection/exhibition. Outside the palace the maze and butterfly house (visitable via a little train) we're a delight. A great day out!

Very unique with having one side of the palace a self guided tour and the other side "timed guided tour" which reminds me of a walk through "ride" at Disneyland. Much to do with outdoor grounds and the palace itself. Look at the events page to see what may be happening on your visit bc you may get to enjoy music events. Variety of places to eat and relax on your tour. Car park is a bit of a walk to the main entrance, so plan for visitors who may need prams or wheelchairs.

This place is AMAZING! I went there during an exhibition of live art and another of Churchill, The Churchill exhibition was brilliant and great for all ages, while the live art exhibition was ok not something I would come here specially to see. But all round a great place to visit all year round and one of most outstanding buildings you could see in the U.K with very impressive garden with a butterfly house:)

We had an amazing experience here. The tickets were $25/person which might seem high but the place is huge and there is plenty of beautiful grounds to explore for a full day. There are regular tours throughout the mansion that you can join in on for free frequently throughout the day. Then there are additional specialty tours. We did 1 to the basement/servants counters. It was neat to see the kitchen and all the bells (connected to the rooms) etc. the fact that this type of lifestyle still exists is so foreign coming from the states and seeing it all was fascinating. The grounds were beautiful, all the various gardens. Lots of places to eat. We really enjoyed our time here. It's a beautiful way to spend a day.

The views and grounds around the palace are amazing. A great place for a walk while you take in the sights. They have walking and train tours. Very well worth a visit when in Oxford.

I made the trek out to Blenheim only to find that the palace had been temporarily devoted to Alice in Wonderland--that the tour wouldn't be about the palace and that the Churchill exhibit was closed. A disappointment.

We visited Blenheim Palace at the end of May during our England vacation. The grounds and palace are impressive. Unfortunately they were setting up for a triathlon so not all areas were accessible, but in the end it didn't detract from our visit. Love the little train to the walled garden. Recommend the butterfly house.

Incredibly beautiful grounds surround this idyllic palace. A bit pricey, but highly recommend visiting on a cool but sunny day and touring along the river and gardens.

Wow! One of the most ostentatious locations I visited while in England last summer. We had a tour, which was wonderful, since there is so much to see in every room. Hard to decide where to look. My favorite was one room where they had several tapestries, one being cleaned. The tour guide pointed out that someone had failed to remove a clock before photographing the tapestry, so the current "photo in place of a tapestry while cleaning" showed said large silver clock as if it was on the tapestry. I'll try to find the photo to post.

Visiting from Texas... our friends brought us here... £25 to get in but worth every penny... they offer a year free with that entry fee... the grounds are incredible as is the palace itself.. Well worth the visit and would definitely return when the weather is better

One of the things I miss about living in Oxford is being able to pop into Blenheim Palace on a regular basis. A short drive away from Oxford, the annual membership (£23 for adults, with discounts for Oxford Uni alumni), makes it a brilliant spot to head to at the weekends, be it for a stroll round the extensive gardens, a potter round the house, learning some of the history through the holographic exhibition, getting lost in the maze, meandering through the butterfly house or to spectate in the bank holiday jousts. The cost for a ticket to the house and gardens is expensive for a once off, but the fact you can convert it free of charge to an annual pass, makes it an absolute bargain for locals.

Now I'm not a big fan of palaces. TO me they're all pretty much the same. This one however was different. Winston Churchill was born here and is related to the family that owns the palace. There are several rooms of Churchill displays and memorabilia. For me, this was the main reason for the visit. True, I wish there had been more but it was very well presented and I was impressed. The rooms and furniture and tapestry and such were also very interesting. The group that I was with had such a knowledgeable and fun guide that the tour was better than most that I have been on. (My wife likes castles and palaces, so we have been on a fair few tours like this.) Like always, my favorite room was the library. Love those books!!

Who am I to argue with the United Nations who thinks this is a World Heritage site. It's owned by the Spencer-Churchill family and they take in an amazing amount of money what with 600,000 tourists gawking hither and yon. (Not so when I was a boy and nobody was here.) But the English Baroque style is so rare that it is well worth a looksee, however, my interest is with Capability Brown's landscape design. He felt that the house should be a part of the garden and he has done so here. If you are a Brownie then this is a must see. It's also a must see for anybody who admires Sir Winston; naturally, the family has collected an amazing treasure trove of Churchillian items enven though he did not own the house, however, grew up in it.

This is a great place to visit! The palace is spectacular, but the surrounding grounds are even better, including the garden in the back. Just wonderful. They have guided tours that are quite informative. The tours are 30-45 minutes, but allocate at least 2 hours to tour the grounds. I love going here and have been many times. About 30 minutes outside of Oxford.

Gardens. See i do love a garden, but this place is overpriced for the grounds ticket only. So you have Hampton Court palace at £5 and this was £13, and they may be large grounds, but they just weren't as good as they could have been. The ticket grants you access to the 'formal gardens' which were ok. The water was looking a tad murky and needed a bit of clean, it all seemed a little bit secondary if I am honest. To our dismay you don't have to pay to enter the pleasure gardens with the maze, so actually if you are local, a nice walk around the grounds and ending at pleasure gardens is probably much nice. Travel/logistics In terms of arriving my bus, the bus driver was the best information there was, the signage was poor inside, we walked around for a while trying to find the entrance to the formal gardens, proceeded to try and walk the fist of the two walks, to find it wasn't entirely clear while whether we were following the route. Summary: OK, overpriced gardens, nice for grounds walking, not for garden looking, Poorly signed, pleasant, no more.

This is a fabulous place to go, whether your young or old. There is something for everyone. It maybe an afternoon tea inelegant surroundings with your nan or a great aunt, educational visits with children plus a play in the adventure grounds and train and just a jolly good look around some regal and splendour of the house tour. You can see various artefacts and history about Winston Churchill, lots of war time exhibits and special room dedicated to this off of the main tour. All the restaurants and tea shops are very reasonable and have lovely home produce. Plenty of things to buy in the gift shop too, from cheap pencils up quite expensive tapestries. Tour guides are very knowledgable and are very good with children. On e you but a ticket you get a season ticket for free , if your local then that's all good you can go back as many times as you like. Not do useful if you come further away.

I was so looking forward to Blenheim Palace, but found it to be very disappointing in contrast to other tourist attractions like Warwick Castle and the Shakespeare houses. First, the interior portions of the palace open to tourists are actually quite small and limited. If you want to see spaces like the kitchen or servants' quarters, there is an extra charge and mandatory guided tour. In my opinion, it's too much of a rip off. People travel from far away to get to Blenheim Palace, then you are permitted only to see a sliver of it. Second, the furnishings and decor in the interior are more limited than in other great houses or even Warwick Castle. This is because one of the owners was in financial trouble and basically sold off most of the original furniture, antiques, books, etc. What you see now is a mediocre re-creation. I hoped the gardens would make up for the palace interior, but the gardens weren't even as nice as the peacock garden at Warwick Castle. The whole place just felt sort of dead and soul-less and not well loved or presented. I also don't think this is a good place for kids, as they would be bored out of their minds.

Blenheim Palace was conceived in the mind of Sir JohnVanbrugh in 1705, and is a masterpiece of English Boroque architecture. The Palace was a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, following his victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. It is set in 21000 acres of parkland, the Palace is surrounded by lawns and formal gardens. The staterooms are graced with priceless portraits, exquisite porelain and magnificent tapestries. The palace is also famous as the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and you can see where he was born on November 30 1874 and gain insight to him. There are guided tours for most of the season, and you can follow the virtual life of a lady's maid. The parkland was created by Capability Brown; there are Water Terraces, Rose Garden, sweeping lawns and ancient trees. There is also an Adventure Playground, Butterfly House and Marlborough Maze. I think a day or two can be spent here, and I wouldn't have enjoyed being a maid here at all.

Visit Blenheim palace today (Woodstock Oxfordshire) former home of Sir Winston Churchill, It is a fantastic building and the park and gardens are amazing! Photography is not allowed inside the palace ( which is a shame really as there are so many photo opportunity's there) but you can take pictures of the surroundings of the building and gardens, Of which there are many opportunity's of taking some great shots! The building and grounds have been used as a location for a few films, one of which is coming out this Christmas, "Gulliver's Travels Movie 2010" (staring Jack Black). And i can see why it is a great place! Costs £ 18.00 for entry to Palace, park and garden if you just want to wonder the gardens £10.00 ( if you purchase a £18.00 ticket you can redeem it for a FREE Annual pass) View my pictures on the yahoo photo sharing "Flickr" www.flickr.com/top_gun_1uk

I cannot express how disappointed I was (along with the entire party of both locals and Americans) with my experience this time at Blenheim Palace. Having loved this in the past, I was shocked by my last visit. To begin with, there was a marathon at the time and we called ahead of time in order to find out if that Sunday should be avoided or whether the marathon would not be a bother to those looking at the house. Safe to say we were lied to when told we wouldn't even know the marathon was happening. Between the MASSIVE queue of cars going in and out (and lasting 30 minutes getting out alone) and the entirely loud music blaring through the house from the event I was unimpressed entirely and will be complaining that we were told to attend that day. Then there was an art instillation by a famous artist which was poorly executed as those walking around we're not told what and where each piece was. Having not been given any pamphlet imagine our surprise when we say wooden handcuffs on the bed announcing it was a place of Churchhill's birth. This caused mass confusion (the artists handcuffs on the bed were not marked, nor was any of his other works so you had to guess what was art and what was original) and I heard another party whispering amongst themselves that "I didn't know women were handcuffed to the bed when giving birth here". Complete fail in my opinion when visitors think this way. Lastly, and my largest complaint here (I know there are a few) is the 'hologram tour'. This should not be here and was a HUGE waste of money and our 45 minutes. Someone had the bright idea of spending huge amounts of cash to turn, what was beautiful rooms into a Disney style tour for children under the age of 6. You are put into a room with a poorly decorated room, with a hologram of a woman and a strange robot that is breathing and complaining about her life while being mistress of the house. Automatic doors mean you cannot get out nor can you try to push through the drivel. People within our group of strangers were both laughing and desperately trying to open locked doors to get out. You are "allowed" into rooms where you are stuck watching poor robots talk about nothing really, including one in bed cowering, and even a bit of time travel when to mistresses of the house meet one another. For no reason whatsoever. I recommend going to any of the other beautiful houses in the countryside as this one you are incredibly limited to what can be seen within the house. National Trust and the current family should be ashamed for what can only be described as an awful disrespect of the house and the history of its inhabitants with that poorly executed robotic tour. I hope they sort this out.

Came here with my British friend, on a dreary, rainy, freezing late May Friday - the last thing I wanted to do was go out in miserable weather, but so glad I did. This palace is a grand place to visit [and the grounds would be spectacular on a lovely sunny day], the birth place of Winston Churchill, and gives an interesting insight into the life "as was", and actually still is, as Blenheim is an active private residence. We joined a tour, and as a visitor to Britain, it was quite interesting for me to hear facts and bits about Churchill, his childhood, education, and the "formative" years that shaped this significant, historical individual. It was also a fascinating glimpse into the aristocratic life style of yester-year: I found it simply beguiling that the long library was built to enable the ladies to have their walks when the weather outdoors prohibited them venturing outdoors. To this day it is an impressive, imposing hall [over three football fields!!!], with the statue of Queen Anne in one end, and an organ on the opposite wall 180 ft away. The balance has a café, a restaurant and a small gift shop inside the grounds, and a larger shop and café at the entrance.

I was so looking forward to Blenheim Palace but left disappointed. The cost really doesn't equal what accommodations you receive. The tours cost extra with exception of upstairs. The lower rooms, if you choose not to do the tour, lack information with exception of the Winston Churchill rooms. It didn't come across extraordinary like so many of the other homes and palaces I have toured. I had hoped to learn more on the people who lived in the home. I have read the memoirs of Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan and found her story fascinating. It would be great to have learned more history of others (besides Churchill) who have lived in the palace. We also lost a bit of the beauty of the palace, perhaps it was when we visited. They were setting up a stage and seats for a concert as well as tearing down from a flower show they had over the weekend. Overall a nice place to visit.

Blenheim is best, it's as simple as that, at least for one who's seen Hearst Castle, Biltmore, and a host of other great houses in the US, CAN, UK, and Italy. It's chief attribute? It's size, magnificence, and feeling of total tranquility that - with more than a few brightly colored and fearless pheasants - pervades the entire place. And why not? John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, gave a lifetime of perilous and dedicated service to his country, and it was right and just that his countrymen rewarded him with one of the closest approximations of Paradise on earth so he could finally relax in style, even if he didn't live to see its completion. A few tips on how to economically get there. First, forget about driving or renting a car; rail and bus service is fine, much cheaper, and "greener," for those that put stock in such things. Instead, train into Oxford, and buy a Plus Bus ticket when you buy your rail fare. This will get you all around town, and to and from Blenheim, too. It'll even work on the 500 line bus, which runs from Oxford Rail Way Sta. to Blenheim, and on which, from the driver, you can purchase a combo bus-Blenheim ticket that's discounted by a whopping 1/3. Then, when you get to Blenheim, sign up to donate the price of your admission to Gift Aid, one of the UK's charitable organizations schemes. Doing so will allow you to return to Blenheim as often as you like for a year, and see the same grounds, state room, and exhibits the "general" admission gets you. And you WILL want to return, not just because there's so much here to see, but because the Palace will work its charm on you and make you want to return just to be there and savor it all, much as the 1st Duke and his successors did over the centuries that comprised their lifetimes. Given the expanse and beauty of the grounds, seriously consider packing a good picnic lunch. Not one of those miserable Baggied affairs, but a REAL picnic lunch with good bread, cheese, wine, cold meats and salads that'll complete your day and make it one of the best you'll ever remember. Enjoy!

Blenheim palace just blew me away! I came here to listen to my favourite pianist and composer amongst this majestic building in the Great Courtyard. Music that was mesmerising with the backdrop of tress,lakes and a beautiful sunset. If you get a chance to see your favourite musician here Blenheim palace is highly recommended.

Blenheim Palace was great! My partner and I decided just to do the gardens and with student discounts it was very reasonable :) The grounds are beautiful and the cafe is really nice.

This is the birthplace and childhood home of Winston Churchill. The palace is open to the public, and contains tourist attractions in the grounds, including the butterfly house, a maze, a plant centre, and cafeteria, but the atmosphere is still that of a large country house. The palace is separated by a little distance from this other group of attractions (the 'Pleasure Park'), and the two are linked by a free miniature railway service, the Blenheim Park Railway. While the Duke still lives there in a 1st floor suite and retains final control over all matters in the running of the palace, the day-to-day control of commercial aspects are outsourced. The grounds are also open to the public, on payment of an entry fee (£10 as of August 2009), but there is also free access to about five miles of public rights of way through the Great Park area of the grounds, which are accessible from Old Woodstock and from the Oxfordshire Way, and which pass close to the Column of Victory.

I enjoyed my visit to Blenheim Palace a lot. Unlike Versailles, it's not overrun with obnoxious tourists - people who go are there to genuinely enjoy the gardens and the palace. I went on a guided tour through the palace and got to see the room that Winston Churchill was born in. The best part was the palace grounds. There are acres and acres of green rolling hills, complete with a waterfall, arboretum, and rose garden. There's also a separate part of the palace that's more interactive - we saw the butterfly house and went through the Marlborough Maze. It was simply peaceful and quiet, but not stiff and boring either. It's great if you want to spend a nice afternoon enjoying flowers and open spaces, but not that great if you're looking for something more adventurous and exciting.

Only went to the Pleasure Garden as visiting a Palace with a 7 year old is limited in fun. The Maze at the Pleasure Gardens is outstanding. The toy train there is fun. The rest of the Pleasure Gardens amenities however seem a bit shabby and in need of refurbishment and updating.

Beautiful baroque palace, with wonderful gardens and the most amazing lake; it is a real treat of a day out - if you like historic palaces and gardens. Blenheim is the birth place of Winston Churchill and home to the 11th Duke of Malborough. It is also a World Heritage site. The gardens were famously designed by Capability Brown. Entry is a bit expensive at £16 per adult; but I guess you can take your own lunch and make a great day out of the visit.

What an amazing place. I went to an outdoor concert by Ludvido Einaudi, the ambience, location and the music. I can simply say an emotionally charged experience. It is a must place to visit outside London

This magnificent place is recognized by the UN as a World Heritage Site. Breathtaking and romantic for parents, and lots of things to keep the children interested. You can take a very long walk around the lake, seeing sheep grazing, lots of birds, and of course ducks and swans. Don't forget to take a ride on the train (no extra charge) to the pleasure gardens where there is a very wonderful butterfly house where you can stroll inside amongst the exotic butterflies (and a few birds), a giant hedge maze, golf putting, and wonderful children's climbing and activity are. On hot summer days, you can find many people laying on the grass around the lake, "sunbathing". Also, you can treat yourself to Blenheim Palace branded wine and bottled water. By the way, if you collectTesco Clubcard points you can exchange your extra points vouchers for Deals Tokens that apply to Blenheim Palace tickets!

I am not a big fan of English Rococo and the Spencer-Churchills are milking the family manse for whatever they can get, but they do pay the locals to keep the dust down and cut the grass so it's worthwhile in the long run. I much prefer HRH Prince Charle's house and garden project, but I'm a snob. Jamie doesn't give anything to charity and HRH gives everything away from his shop and the tours of his house and organic garden.

Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland, the exquisite baroque palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns, formal gardens and the magnificent Lake. Inside, visitors can see the hand-painted ceilings and the amazing porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings displayed in each room. A great family day out according to our Witney office.

Epic, one of the most beautiful places I have been.the gardens are epic and the palace is sublime. Cafe too expensive in my mind so bring a picnic

Blenheim Palace is a great day out for the whole family, but it's also epic for just hanging out with mates on nice day. There's a eatery near the butterfly house that is good and if you are a photographer you will come away with some great pics! :)

Arguably one of Britain's finest stately homes, situated in beautiful surroundings in Woodstock, nr Oxford.Go there on a sunny day, enjoy the grounds and take in some history.

We went at the same time as the Triathalon which was great to watch - as there are lots of events on all year round, I would recommend timing your trip with one to give you more to do. Was slightly disappointed with the house - the Churchill exhibition and tour of that side of the house was good, and the staff really knew there stuff - happy to explain anything to you if you ask. But the new interactive tour on the other side was a bit naff and I did not really enjoy it to be honest. If money is tight then you are probably best to just pay for the gardens and grounds as there is plenty to do..b eautifully kept and is ENORMOUS!! we got a 2 4 1 ticket offer so it was 16 quid for both of us - would have been disappointed if we'd paid full rate

Idilyic place to take the family on a weekend. You can choose to explore the grounds or go into the magnificent house too. The grounds alone are worth every penny and we have repeated our visit on many occassions.They also hold summer concerts and we were lucky enough to see Westlife in concert there in 2007.

An excellent palace. The grounds are Versailles-like. The automated tour (on left after the entrance) is terrible and slow. The Churchill exhibit is a bit light. The furnishings and rooms are in excellent condition. Make time to enjoy the gardens instead of that automated tour.

Beautiful lake to walk around. The house is worth a visit, though it is not cheap. However, you can convert your ticket into a year's pass at no extra cost which, if you live reasonably locally, then makes it a good deal, as the pass then gives you unfettered access to the grounds and the tea rooms, as well as the palace. If you just want to walk around the lake, though, there are entrances to the park further down the hill (behind the green gate opposite The Black Prince and at the end of St Andrews Square further down the A44) which are not usually monitored and thus provide free access.