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Top tips for anyone travelling the the Kensington Dollshouse Festival for the 1st time.

If you are traveling to Kensington for the 1st time, here are some pointers as to how to make the day flow smoothly. If you have any questions, you can always email us & we will do our best to help.

Before you leave home:

Book your tickets in advance. Tickets are available to purchase in advance on the show HERE This is a cheaper & easier option if you are spending the whole day at the show. (tickets booked in advance cost £12 + booking fee). There are tickets to buy on the door but a day ticket will cost £15.
Check the tubes. You can visit the TFL website HERE to check that trains are running well. The nearest tube station is High Street Kensington (2 min walk to venue) or Notting Hill Gate (8 min walk to venue). You will find more travel options HERE
Study the floorplans. You can view & download floorplans HERE. These are up-to-date, so will be the most correct guide to the position of stands. The floorplans in our catalogue may have a few changes. This is a great way to see where your favourite craftsmen are positioned.
Cash or card? More of our exhibitors are now able to accept card payments, but not all can. You may need to bring some cash with you. There are cash machines located very close to the venue if you need.

When you arrive at the show:

Avoid the queue. The show opens at 11am, but there is generally a long queue to get in, so if you don’t mind not being first in, we recommend you plan on arriving at around 11.15 when the queue has normally died down. NOTE!! If you have bought a family ticket, you cannot enter the show until 2pm.
Unburden yourself. We have a FREE cloakroom in the Lower Foyer & we are happy to take as many coats & bags as you need. You can return to the cloakroom to deposit more bags as you shop too! At the Christmas Show, we do sometimes open an additional cloakroom upstairs if it is busy.
Collect your catalogue. Make sure you take a copy of our fabulous FREE catalogue which will not only have floorplans & an exhibitor list, but also articles & features on dolls house related things.

There is lots to see & do:

Interesting Exhibitions. Don’t miss the displays to see in the 1st Floor Lobby. Make sure you have time to view these before you leave the show.
Take a break. We have the wonderful ‘Miniature Kitchen’ returning to the 1st Floor Lobby with delicious sandwiches made freshly on the premises, as well as soup, sweet & savoury snacks & hot & cold drinks. We have a larger seating area in the 1st Floor Lobby, as well as the seating in the 1st Floor Gallery area. We advise you buy food early as the cafe does get very busy.
Don’t forget the kids. We have activities for children of all ages taking place to to keep young minds active. ‘The KDF Golden Treasure Hunt’ runs throughout the show & all children can pick up an entry form at the KDF Reception Desk. ‘The Gingerbread Craft Club‘ opens from 2pm-5pm in the Lower Foyer. All children are welcome to enter the Club House to create something special for their dolls house. (time limit may apply at busy times).
Enter our lucky draw. Make sure you fill in your details on the back of your ticket & post it in one of our Blue lucky draw boxes by the lift entrance on each floor. We will draw the winning ticket one hour before the show closes. The winner will receive a specially selected prize chosen from the show.
Need to pop out? Don’t worry, you can re-enter the show as many times as you need. Just get a KDF staff member to stamp your hand when you leave.
Unicef for Ukraine. Lastly, make sure you visit the Unicef for Ukraine stand in the Lower Foyer. There will be lots of beautiful miniatures to buy & other money raising activities going on.
Tell us what you think. Before you leave the show, please stop by the KDF Reception Desk to tell us about your day. We are always trying to improve the show, so like to hear your comments. You can also buy tickets for our next event.