The Guards Museum is a military museum in Central London, England. It is located in Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk close to Buckingham Palace, which is the home of the five regiments of Foot Guards (the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards).
The museum first opened in 1988. It tells the story of the regiments it represents, from the 17th century to the present day. The displays include many examples of different Guards uniforms, (chronicling the evolving dress over time of the five regiments) and there are also paintings, weapons, models, sculptures, and artefacts such as Mess Silver - all of which are aimed at explaining to the visitor the history of the regiments and what being a soldier in the Guards is all about.
The Museum is committed to providing a safe and secure repository for artefacts belonging to the five regiments of Her Majesty’s Foot Guards. The museum strives to make these artefacts available for viewing by members of these regiments as well as by the general public.
The trustees and the curator seek to provide a representative selection of exhibits for display and rotate these from time to time with other exhibits, either from the reserve collection or from items on loan from other collections.
The collection is primarily intended as an educational aid to help young Guardsmen learn about their regimental heritage and to show a wider audience the multi-faceted nature of their operational lives both in combat and on ceremonial duties.
The Curator advises the major broadcasting companies on the military ceremonial aspects of State Occasions.
The museum seeks to assist the Army Heritage Branch in promoting interest in the Army in general and The Guards in particular. We are also committed to upholding the good name and reputation of the Household Division in the preservation and development of the collection and the interpretation of it for future generations.
The museum was registered with the MLA in 1999 and received accredited status in November 2008.
Text source: (
visit link)
======================================================================
======================================================================
Getting to the museum:
Nearest Underground Stations:
St James's Park, Green Park, Waterloo, Charing Cross and Victoria.
British Rail Main Line Stations:
Victoria, Charing Cross and Waterloo.
The museum can be found within 500 metres of Buckingham Palace down Birdcage Walk, right opposite The Guards Chapel.
If you are coming from St James's Park underground station. Cross the road and walk down Queen Anne's Gate, at the bottom, with St James's Park in front of you, turn left and the museum is about 200 metres up on the left.
From Green Park underground station
Walk across Green Park, past the front of Buckingham Palace. On your left is Birdcage Walk and the museum is about 500 metres down on the right.
From Victoria main line and underground stations.
With the bus station on your right, walk to the end of the road. At the T junction (Buckingham Palace Road) turn right. Carry on walking down Buckingham Palace Road, use the under pass. Stay on the right hand side of the road. Buckingham Palace will be on the left hand side of the road. At the junction of Buckingham Palace Road and Buckingham Gate, cross straight over the road, you will be walking past the parade ground of Wellington Barracks. Just at the end of the parade ground you will see the museum entrance on your right.
From Waterloo main line and underground stations
Walk down York Road, cross over the River Thames via Westminster Bridge Road. Cross Whitehall, down Gt George Street. Birdcage Walk continues on from Gt George Street and the museum is about 500 metres down on the left.
From Charing Cross main line and underground stations.
Walk to Trafalgar Square, then down Whitehall, passing Downing Street. At Gt George Street turn right. Birdcage Walk continues on from Gt George Street and the museum is about 500 metres down on the left.
There are no parking facilities at the museum or on Birdcage Walk. Parking metres are available in some of the side streets.
No bus route passes the museum.
The museum has disabled access via a lift.
As you go through the museums gates, on your right is The Guards Toy Soldier Centre and on the left is The Guards Chapel.
The Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London SW1E 6HQ
Tel: 020 7414 3271/3428