Garden Museum
Museum of British gardening in a restored medieval church beside Lambeth Palace, with permanent galleries, a courtyard garden and a café.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Garden Museum occupies the former church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, next to Lambeth Palace on the south bank of the Thames. A wooden church is said to have been built on the site in 1062, the stone tower dates from 1377, and the aisles and nave were rebuilt in 1851 to 1852. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1854, and the church was deconsecrated in 1972 and threatened with demolition.
In 1976 Rosemary Nicholson found the church boarded up. She set up the Tradescant Trust, won a 99-year lease and saved the building, which opened in 1977 as the world's first museum of garden history. The churchyard was redesigned as a garden, and the museum honours the plant collector John Tradescant, who created Britain's first public museum at his Lambeth home in the 17th century.
A redesign by Dow Jones Architects reopened the museum in 2008, and in 2015 to 2017 a second phase restored the historic structure with Heritage Lottery Fund support and added new galleries. In 2016 builders found a vault holding 30 coffins, including those of five Archbishops of Canterbury. The Archive of Garden Design opened in 2019. Today the museum shows the history of British gardening and also runs exhibitions, a café and a shop.
Highlights
- Collection Gallery on British gardening from the 16th century to today, with displays on designers such as Gertrude Jekyll and Humphry Repton
- Wolfson Ark Gallery about John Tradescant and his early museum, with loans from Oxford collections
- Tool gallery and the story of the nursery trade
- Courtyard garden and the Garden Café
- Free digital guide with audio description
Permanent exhibitions
- Collection Gallery – Displays on British gardening from the 16th century to the present, including garden designers, the nursery trade and a gallery of tools.
- Wolfson Ark Gallery – Presents John Tradescant, who founded Britain's first public museum at his Lambeth house, with objects on loan from Oxford museums.
- Founded
- 1977
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £16 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £9Students and unemployed visitors |
| Children & teens | £9free up to age 6 · Ages 7 to 18; children aged 6 and under are free. |
| Seniors | £13Aged 65 and over. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free |
| Students & apprentices | £9 |
| Families | £402 adults and 2 children; a ticket for 1 adult and 1 child costs £20. |
| Unemployed | £9 |
| Art Pass holders | £8 |
| Family ticket, 1 adult and 1 child | £20 |
Prices may change. Free entry for Friends and Patrons, carers and members of the Community Access Scheme; Lambeth community organisations get free entry through the Neighbours scheme. The Nave can be entered without a ticket.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description
Level entry through the Garden Café; the permanent collection on the first floor is reached by lift (contact the museum beforehand to check it is working). Accessible toilets with baby changing are on the ground floor; there is no Changing Places toilet on site. A hearing loop is installed in the Clore and Nave spaces, and large print labels are available at the front desk. Guide, hearing and assistance dogs are welcome. Explorer and Sensory Explorer backpacks can be borrowed from the front desk. A parking permit for the Lambeth Palace forecourt next to the entrance can be arranged with advance notice by email.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £40 · 2 adults and 2 children; a ticket for 1 adult and 1 child costs £20. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
A free trail booklet for ages 4 to 10 comes with paid entry, and explorer and sensory explorer backpacks can be borrowed. Tuesday Tots (term-time, 10:30 to 11:30) and Sunday Sessions for ages 3 and over are free drop-in sessions, and holiday workshops run at half-term, Easter and in summer. Books and toys are available in the Nave, and the upstairs galleries have interactive activities.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Lambeth North station · 10-min walk
Lambeth North (Bakerloo line) is about 10 minutes' walk; Vauxhall and Waterloo are also nearby. Buses 3, 77, 344 and C10.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
No museum car park. Paid parking is available nearby on Lambeth High Street, which is free on Sundays, and at the Novotel on Lambeth Road.
- Accessible parking
The museum is inside the Congestion Charge zone. Cycle racks are provided.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Coat check: not available
Award-winning Garden Café with a seasonal menu and a courtyard garden; shop selling gardening tools, books and gifts. There is no cloakroom, although small bags and coats may be left at the front desk at staff discretion; large bags and suitcases are not accepted.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
Up to 200 guests.
The Nave holds up to 200 standing or 140 seated; the Garden Café and courtyard hold 140 standing; the Clore Learning Space holds 50 standing.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Audio guide | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | A free digital guide (Bloomberg Connects) covers more than 40 objects in the permanent collection, with audio descriptions and transcripts. The Medieval Tower is closed for maintenance and is due to reopen later in 2026. |
