Discover Newmarket is the central point for Tourist Information in Newmarket and is the town’s official Tour Guide.
We offer visitors a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at racing's headquarters to see the equine stars at work and learn about the fascinating history, heritage and culture of the town.
Our expert guides deliver tours for groups and individuals which can be organised for as little or as long as you want.
Half-day or full-day visits are available and tours can be combined with racing at one of Newmarket's famous two racecourses. There is also a selection of excellent hotels for those that would like to stay longer.
Tourist Information Centre
Whether you’re a devoted horse-racing fan or just a lover of beautiful English towns, Newmarket is sure to appeal. Close to Cambridge and Ely as well as Bury St Edmunds, this is the perfect place from which to explore this popular region.
Newmarket has been associated with horses and racing since King James 1 arrived in 1605 and declared Newmarket the second capital of England. Successive royal family members came to appreciate the flat land as an ideal location for galloping their horses, King Charles 1 in particular. He visited the town regularly bringing with him a strong love of horses and racing, and it was he who commissioned the first grandstand on Newmarket Heath. Thus the Sport of Kings was born with Britains’s first race, The Town Plate, in which Charles 11 rode his own horse and won! Surprise, surprise. Newmarket hasn’t looked back since.
National Horseracing Museum
Since 1983, the National Horseracing Museum has celebrated Newmarket’s status as the historic home of horse racing. Located on a 5-acre site in the heart of Newmarket, the museum explores the 350 year history of the sport through stunning works of art, contemporary sculptures, breath-taking architecture, through to equine science, some of the world’s most famous racing trophies and unique bronzes and artefacts. Using the latest interactive and audio-visual displays, the museum also takes a different look at the sport, examining the physical attributes of the elite equine athlete and the importance of the thoroughbred pedigree.
We have a fabulous restaurant and gift shop on-site and visits can take from 3 hours to a full day, and sometimes even more…! Don’t worry if you can’t fit it all in on one day – upgrade your ticket to an annual pass for free when you get here and return as many times as you like. Local residents get discounted entry too. So much more than a museum!
