Blenheim Palace has won Gold in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the annual Beautiful South Tourism Awards 2024-2025, with Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries taking silver.

The Blenheim team is pictured with their award, and in 2025, Blenheim Palace is set to celebrate its 75th anniversary since opening to the public. This year, the site will also embark on the most ambitious restoration project in its history: the full repair of large sections of the Palace roof.

Alongside the restoration works, the attraction has announced three unique new visitor experiences set to launch including a Roof Top View platform, The Life Below Stairs experience, which will give visitors the opportunity to see the original Palace kitchens, as well as unseen Family Treasures of the private apartments in extended State Room Tours. For more information, visit www.blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/events/new-for-2025

Meanwhile, Bodleian Libraries in Oxford took the Silver award, a step up for the attraction from 2023 where it was commended in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category. The tour at Bodleian Libraries gets behind the scenes at one of the oldest working libraries in the world. Groups can see impressive architecture and hear the stories from the historic heart of the University. Plan your group visit at https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/