As more and more buildings open their doors again, we are delighted to see that many of our beloved museums, galleries, tourist attractions and institutions are welcoming the public once more. Here are just a selection of those that are pleased to greet visitors now and in the very near future:
Image credit @NationalMaritimeMuseum
Following the announcement from the Government on 23 June, Royal Museums Greenwich is pleased to announce the reopening of Cutty Sark on 20 July.
Royal Museums Greenwich aims to reopen its other sites (National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory Greenwich) in a phased approach over the summer. The Museum will continue to monitor the situation closely and base its approach on advice received from the Government and Public Health England.
Launched in 1869 from Dumbarton, Scotland, Cutty Sark is the last-surviving tea clipper in the world, once carrying cargo ranging from the finest teas to gunpowder, and from whisky to buffalo horns.
Some restrictions will initially be in place to ensure the safety of all visitors and staff to Cutty Sark. Tickets must be purchased in advance to ensure social distancing can be maintained on board. Pre-booked time slots ensure that visits are spread throughout the day and sites don’t exceed their capacity. A one-way system will be in place to ensure the story of the ship and her crew can be told in a safe way.
Initially the cafe will not be open, but toilet facilities will be available to visitors, with enhanced cleaning regimes in place.
Paddy Rodgers, Director, Royal Museums Greenwich, said ‘Royal Museums Greenwich are committed to ensuring the health and safety of all visitors and staff. We are delighted to be able to welcome visitors back to Cutty Sark from 20 July and look forward to our sites gradually reopening over the summer.’
For information on holding future events at the Cutty Sark or Royal Museums Greenwich please contact the events team events@rmg.co.uk
Image credit: Peter Boettcher
The Design Museum is delighted to announce that it will partially open to the public with the exhibition Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers from Friday 31 July 2020. Evoking the experience of being in a club, the exhibition will transport you through the people, art, design, technology and photography that have been shaping the electronic music landscape.
As the museum reopens, visits will take a new format. Visitors will need to pre-book tickets online and new measures have been introduced to ensure all visitors and staff can feel safe. More information can be found in the museum’s ‘Safe and Sound’ guidelines here.
For information on holding future events at the Design Museum please contact the events team events@designmuseum.org
Image credit: A photograph of Prospect Cottage by Howard Sooley, taken around 1990 © Howard Sooley
The Garden Museum re-opened its doors on 4th July and according to The Art Newspaper, we were the first Museum in London ‘out of the blocks’.
We could re-open due to our staff and volunteers’ determination to share the Museum with visitors again. We have been able to welcome our much anticipated exhibition in celebration of Derek Jarman thanks to the support of The Linbury Trust and the exceptional response to our emergency Appeal.
All visitors must book a ticket online ahead of their visit, which includes timed entry to the exhibition along with appropriate PPE measures ensuring safety for our staff and visitors. Book your tickets to the Garden Museum here
We are also open for filming requests and smaller events so do get in touch with the events team on events@gardenmuseum.org.uk
It's official – the Gallery has reopened its doors!
The National Gallery started welcoming visitors again from Wednesday 8 July – the first national museum in the UK to reopen after the coronavirus shutdown.
Visitors can get up close to one of the world's greatest art collections and see their extended exhibitions, including the five-star 'Titian: Love, Desire, Death', now extended until 17 January 2021 and Nicolaes Maes: Dutch Master of the Golden Age extended, until 20 September 2020.
All visits, including to see the collection, now need to be booked online, in advance. Become a Member to see Titian for free, plus enjoy exclusive out-of-hours visits and online events.
For information on holding future events at The National Gallery please contact the events team venuehire@ng-london.org.uk
Image credit: Trustees of the NHM London
We're thrilled to announce that the Museum will be reopening its doors from Wednesday 5 August. To ensure that the experience is as safe as possible here's what you need to know:
- We're open Wednesday-Sunday from 11.00-18.00
- You'll need to book a free ticket before you visit, you won't be able to get in without one
- We ask that you please wear a face covering
- We'll be providing hand sanitiser stations so you can clean your hands regularly
- Our staff will be carrying out regular cleaning throughout the day
- Our galleries and gardens leave plenty of space for social distancing but some spaces will be closed.
Tickets will be available to book from Thursday 16 July at 10am. We look forward to saying whalecome back!
Members get priority access to the Museum with no need to queue. Join today and book your tickets now.
For information on holding future events at the Natural History Museum please contact the events team venues@nhm.ac.uk
We are delighted that the Museum of London will be re-opening to the public on Thursday 6th August.
We cannot wait to reopen our doors and share our wonderful collections with visitors once again, including the re-opening of our temporary exhibition - The Clash: London Calling at the Museum of London. It’s one not to be missed!
The museum will be open seven days a week with reduced opening hours Monday – Friday (11.30-15.30) and normal hours at the weekend (10.00-18.00). Entry is by a pre booked slot, which can be booked via the website
The Hospitality team have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the necessary hygiene protocols and health and safety procedures are in place to safely welcome back both visitors and event delegates. This has been recognised by the MiA by achieving the AIM Secure Accreditation.
While we wait to be given the green light to resume hosting events, we’re excited to be able to welcome site visits from 10th August, alongside our virtual show rounds Physical site visits can be pre-booked by emailing venuehire@museumoflondon.org.uk and our new protocols, including social distancing measures, will be communicated prior to visiting. We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!
The Science Museum has announced that it will be reopening its doors to the public on Wednesday 19 August 2020. Visitors will once again be able to explore stories of the incredible ingenuity and scientific and technological advances that have helped humanity overcome challenges throughout history.
Providing a safe, welcoming and enjoyable experience is the museum’s priority. Visitors can book free, timed tickets, allowing the museum to manage visitor flow as part of steps to ensure social distancing, in line with Government guidance. Visitors will receive a pre-visit email including a video illustrating changes to the visitor experience to ensure an enjoyable and safe day out, and detailed guidance will also be placed on our website.
Free, timed tickets are available to book at sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/welcome-back.
For a venue hire show round with the events team, please contact them directly at venuehire@sciencemuseum.ac.uk
Somerset House is delighted to announce that its re-opened part of their site to visitors, this week on Thursday 16 July.
This included the critically acclaimed free exhibition Mushrooms: The Art, Design and Future of Fungi extended throughout the summer, and the magnificent courtyard. As Somerset House opens its doors and welcomes visitors back to site, the number one priority is to ensure health and wellbeing of visitors and staff.
Re-opening meets all current COVID-19 secure guidelines, which will be reviewed and updated regularly. More information can be found on their website: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/
To ensure the safety of visitors and staff, capacity will be limited so visitors must pre-book their time ticket slot online.
For information on holding future events at Somerset House please contact the events team events@somersethouse.org.uk
The Southwark Cathedral is delighted to announce that it has re-opened its door for public worship. The Cathedral will be partially open to the public with the first Sunday Service on 19 July 2020. Visit us to get into this sacred and special place to pray, think and spend time.
As the Cathedral reopens, visits will take a new format. Visitors will need to pre-book tickets online for services and new measures have been introduced to ensure all worshipers, visitors and staff can feel safe.
Details on visiting Southwark Cathedral can be found here
For information on holding future events at Southwark Cathedral please contact the events team cathedralvenues@southwark.anglican.org
Tate Modern and Tate Britain galleries will be opening on 27 July. We will temporarily reduce the number of people who can enter our buildings and exhibitions at any one time to ensure a safe distance between visitors while they enjoy our exhibitions.
This means that for now, all visitors will need to book a timeslot online in advance for both collection and exhibition displays on the Tate website. Bookings for exhibitions are open at: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit
Before visiting, we would encourage you to check our website for the latest information including extended Andy Warhol dates. We look forward to welcoming you back to the gallery soon!
In the Events team at Tate the health and safety of all guests is paramount. As such we have been working to devise revised capacities which allow for social distancing as well as carefully planned one-way routes. In addition, we can now offer digital tours of all our event spaces to enable you to plan for your next event whilst working from home.
For information on holding future events at Tate please contact the events team corporatehospitality@tate.org.uk
On 10 July, Historic Royal Palaces once again lowered the drawbridge at the Tower of London and invited the public back in to explore Her Majesty’s 1000-year old fortress. After a 16-week closure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic – the longest closure since the Second World War – the famous fortress celebrated re-opening with a special ceremony to lower the drawbridge and officially welcome back visitors.
The Tower of London is the biggest paid-for attraction in the UK and a range of measures have been put in place to ensure visitors have a safe and enjoyable visit. The Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) can’t yet restart their famous tours, but are on hand to answer any questions about the palace they call home – and have plenty of new tales to tell about life at the Tower during lockdown. The Crown Jewels exhibition has also re-opened with social distancing measures in place – providing a unique opportunity to see the stunning treasures up close, without the crowds.
From 17 July, the interior spaces at Hampton Court Palace will also re-open, with Kensington Palace re-opening from 30 July.
The safety of all visitors and staff remains our highest priority, so visitors numbers are limited each day. Tickets for any of the palaces must be pre-booked in advance.
For information on holding future events at the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace or Banqueting House please contact the events team on events@hrp.org.uk or visit https://www.hrp.org.uk/hire-a-venue
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection
For only the third time in its history, the Wallace Collection closed its gates to the public in late March, along with all other London venues. As of Wednesday 15th July, it is now amongst the first museums to emerge into a post-lockdown world, welcoming visitors to a new normal.
Importantly, the Collection remains admission free. Visitors are asked to book a ticket timeslot in advance to help manage visitor numbers and enable distancing throughout the galleries. Each visit follows a fixed one-way route through a selection of galleries, with no time limitations. The newly tailored gallery trail, recommends around 5 minutes per room to make the most of the collection highlights, whilst promoting a swifter journey through the galleries out of consideration for others and the newly instated reduced capacities.
In two weeks’ time, the Museum will be in its next phase of a staggered reopening. Excitingly, the public will get another opportunity to experience the highly-acclaimed exhibition, Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company¸ which, thanks to the generosity of lenders and sponsors, will now extend until mid-September.
We cannot wait to welcome back visitors; whether familiar faces and supporters or new audiences.
To find out more about the measures in place to make your visit as safe and comfortable as possible, please visit the Wallace Collection Visiting Safely page here.
For information on holding future events at Wallace Collection please contact the events team Events@wallacecollection.org
At Westminster Abbey, we are delighted to be able to reopen our doors at last. Since Saturday 11th July the Abbey is open to visitors on Saturdays (10:00-2:00pm) and Wednesdays (4:30pm-6:00pm) in July.
From the stunning vaulted ceilings of Henry VII’s Lady Chapel and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in the glorious 16th Century Nave, to David Hockney’s vibrant Queen’s Window in the North Transept, there’s so much more to explore at Westminster Abbey.
Find out more and book your tickets online today at www.westminster-abbey.org/visit to experience the majesty and beauty of the Abbey and experience over 1,000 years of history. We're looking forward to welcoming you.
For information on holding future events at Westminster Abbey please contact the events team bookings@westminster-abbey.org