Listed below are the questions we are asked most frequently. If you cannot find an answer for your question then please contact us and we will do our best to assist you.
Do we need to book?
Babbacome Model Village is set in a large valley and we have plenty of capacity for everyone.
There is no need to book. We don’t have online booking and only take advance bookings for large coach group visits.
You purchase your tickets, by card, on arrival at the gate. Provided you arrive at the ticket desk before last entry time, you will be able to get in.
This saves you time and gives you total flexibility with no tie-ins!
Accessibility - visiting with disabilities, mobility difficulties & additional needs?
Visiting with a disability or with any additional needs, click the link below for full details, photos & prices. Important: For anyone with any mobility difficulties, be aware that the model village is set in a natural valley with some steep hills, please click the link for full details.
Are dogs allowed in the Model Village?
Yes, well behaved dogs are allowed, with some restrictions –
Dogs are welcome throughout the gardens (90-95% of the visit is outdoors).
They cannot go into the indoor displays, (except for guide/assistance dogs) – this includes the new mythical kingdom. Customers will have to take it in turns to visit the indoor areas whilst someone looks after the dog outside in the gardens.
They strictly cannot go into the coffee shop, except for guide/assistance dogs This is mostly due to its limited size and restricted space. We do have seating outdoors on the terrace with a few sheltered tables too. This is a no exceptions rule, so if you are planning to use the coffee shop too we advise visiting us on a drier day!
They must be kept on a short lead, stay on the pathways and you must stay with them the whole time.
You must come prepared to pick up and clean up any doggy dos!
Will the weather affect my visit?
The Model Village is mostly outdoors but, If it is showery, we do have 3 fun & entertaining indoor attractions too – Discover our history & behind the scenes work; see familiar faces in the LittleEnders soap set and enjoy the cosy Victorian Snowy Village switching between day & night. Gulliver’s Travels adds some nostalgic charm and DARE you look at all the ‘goings-on’ in the peek inside house!
For a fun challenge – study our Medieval anachronism display to see how many things you can spot that are out of place and time!
Don’t miss ‘The Mythical Kingdom’ – a masterpiece of hand-crafted modelling with lighting and sound effects.
European Tiny Towns with tiny models, beautiful landscapes and humourus scenes, along with model railways and moving trains – more details
THE THREE INDOOR AREAS COULD EASILY PASS 30-40 MINUTES OR LONGER.
Rainy day backup – If you visit and it turns out too wet, remember you can use our ‘One free return visit within 7 days’ to come back another day – conditions apply, please read the voucher!
Set in a valley we are quite sheltered from some of the wind! We will remain open on blustery showery days with wind gusts up to 50mph
How long to allow - can we make it a full day out?
TOP TIPS….
The Model Village covers 4 acres, set in a large valley with beautiful gardens, crazy golf and indoor attractions. It is much bigger than most first-time visitors anticipate.
As a minimum you should allow 1.5 to 2 hours. We recommend allowing at least 2 to 3 hours.
Based on customer feedback, as a guide here’s approx. how long people said they spent on site in % of visitors –
- 1 to 2 hours – 21% (some of these are on a second visist using the Free Return)
- 2 to 3 hours – 59%
- 3 to 4 hours – 16%
- 4+ hours – 4%
MAKE THE MOST OF IT: As everything is in miniature and there are lots of ‘hidden’ humour, puns and fun scenes, along with animated displays at time intervals, a quick visit will result in a lot being missed. Allow time to take a slower pace and/or go around twice, or use the one free return, you will have a greatly enhanced experience if you do!
MAKE IT A FULL DAY OUT –
The Model Village is set in the beautiful Babbacombe bay area. Within an easy 5 minute walking distance are the Babbacombe Downs the highest promenade in the UK with spectacular, not-to-be-missed, coastal views across Devon & Dorset.
There’s the beautiful Oddicombe beach at the bottom of the cliffs (if it’s a hot sunny day, why not spend some time on the beach and visit us!). Also, the famous Babbacombe theatre is at the other end of the downs. The Babbacombe Cliff Railway is just 5 minutes walk from us, offers a unique experience taking you down to Oddicombe beach (Note: cliff railway closes periodically, check with them). There are also a wide variety of pubs and restaurants on the Downs, some suggestions here.
There is also the pedestrianised St Marychurch shopping precinct with a range of individual shops, just 3 or 4 min walk the other way.
Bygones Victorian Street & Museum offers a totally immersive step back in time and is just around the corner.
NOTE: The above are just suggestions, check individual websites for details and to make sure they are open.
Do you have any special offers or discounts?
To find out what special offers we currently have running click here
How do we get to you, do you have parking?
There is a council owned payable car park adjacent to us and other parking options in the area. For full details about parking, buses & trains – click here
Who is the Model Village suitable for?
We get a wide mix of visitors from families to couples young and old!
Children enjoy the miniature scenes, animation and fun character hunt trails. Adults love the gardens and detailed hand-crafted models, representing English life through the last 7 decades. There’s lots of puns and humour and don’t miss the ‘hidden’ adult humour too! About 55% of our visitors are families with children and about 45% are adults/couples only.
Do you offer Blue Light Card discount?
Save 10% off Admission tickets for Blue Light card members
Show your card and accompanying family & friends will get the discount too.
You can also use the ‘One Free return within 7 days’, enabling you to visit day and select evenings for illuminations. Ask on arrival, see website for full details.
T&Cs: Valid against full gate prices only and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts.
You must ask for this as soon as you arrive, this cannot be applied once tickets have been purchased!
Do you accept the BBC Gardener’s World 2 for 1 offer card?
Yes, we do accept this card – one free adult with one full paying adult. The special card/app with its unique code must be shown.
It is only valid for one free adult ticket, it cannot be used for multiple 2 for 1’s.
You can still make use of our ‘One free return visit within 7 days’
More details here
Is commercial filming and photography possible?
COMMERCIAL FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE MODEL VILLAGE.
This would need to be arranged & booked well in advance.
When? – Much of the Model Village is visited by fairly narrow pathways and we have to be mindul of the flow of visitors and need to avoid blocking up pathways too much. Generally, projects will need to be outside school holidays (Easter, May half term, July & August, October half term and Christmas).
Times? Generally, any filming would have to be done during normal opening times. The Model Village requires a lot of pre-prep for opening and set-down for closing and it is rarely practical to open up outside normal hours, unless it is for a big project.
If you feel your project would need to be outside normal opening hours, please contact us to discuss possible options but bear in mind we would need plenty of notice for this – at least 3-4 weeks – and, depending on the project, there may be a fee required.
For Small Projects – No more than 2 or 3 people with film or photography taken from the visitor pathways.
Regular admission prices apply.
For Bigger Projects – With a bigger crew and potentially want to film off-path in amongst the models/scenes.
Filming in amongst the models is complex and requires time by our staff to partially oversee it.
Depending on the project, we may require payment of a fee at the time of booking. If the project is cancelled less than 7 days before or there is a no-show, this would be non refundable.
We will need to see a copy of your public liability insurance.
To enquire further – please email a full outline of your project to steve@model-village.co.uk
Can we bring in a picnic?
You are more than welcome to bring in a packed-lunch/small picnic to be consumed on the outdoor terrace.
Large carry picnic boxes, along with BBQs & stoves etc. are not permitted.
We suggest you bring it in with you when you arrive. It is possible to get a short term exit pass to go back you your car, but at busiest times you may end up having to queue a few minutes to get back in.
They cannot be consumed in the coffee shop.
Do you have lockers & bag storage?
Unfortunately, we do not have the space and facility to be able to securely offer lockers and bag storage.
Do you offer prize tickets for charity events & raffles?
Every year we get thousands of requests for complimentary and prize tickets to be handed out at local charity events, special occasions and raffles for a variety of local causes. We are pleased to help as many as we can and we hand out up to 1000 tickets every year.
Unfortunately, due to the volume, we can’t help and support every request we get. For any requests from businesses and schools, we will of course prioritise places who support us through group visits.
TO PUT IN A REQUEST:-
- We can only process requests by email – mail@model-village.co.uk or letter, we cannot help with requests over the phone or via social media.
- It will generally need to be a local event (South Devon)
- It will need to be at least 2 or 3 weeks before the event date, but no more than 4 or 5 months before it. Due to the volume we cannot help with last minute requests.
- Please give the event date and some details about what the tickets will be used for and where any monies raised will be going.
- Please give a postal address, at time of application, for where to send the tickets if your application is successful.
- Let us know if your organisation has made or arranged any visits to us within the last two years.
ONCE YOU HAVE PUT IN A REQUEST:-
- We cannot reply to requests, or give information on the status of a request. You will only hear from us if successful (within 3 to 4 weeks).
- Entries, with all the correct information and suitable criteria, are picked approx. twice a month.
- Please bear with us if you are not successful on this occasion.
Do you sell GIFT VOUCHERS?
We sell gift vouchers for purchase on site. You don’t have to be visiting, you can purchase them at the entrance.
Single visit Adult & Child admission ticket vouchers at the regular full gate price at the time of purchase. Offers & discounts cannot be applied to Gift Vouchers.
If you cannot purchase them onsite, we can arrange sale via email and bank transfer payment, and they will be posted to you. Typically, we can get them to you within 7-10 days. However, we cannot guarantee arrival by certain dates. If they are for a specific date, then allowing for processing and erratic post, we suggest ordering them at least 2-3 weeks ahead. For Christmas, order by 5th Dec.
Please email us, we will need to know how many Adult & Child vouchers along with your name & address. We will get back with an invoice and bank details. Once payment is received the tickets will be posted to you – mail@model-village.co.uk
They are valid for use within 12 months of the date of purchase. Unused tickets strictly cannot be refunded or extended.
Do you have annual passes or locals discount?
We don’t currently have annual passes, however we do offer local resident (all TQ, PL & EX postcodes) discount. To make annual passes viable, over and above using our locals discount and loyalty card, you would need to be using an annual pass at least 5 or 6 times in the year. For the vast majority of our visitors, local discount works out a better option with no upfront payment. Locals Discount Info