With the COVID-19 virus continuing to spread around the country and, in particular, in London, we have taken the necessary steps to safeguard the Chelsea Pensioners and staff at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. As such the museum is now closed and the main Royal Hospital Chelsea site will now be closed to external visitors until further notice.
In many ways the Royal Hospital Chelsea itself is a living museum, but we also have a dedicated museum with some of our more unusual items on display. The entrance hall is dedicated to the Duke of Wellington and features items such as George Jones' panorama of the Battle of Waterloo (1820). It also features a contemporary painting of Queen Elizabeth II by Andrew Festing (1998). The large diorama in the centre of the entrance hall depicts the Royal Hospital as it looked in 1742. The museum itself includes a reconstruction of a typical berth, the uniform of a veteran soldier, and many other artefacts.
Museum Opening Times
The museum is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 10am to 4pm.
Entry is free for groups under ten and is also included as part of the guided tour.
Christmas & New Year Opening Times
The Museum will be closed from 25th to 28th December 2020 and 1st January 2021.
Location
The closest entrance to the Museum is at the London Gate. You can locate this on our map by clicking here.
