Pageantry. Chivalry. Swordsmanship. Stories of the Middle Ages conjure these visions. If you’ve ever dreamed of witnessing these spectacles, Medieval Times brings them to life with their Dinner Theatre shows. Based on a true story of a noble family whose roots date back to the 11th century, visitors experience the thrill of being guests of the queen.
Medieval Times Dinner Show:
The show begins with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect with the arrival of the queen. She arrives in the court riding on a Friesian, a celebrated warhorse of the Middle Ages who almost went extinct in later centuries.
Heralds proclaim her entrance and the Lord Chancellor delivers a short speech. Before the tournament begins, guests are treated to a display of falconry, along with a short explanation of the history of the sport.
Next comes the ‘Master of the Horse’ to showcase the art of “dressage.” This portion of the show features Andalusian horses, a breed prized by the Spanish for their even temperament, strength, and agility. These horses have mastered the complicated moves of the courbette, mezair, levade, and the capriole. It’s like watching a horse perform ballet moves.
After this performance, The Tournament begins. Six knights showcase the skills of jousting and later, hand-to-hand combat. A variety of weaponry is used; ranging from maces to mandobles, long and heavy swords used by knights in hand-to-hand combat. The show ends when the winning knight chooses a fair lady from the audience to crown as “the Queen of Love and Beauty.”
Because utensils were not used in the Middle Ages, dinner is served as “finger foods.” Pewter plates and soup tureens provide an authentic touch. Drinks are served in (plastic) tankards. The meal consists of creamy tomato bisque, buttered French bread, “Baby Dragon,” (which looks and tastes a lot like roasted chicken), buttered corn, and herb-basted potatoes. The meal ends with “the dessert of the castle.” In Atlanta, this was vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce. Beverages include coffee or soft drinks.
Vegetarian and Allergy-Friendly meals are available on request. Alcoholic beverages and mocktails are available for an additional fee.
Our Medieval Times Experience:
We took the three-year-old to her second experience at Medieval Times. (The first, at the Myrtle Beach location, was when she was three weeks old. Amazingly, she slept through the entire performance.) Our visit began with a royal photo taken with the Lord Chancellor. We arrived early enough to explore the Hall of Arms. This section includes a Medieval Torture Museum, Coats of Arms from prominent noble families, displays of armor, and a gift shop. We were also able to watch the Knighting Ceremony, which took place before the castle doors opened.
She was a little frightened when the show first began. The lights dim, fog rises from the arena, and trumpets sound. Once this part was finished—in a manner of minutes—she was transfixed. We spent a lot of time cheering for our knight and waving our banners at her bequest. The one time we had to leave the castle for a potty break, she craned her head to watch the action. Judging from the cheering of the children around us, they were enjoying the show as much as she.
All of the employees we met went out of the way to be helpful. I was especially impressed with our server. He asked about allergy restrictions immediately after we were seated and was attentive to all the guests in our section. When he served us “Baby dragon,” he noticed Critter’s Toothless (dragon toy) was attending the show with us. She wasn’t thrilled about the thought of eating dragons, so he explained to her that it was really chicken. He was also incredibly patient with a guest seated near us who complained about everything from his seat to the lack of utensils to why he couldn’t have different items on the vegetarian meal.
After the show, the knights, queen, and Lord Chancellor are available to meet-and-greet with guests and pose for photos.
Want to Upgrade Your Experience?
Medieval Times offers three deluxe packages; The Queen’s Royalty Package, The Celebration Package, and the Royalty Package.
The Queen’s Royalty Package is an additional $22 a person. It includes Priority Castle Access, VIP First Row All Section Seating or Second Row Center Section Seating, Priority Seating Access, a Cheering Banner, a VIP Lanyard, and a Framed Entrance Group Photo.
The Celebration Package is a Birthday Bash. It includes Priority Castle Access and Priority and VIP Seating, a cheering banner and VIP Lanyard, a Framed Entrance Group Photo for each member of your party, a slice of birthday cake for each member of your party, and a personalized announcement during the show. Tickets are an additional $18 per person.
The Royalty Package is an additional $12 per person. It includes Priority Castle Access and Seating, VIP Seating, a VIP lanyard, and a cheering banner.
Tips to Know Before You Go:
*The Atlanta, Georgia location is on Sugarloaf Parkway. You will not be able to see if from the road because it is located in the Sugarloaf Mills Shopping Center. Instead, you’ll see a sign for Sugarloaf Mills.
*To find the entrance of the castle, you must go inside the Sugarloaf Mills Shopping Center.
*While we visited the Atlanta location, Medieval Times has nine locations in the United States: Buena Park, California, Dallas, Texas, Baltimore, Maryland, Orlando, Florida, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,
Chicago, Illinois, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
*Medieval Times offers discount tickets for members of the Military and their families.
*Free parking is available at all US locations.
*The show lasts approximately two hours.
*Be sure to arrive around twenty minutes early to see the pre-show knighting ceremony.
*Gratuities to the server are not included in the ticket price.
Medieval Times brings the past to life. It’s a great way to experience the history of the Middle Ages, while still enjoying all the comforts and amenities of the present.
Have you attended a Medieval Times dinner show?
My kids were really into stories about the medieval era when they were younger. They would have loved something like this!
This is really fun experience, not only food, but also the culture we can experience in real. love it.
This is one of our favorite shows and dinner, We have not been at the Atlanta one, but we hope we can travel and visit soon
I’ve been to one of them in Los Angeles! My kids really enjoyed it.
I’ve always wanted to do one of these and there is one in Orlando but haven’t tried yet. Thanks for reminding me to do something special in my life.
OMGosh! It’s been way too long since I last visited Medieval Times. I loved the show and the dinner, and I’d love to go back again this summer.
I’ve always wanted to go to a place like this. I can’t believe how good the food looks because usually, the meals at these types of things are subpar.
How fun is this!!! Love doing fun things like this!
I have still yet to visit there but have thought about it many times. We used to live right by one in Illinois but never went. Maybe next time we are out that way we should stop in, it looks like fun.
What a fun and exciting experience! I’d love to visit this place and taste all the food!
This would be such a hit with my family! I mean, does it get any better than chivalry and knights and princesses, plus delicious food?
Wow! This looks like sooo much fun and not to mention a very exciting event! Hope to experience this soon!
It is my dream to go to Medieval Times! I know that it would be a wonderful experience for the kids and I. So fun!
I went to one of these in California years ago. It was a fun time. I remember the food and show being great!
Branson (Missouri) used to have a medieval dinner. I agree, it was fun and entertaining!
This is a good exposure for children to see to appreciate the Medieval Times. These were only described in books. It’s a great learning opportunity to see costumes and actions in real life.
We love it here! We’ve done it twice so far. I hope to do it again soon. I love that they offer a military discount.
Wow! Medieval Times seems like a lot of fun, especially for families. I love that you get to eat without silverware too!