How long shall I plan to visit?

We have nearly 400 years of history across 5 Regiments to cover, with over 1000 items on display. So, it is never easy to say how long a visit will be.

Typically, our visitors may spend between 30 minutes and 1 hour exploring our galleries. Should you choose to take an audio guide during your visit, listening to all stops would take approximately 45 minutes.

For those who plan to read all of our captions and information, you may wish to allow several hours for your visit.

Related FAQs

The museum has no toilet facilities on-site. The nearest public toilets are located in St James’s Park, at the following locations: Horse Guards Parade, Marlborough Gate.

The nearest Changing Places Toilet is located at London Victoria Station.

The museum is not able to offer baby change or private breast feeding facilities.

Yes, we welcome assistance animals in the museum. Registered animals should bring proof of identification.

Any assistance animals should be supervised and kept under your control for the duration of your visit. Please leave non-assistance dogs and other animals at home.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact us.

You are welcome to take photographs for personal, non-commercial use in all galleries throughout your visit. However, flash photography is prohibited.

Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram! Find us @guardsmuseum

For all other uses, please request permission from the museum team.

The museum has no cloakroom facilities on site. For this reason, we ask that you do not bring large bags or suitcases.

We are not able to offer buggy park facilities at this time. However, the museum is accessible via a staff-operated lift. Once inside, the museum galleries are all on one level with no stairs.

Unfortunately, the museum does not have a café on site, nor do we have a dedicated indoor picnic area. For this reason, food and drink is not permitted in the museum, except for bottled water.

You are welcome to use the outdoor space on Chapel Square, where there is limited seating. Alternatively, you may wish to visit the nearby cafés in St James’s Park.

There are a number of chairs throughout the museum, which you are welcome to use during your visit.

We are able to provide portable camping chairs upon request, subject to availability. Please provide at least 24 hours notice prior to your visit, should you require a chair.

Yes! Our shop is located at the entrance of the museum, and you can visit without an admission ticket.

You can also browse our product range at our online shop

There is a dedicated children’s area, located in the Music Gallery, which staff will be happy to direct you to on the day. Here you will find a colouring-in station, activities like code-breaking, and a small selection of children’s books. While you’re there, you can also visit our ‘guardsman’s locker’, where you can handle and try on real army uniforms.

We offer seasonal museum trails throughout the year - visit the trails page to find out what is available.

For the whole family, you may wish to take part in our Uniform Try-on Experience, for your chance to step into a scarlet tunic and tall bearskin cap – the iconic Guards’ uniform. Speak to staff on the day about booking this activity, subject to availability.

We encourage you to check our What’s On page, as we run various family friendly events and activities throughout the year.

Our audio guide is currently available in 9 languages – English, French, German, Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

We welcome your feedback as we continue to develop our gallery interpretation for international audiences. Let us know what other languages you would like to see in our offer by reaching out to contact@guardsmuseum.org.uk

If you visit between 10:15 and 11:30 on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, the Changing of the Guard will usually be taking place at Wellington Barracks and nearby Buckingham Palace. We are lucky to be located just next door to this ceremony, should you wish to incorporate this to your visit prior to visiting the museum.

On a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, you will find the Captain’s Inspection taking place at Buckingham Palace, beginning at 15:00. The Sunday Parade also takes place at Buckingham Palace, at 10:00.