Where the magic of steam brings the past to life
Fun for all the family!
Dogs on leads welcome
Situated in the South Downs National Park, Hollycombe is home to Britain's largest collection of working steam
Hollycombe is one of Britain’s largest collections of steam offering visitors a nostalgic look at how the Victorians and Edwardians used steam as an instrument of work and play, and featuring a number of popular fairground sideshows of the period.
With steam-driven rides such as the Golden Gallopers, Steam Swingboats and Steam Chair-o-Planes, a trip to Hollycombe offers visitors both nostalgia and a frisson of excitement!
After enjoying the rides visitors can sit back and relax in the Bioscope – a pre-cursor to the modern cinema, typical of the travelling shows which first brought film to the public – or reflect on themselves with a walk through an original Hall of Mirrors.
The fun doesn’t end there as we invite you to sit back and enjoy a ride on a steam-train on one of our railways. The Narrow-Gauge Railway takes in breath-taking views over the South Downs, or ride our Garden Railway that is nestled between the Fairground and the Woodland Gardens.
Dino Day
13/7/2025
The Dinos take over!
Hollycombe is stepping back in time to pre historic times. The Dinosaurs are coming and not just any dinosaurs but the world famous DINOMANIA show as seen on Britain's Got Talent!
Shows lasting 45mins featuring a T.Rex fighting an Ankylosaurus, 3 baby dinosaurs that the children and adults can pet as the Rangers take them close to the crowd. Then an amazing section where they hatch an egg and meet a fresh hatchling dinosaur soon to be reunited with her large mum Nancy their large Raptor. To finish the show we meet a very cute prehistoric creature called Sally the Smilodon.
In between the shows come and enjoy the Dinosaur museum with Rangers on hand to explain some of the amazing fossils!
Take a look at giant Tyrannosaurus teeth and full size skull and we even have a full-size Diplodocus skull.
You can learn about horns, clubs, claws, teeth and even the plates from a Stegosaurus.
With over 200 different pieces to look at it will be an amazing experience for any age. The Rangers are extremely knowledgeable on all things prehistoric and love teaching the children about these amazing creatures that used to walk the planet.
Museum exhibits:
- Full size T.Rex skull
- Allosaurus skull in matrix
- Baryonyx skull in matrix
- Nanotyrannus skull
- Allosaurus full size foot
- Diplodocus skull
- Megalodon teeth
- Ammonites and trillobites
- Full size velociraptor in matrix
- Spinosaurus skull rostrum
- Spinosaurus teeth and hand
- Therizinosaurus claw
- Archaeopteryx
- Woolly Rhino full size skull
- Woolly mammoth teeth and tusk
- Icthyosaurus vertebrae
- Lots of amber
- Gallimimus foot
- T.rex teeth, bone and claws
- Stegosaurus plate
- Triceratops teeth and horn
- Iguanodon teeth and thumb spike.
The UKs largest prehistoric mobile museum!
