An 18th century mansion house in Worcestershire where Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was handed his first major landscape gardening commission has been opened to the public.

Croome Court in Severn Stoke, located between Worcester and Pershore, has been opened by National Trust (NT), which owns the site, for the first time in its history, having formerly been a school and a centre for the Hare Krishna movement. A 1751 scheme to redesign the house and its surrounding estate was the first major project to be undertaken by Brown, helping to establish his reputation as one of the UK's most prominent architects and landscape gardeners.

NT, which will operate the visitor facilities, helped the Croome Heritage Trust to acquire the mansion in 2007 and now hopes to raise the necessary funding to purchase a long-term lease on the property. A range of sounds, images, objects and activities aim to bring Croome Court's story to life, including the opportunity to try on Georgian wigs and make-up in the Drawing Room and view historic surveys of the estate in the Billiards Room.

Liz Roberts, NT regional director for the West Midlands, said: "For many years, visitors to the park have wanted to see inside the Court and to view the landscape from its windows. "We also want to encourage our visitors to tell us how they think the Court could best be developed and debate with us how it should be used."