We embarked on an extraordinary adventure across time and through the magical world of cinema. We have been moved by one of the most surprising artists of the 20th century.
I had some reservations about the level of interest that Chaplin’s World would hold for the children (and to a degree, I must admit, also for me) but what a great place!
We had been keeping this visit up our sleeves for a rainy day and that rainy day arrived in full force on Sunday so off we went.
There is parking right next to the entrance and although we arrived just after the opening there was already a queue to get in. We were advised to start with the Manor House as it’s probably the least interactive part for the children and save the studio visit for afterwards.
The house was beautiful, crammed full of interesting things to look at, lots of information and life sized wax figures of some of Charlie Chaplin’s famous friends. The Albert Einstein model is amazing (take a careful look at the mirror in front of him) and we all really enjoyed the visit.
We ran back to the studio through the torrential rain and waited for the next entry to the film which is shown at intervals of 10/15 minutes. We were amazed that the children remained transfixed through the film which taught us lots of interesting facts about Chaplin’s life.
From there it was into the studio which was a brilliant place for the children who loved examining these parallel worlds including a prison and a bank with props for the children to try.
There are smart gift shop attached to be ticket office selling lots of nice things and one of the things that really impressed us what that the staff we encountered were all amazing.
Every single one was helpful and kind, offering unobtrusive assistance and they really enhanced the experience. I read that the grounds of the house are worth a look too but we didn’t see much of them for ourselves this time.
If for any reason you aren’t sure whether it’s worth a visit, we can assure you that it is! We really had a great time.
Information
Parking : Yes (to be paid)
Toilets : Yes
Baby Change Facilities : Yes
Accessibility : Fine with a pushchair.