Tatton Park — Attraction in Great Britain

🇺🇸 Stars and Stripes at Tatton Park – A Classic American Car Show with a Family Twist 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Stars and Stripes event at Tatton Park, held on the 4th and 5th of July, is the UK’s largest celebration of American cars, and it’s an event I’ve been looking forward to for a while. While we didn’t have an American car ourselves, we still had an amazing time soaking up the atmosphere. We stayed at Blakemere Touring Park again, about a 20-minute drive from Tatton, as we knew it would give us peace and quiet after a busy day exploring.

🚗 The Event – An American Car Lover’s Dream Tatton Park was buzzing with classic American cars. From Cadillacs and Chevrolets to a whole range of Mustangs and Corvettes, there was something for everyone who appreciates a well-maintained piece of automotive history. The event had a relaxed vibe, with live music setting the tone, and an array of American food stalls offering classic favourites like burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes.

The showground was lined with cars in immaculate condition, many of which had travelled from all over the country to be part of the event. The owners were incredibly passionate and happy to chat about the history behind their vehicles, offering insights into restoration projects and the technical specs of each model. As a motoring journalist, I couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship and the attention to detail that went into some of these cars.

👨‍👩‍👦 Family Fun – A Perfect Day Out While the event was an absolute treat for me, it was also fantastic for my son. Will was fascinated by the cars. He got to sit in a few of the models (with the owners’ permission, of course) and even pretended to steer some of the muscle cars. He was absolutely thrilled by the vintage cars—especially the ones with brightly coloured paint jobs and loud engines!

Beyond the cars, the event offered a market area that was a hit with him. He picked up a couple of toy cars, and probably indulged a bit too much in sweets from the stalls. There were also a few fun attractions like the vintage fairground rides, which gave us a chance to take a break from walking around.

The event had a very family-friendly atmosphere, with plenty to keep the little ones entertained while still being enjoyable for adults who appreciate the cars and the overall vibe. There were also a few places to sit and relax with some refreshing drinks and snacks if we needed a breather.

🏕️ Staying at Blakemere – A Perfect Base We’ve stayed at Blakemere Touring Park before, so we knew it would be the ideal spot for us. It’s just a short drive to Tatton Park, and the site is always well-maintained. The Euro-spec pitch was spacious and provided everything we needed for a comfortable stay, including electric hook-ups and waste disposal.

After a full day at the event, we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings of the park. There’s always something nice about coming back to a quiet spot like Blakemere, especially when it’s just far enough from the hustle and bustle of the main event. We also took advantage of the nearby local village, grabbing a quick bite from the café before heading back to the caravan.

🏁 Overall Thoughts The Stars and Stripes event at Tatton Park was an amazing day out, offering a wonderful mix of American car culture and family-friendly fun. While we didn’t have the iconic American muscle car ourselves, we felt right at home wandering around the cars, chatting with enthusiasts, and enjoying the atmosphere. The event was a great blend of classic cars, good food, and entertainment—perfect for anyone who appreciates a good show, whether you’re into cars or just looking for a fun family day out.

If you’re a motoring enthusiast or just want a unique experience, I’d highly recommend the Stars and Stripes event at Tatton Park.

Four stars — a fantastic day out for both car lovers...

As a National Trust member I'm quite disappointed.

I have a 1 year old so didnt really have time to read much about it online. Just saw that it was National Trust, had my member card and parking badge and off I went.

Pulled up to the parking booth and guy said £9 I explained I have a parking badge he said nope as the sign on the entrance says its £9 so £9 please. I didnt see a sign on my way in as im too busy looking for an entrance that doesn't come up on Google maps (it stops further back) and watching for other traffic and then wildlife. I know it must be frustrating for him to have to repeat himself about the parking charges every day but his attitude was quite rude. Paid £9 for parking as its council owned. Not great for a mum with a membership just trying to save money. Like I said, I don't have time to read info on the website so didnt know this prior to getting there.

The cafe also isnt National Trust apparently, so paid a lot of money for mediocre food. NT properties usually have amazing tasting soup and decent cooked chips etc. The soup was pretty terrible and the chips were old and overcooked. The stand for used food trays was overflowing so had to leave tray on a nearby table. Wasn't very busy as it was a rainy day in the afternoon when I came in lots of staff stood talking.

Again not having time to read the info trying to sort out a little one I didnt know the Japanese garden was by booking/ticket only. So walked around to find it closed could only view from outside so that was a shame.

Gardens were beautiful and well kept that is the only positive. Didnt get time to see the mansion and won't be back due to parking cost just simply not being worth the journey.

The park was great if you have older kids, the section for little ones really needs an upgrade, a staff member even came putting a screw in a bench while we were on it for the short time we were.

Toilets and baby changing could do with a revamp its very old and cold, not very clean and the cafe too.

Lots of money spent, may as well not be a NT property, was extremely disappointed. Will just go to Dunham Massey if nearby in future instead and save my money for a place that has better...

We went back to Tatton Park on a Monday in August. Specifically to enjoy a good walk in the grounds where the children could explore and burn off some energy. We started at the children's playground. It has a good range of equipment, well spaced out and you can't beat a nice swing to make you feel good. There were a couple of concessions for drinks and snacks but we walked around to the stables where there were nice clean toilets, a cafe and a National Trust shop. Also on this occasion, there was a lovely old Merry-go-round in the yard for the children to ride on. After, we all sat outside in the yard and had a cream tea. The scones were lovely. Fortified we were ready to enter the gardens. There was plenty of interest with a rose garden, maze, topiary hedges, flower beds, viewpoints, avenues of beautiful trees to walk under, a nice sloping lawn for the children to roll down. Good paths for walking on and areas for the children to explore along the way. Our favourite part of the grounds was the Japanese Garden. So restful, full of colour, shapes, forms and points of interest. Close to a beautiful water lily covered lake with ducks and large carp. To sum up our day. We had a very nice family day out spending time together without feeling hurried or pressed to do anything in particular. It was relaxing being outside in the large open garden spaces where you could see across the beautiful countryside. The children weren't constrained in any way other than the usual of being respectful towards the other visitors and towards the environment they were in. They had a happy day. We went on a Monday and as the house wasn't open that day the other visitors were mainly families like ourselves which made for a child friendly atmosphere. There is a lot more to see at Tatton Park with a Farm as well as the House but we can do that another time. I'm sure we'll visit again. Thank you to all the people working at Tatton Park who made our visit...