The Paddington Bear Experience

Paddington Comes to the South Bank

The Paddington Bear Experience is housed inside the Riverside Building at County Hall, the grand Edwardian complex on the South Bank that also neighbours the London Eye and the Sea Life London Aquarium. Opening in 2024, it was developed alongside the estate of Michael Bond, who created Paddington in 1958 after spotting a lone teddy bear on a shop shelf near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve 1956. The attraction tells an original story rather than recreating scenes from the books or films, following Paddington and the Brown family as they prepare for the annual Marmalade Day festival — only to discover that the essential Peruvian oranges have run out.

The experience unfolds across a sequence of elaborately themed rooms totalling 26,000 square feet. Live actors guide groups of visitors through the narrative, with interactive challenges woven into each scene. A journey lasts around 70 to 90 minutes depending on pace, and the production values are high throughout — detailed physical sets, projection mapping, scent effects and original music combine to make this feel substantially more polished than a typical character meet-and-greet.

What to Expect

The adventure begins at a recreated Paddington Station platform, where a Station Master welcomes your group and boards you onto a theatrical train journey through London landmarks en route to 32 Windsor Gardens. Inside the Browns' home, every room is dressed with references to the stories: Paddington's red hat on the coat stand, his Wellington boots by the door and the inevitable trail of marmalade. Mrs Bird enlists children to help in the kitchen, hunting for a lost key and sorting the contents of her chaotic fridge.

The tone shifts when a hidden wall opens to reveal Darkest Peru — a dense jungle scene complete with rope bridges, tropical foliage and the sound of exotic birds. The scent changes too, with diffusers pumping a damp, earthy rainforest fragrance into the space. Children search the canopy for pieces of a torn map, which when assembled reveals the blueprint for a marmalade-making machine. The machine itself occupies the next room and is the interactive highlight: children fill crates with oranges, pedal a bicycle to generate power, crank conveyor belt handles and pump fire bellows before pulling levers that reveal glowing jars of finished marmalade.

The story culminates in the Marmalade Day street party on Windsor Gardens, now decorated with bunting, fairy lights and carnival stalls. This is a free-flow area where families can take their time. There are marmalade sandwiches, themed cakes and ice cream, alongside a cocktail bar serving marmalade-infused drinks for adults. Paddington appears in person for photographs, and a gift shop at the exit sells plush bears, books and marmalade.

Planning Your Visit

The Paddington Bear Experience is open seven days a week, with entry times running from 10am (11am on Thursdays) through to the last slot before closing. All tickets must be booked in advance for a specific time slot, and walk-ups are not available. Prices start from £34 for adults and £24 for children aged 3 to 15, with under-threes free but still requiring a ticket. Prices vary by date and time, so off-peak weekday mornings are typically the cheapest option.

The venue is fully accessible, with lift access to all levels. Wheelchair users are accommodated during the quarter-past time slots due to fire safety requirements, with one wheelchair admitted per hour — contact the box office in advance to arrange. Hidden disability sunflower lanyards and sensory backpacks containing ear defenders, fidget toys and stress balls are available from the Welcome Team on arrival. A breakout area is available if anyone needs a pause during the experience.

County Hall is a two-minute walk from Waterloo station (Jubilee, Bakerloo and Northern lines) and sits directly beside the London Eye on the South Bank. Westminster and Embankment stations are also within a ten-minute walk. Buggies must be left in the free buggy park before entry. There is no dedicated car park, but the nearby Waterloo station NCP and Q-Park Westminster are the closest options for drivers.