The Abbey Gardens close at 6pm in October and 5pm from 1 November to February. Free entry, opening 7.30am weekdays, 9am Sundays. Kiosk hours inside.

The Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds are free to visit all year. In winter the Abbeygate opens at 7.30am (9am on Sundays and bank holidays) and closes at 5pm, from 1 November to the end of February. In October it closes at 6pm.

The quick answer

  • October: 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm Sundays and bank holidays.
  • 1 November to the end of February: 7.30am to 5pm, 9am to 5pm Sundays and bank holidays.
  • Free. Dogs are welcome on a lead. The other gates start closing up to half an hour before the Abbeygate.

Updated 3 October: gate and kiosk times re-checked with the council, unchanged. Added the free Christmas family rides in the gardens (25 November to 23 December); fireworks tickets are now on sale.

Opening times through the year

These are West Suffolk Council’s published times, which apply to the Abbeygate, the main entrance on Angel Hill:

Season Monday to Saturday Sundays and bank holidays
Summer, 1 April to 31 August 7.30am to 8pm 9am to 8pm
Late summer, September 7.30am to 7pm 9am to 7pm
October and March 7.30am to 6pm 9am to 6pm
Winter, 1 November to end of February 7.30am to 5pm 9am to 5pm

The catch is the other gates. The council says it takes staff up to half an hour to lock them all before the Abbeygate shuts, so on a winter afternoon a side gate may be locked from about 4.30pm. Each gate has a sign showing its own closing time.

The council page does not list separate Christmas Day or Boxing Day hours. The bank holiday column is its only guide.

The kiosk

The refreshment kiosk is run by Grounds Café. From 1 October to 31 January it opens 10am to 4pm every day, per the council. Weather can change that, so the council suggests ringing 01284 653788 first.

What is inside

  • The abbey ruins, what is left of the 11th-century Benedictine monastery.
  • The Appleby Rose Garden, over 400 rose bushes, with a bench made from the wing of a Flying Fortress bomber in memory of US servicemen and women stationed in Suffolk.
  • A children’s play area and treehouse in a willow maze, with a sand and water area.
  • A herb garden of traditional plants.

The address is Mustow Street, IP33 1XL. The main entrance is the Abbeygate on Angel Hill.

Winter dates in and around the gardens

  • Saturday 7 November: the St Nicholas Hospice fireworks inside the gardens. Gates 5pm, display 7.30pm, tickets on sale now; our fireworks page has prices.
  • Sunday 8 November: the Remembrance field gun fires from the gardens at 11am, and the parade returns there after the service. See our Remembrance Sunday page.
  • 25 November to 23 December: free family rides (a caterpillar coaster, dodgem rings and chair rides) in the gardens, 11am to 4pm, mostly Wednesdays to Sundays, per Our Bury St Edmunds.
  • 26 to 28 November: the cathedral Christmas market next door: our Christmas markets page.

Still to be confirmed

Any Christmas Day or Boxing Day change to the gate times. The council page gives none, so the bank holiday hours should apply; we will update this page if the council says otherwise.

The nearest car parks are on our parking page.