Stonehenge visitor centre – in pictures

Stonehenge visitor's centre, a £27m permanent exhibition building nearly three decades in the planning, opens on December 18 - just in time for the winter solstice on 21 December Photograph: Peter Cook

In addition to an exhibition space the centre houses a cafe and a shop Photograph: Peter Cook

Photograph: Peter Cook

Photograph: Peter Cook

The centre is about a mile away from the stone circle and over a hill; the A344 is now closed to all traffic except a land train to get people from the visitors' centre to the site. You have the option of walking all the way, or getting off the train halfway and walking the rest, such that the trilithons slowly come into view Photograph: Peter Cook

Photograph: Peter Coo