Plan a visit

Important notice, If you are planning a trip to London in September:

Please note that between 2-24 September 2024, some of the King’s Life Guard Ceremonial duties will change.

There will be no horses at Horse Guards or 1100hrs Mounted Guard Change during this time. 

 The soldiers will change from Mounted Review Order to Dismounted Review Order. Dismounted soldiers will still be seen daily in the Tilt Yard between 1000hrs and 1600hrs, with a dismounted Guard change ceremony taking place at 1100hrs and the traditional 1600 hrs parade. This is to allow essential infrastructure maintenance to take place.

The public will also continue to see the dismounted soldiers on duty at Horse Guards on a daily basis during this time.

This does mean that there will be no horses to see through our glass viewing window in the museum during this period but the museum will remain open.

Explore our galleries and peek into the working stables of the King’s Life Guard.
The Museum makes for a great day out and fun for the whole family.

The Museum is situated in Horse Guards, the heart of ceremonial London, with access off Horse Guards Parade. It is within very easy walking distance of Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square and Downing Street, St James’s Park and Buckingham Palace and the Embankment piers. Public transport links are also excellent.

Getting there

Map

The Household Cavalry Museum
Horse Guards
Whitehall
London SW1A 2AX

We’d also like to encourage visitors, where possible, to walk or use public transport to visit us. We recommend using the Transport For London (TFL) Journey Planner to plan your trip to the Museum.

By tube

The tube stations closest to the Museum are:

  • Charing Cross: 7 minute walk
  • Westminster: 5 minute walk
  • Embankment: 7 minute walk

Opening times

April – October – Open daily from 10am – 6pm

November – March – Open daily from 10am – 5pm 
Last entry is 60min before closing.

Pre-booked tickets recommended but not essential; please choose your arrival timeslot here.
Please check our website welcome message (which will pop up automatically), and our social media channels for opening time updates before visiting us.

Visitors who can’t pre-book (London Pass/Go City, Art Fund etc.) will be assigned the first available entry timeslot wherever possible.

Please always check our opening details before travelling.

April to October

10am – 6pm

November to March

10am – 5pm

Last admission

60 minutes before closing.

We are closed annually on the following days:

Marathon Day, Easter Friday, and Christmas Eve – Boxing Day

Ceremonial season

PLEASE NOTE: In line with security protocol for the King’s Birthday Parade, the museum will be operating the following opening hours during ceremonial season (May-July).

Please check the link below for full details:

Museum ceremonial operating hours

Admission

TICKET TYPEPRICE
Adults£10.00
Children (aged 5-16) and Concessions£8.00
Family ticket (2 adults & 3 children)£27.50
MILITARY GUEST PRICES
Serving Household Cavalry personnel and accompanying familiesFree of charge
Household Cavalry VeteransFree of charge
Serving Military personnel and other Regimental veterans: 50% discount on the front door£5.00
Carers/Access companionsFree of charge (no ticket required)

Additional information

Accessibility

  • The Household Cavalry Museum comprises three galleries located on the ground floor of the Horse Guards building facing onto Horse Guards Parade.
  • The Museum is fully wheelchair and pushchair accessible, though visitors are free to leave such by the front desk (at their own risk). The floor of the first gallery in the Museum is historic cobblestones and somewhat uneven.
  • There is a single disabled accessible toilet and baby change facility within the Museum. There can be short queues during busy periods within the Museum; more toilet facilities are available a short distance away within St. James’s Park.
  • There are no stairs within the Museum and there is visitor seating available within the galleries (both benches and five folding chairs available for use).
  • Concessionary tickets are available for visitors with disabilities. Carers and access companions can visit the Museum free of charge.
  • Regrettably, there is presently no BSL on videos (though some are English subtitled) and no braille on displays. We also do not have induction loops available. 
  • We do allow registered Guide and Assistance dogs within the Museum.
  • Photography is allowed within the Museum, though flash photography is prohibited.
  • For security reasons, the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Metropolitan Police may obligate the Museum to close at short notice. We apologise for any inconvenience caused should these circumstances arise.
  • The Household Cavalry Museum can get busy on the weekends, after the Changing of the Guard or if we are hosting school groups. We would encourage visitors who dislike crowds and loud noises to avoid these times.

Audio-visual guides

Personal audio-visual guides are included in the admission price. Our guide is only available in English.

Daily Ceremony

The Changing of the King’s Life Guard takes place on Horse Guards Parade on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11am.

There is a short inspection of the King’s Life Guard, lasting approximately 10 to 15 minutes on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 11am.

The Daily Inspection takes place at 4pm (Front Yard Whitehall).

Third party vouchers

We’re thrilled whenever entry to the Museum has been gifted via a voucher, or sourced through a third party. When this is the case you will need all parts of a valid voucher to gain entry: this means a voucher within its expiry date and with both voucher number and activation code (where appropriate) to hand. Thank you.

Terms and conditions for ticket sales

  • Tickets are pre-bookable online. 
  • Attendees should be present at the venue 5 minutes in advance of your booked time unless otherwise stated on your ticket 
  • Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded, unless the event is cancelled. All tickets will be offered subject to availability at the time of booking. 
  • Latecomers will only be admitted at the discretion of staff and at an appropriate interval. 
  • There may be a limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased online in a single transaction. 
  • No refunds or discounts will be given for a whole or partial event not attended. 
  • Tickets are non-transferable. 
  • The Household Cavalry Museum has the right to: 
    • Cancel a session due to unforeseen circumstances outside of its control. In these circumstances a full refund will be issued to the ticket holder. 
    • Refuse entry to the event if it is deemed that the ticket holder is not meeting the terms and conditions. 
    • Ask anyone to leave that event, if the terms and conditions are not being adhered to. 
    • Make changes to these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice 
  • Management accepts no responsibility for possessions lost or stolen on the premises. 
  • Unless otherwise indicated, all graphics, logos and commercial markings are registered trademarks. You may not use, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, distribute or modify any Trademarks in any way, including in advertising or publicity pertaining to or distribution of materials, without prior written consent. 

Important notice, If you are planning a trip to London in September:

Please note that between 2-24 September 2024, some of the King’s Life Guard Ceremonial duties will change.

There will be no horses at Horse Guards or 1100hrs Mounted Guard Change during this time. 

The soldiers will change from Mounted Review Order to Dismounted Review Order. Dismounted soldiers will still be seen daily in the Tilt Yard between 1000hrs and 1600hrs, with a dismounted Guard change ceremony taking place at 1100hrs and the traditional 1600 hrs parade. This is to allow essential infrastructure maintenance to take place.

The public will also continue to see the dismounted soldiers on duty at Horse Guards on a daily basis during this time.

This does mean that there will be no horses to see through our glass viewing window in the museum during this period but the museum will remain open.