Visiting The Heights Of Abraham: Hours & What To See

The Heights of Abraham is an attraction like no other we have visited. It’s steeped in history but still has so much to offer for visitors today. Essentially it’s a 60 acre pleasure park with superb views all around and it’s been welcoming visitors since the 1700s. Your visit today starts with one of the best experiences – the cable car ride to the top! The kids will love it too although with 360 degree glass capsules, you occasionally feel like you need to hold on to something. The views from the cable car are fantastic, especially as you travel over the A6 and River Derwent below. The first thing you pass when you arrive at the top is the Victorian Prospect Tower which you can climb to give more stunning views in all directions. We found this gave us a great introduction to the place because you get a real feel for where you are in the area and also for what was around is the park itself.

The park is dotted with buildings and pathways allowing you to explore all the attractions. The biggest building (pictured above) houses a restaurant on the top floor and a café and shop on the lower level. There are outdoor seating areas too with fabulous views whilst you enjoy your food. Another building nearby contains an interactive exhibition which gives you the history of the site. It’s worth visiting at the start of you time at the Heights Of Abraham because it helps you to understand how the site developed. There’s a great little video too from British TV show Blue Peter, where presenter Matt Baker uses a single seat rescue hoist to travel down the cable car line. You can then try out the hoist yourself in the booth next to the video.

There’s lots to see and do whilst you’re visiting the Heights of Abraham. Follow the Willow Sculpture trail, pop into the Mirror On The Past exhibition or the Long View Exhibition. You can also visit the film theatre and there are play areas for the kids including a fantastic adventure play frame and the longest slides we’ve ever seen! The highlight of our visit though was the the 2 cavern tours. The lower one – the Great Rutland Cavern – is a show cavern that has been visited since 1787. Your guided tour today takes you through the cavern’s history and takes about 20 minutes. The more challenging tour is through the Masson Cavern opposite the restaurant. Our guide for this tour was excellent and really brought the place to life. The tour involves several caverns and a carved walkway between them. There are quite a few upward steps in this one and it brings you out near to Tinker’s Shaft which has more terrific views.

What we loved about the Heights Of Abraham is the way that the history of the past is blended with relevance for today. There’s lots to see and do and it was a great family day out. The Heights of Abraham is open every day from March to November, typically from 10am to 5.30pm. There are also special hours for winter events like the ‘Lights of Abraham’ when the attraction opens in the evening. Adult admission is £26 when bought in advance and a family ticket is available at £77 (2024 prices)

LOCATION & MAP

Address: The Heights of Abraham, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire DE4 3NT
Phone: +44 1629 582 365
Email: office@heightsofabraham.com

The Heights of Abraham attraction is located in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. Parking is available in the council-run car park at the railway station. The cable station is a short walk away.