Wallace Collection

About the museum

The Wallace Collection was formed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and by Sir Richard Wallace. Together they gathered paintings, sculpture, furniture, porcelain and arms and armour, with a particular strength in French art of the eighteenth century. The collection is displayed in Hertford House on Manchester Square in the Marylebone district of London, which was the family's London home.

In 1897 Lady Wallace bequeathed the collection to the British nation, on the understanding that it would be kept together and shown to the public. The house was adapted for the purpose, and the museum opened in 1900. It remains one of the most significant gifts of works of art ever made to the public.

Today the Wallace Collection is a national museum, a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and an exempt charity, governed by a Board of Trustees. The galleries still keep the character of a private house, with rich wall coverings and gilded furniture, and admission to the permanent collection is free. The museum also carries out conservation and research on its holdings and runs a programme of talks, tours and temporary exhibitions.

Highlights

• Fragonard's The Swing
• Eighteenth-century French paintings, furniture and Sèvres porcelain
• Arms and armour galleries
• Works by Canaletto, Rubens, Poussin, Velázquez and Rembrandt
• Courtyard restaurant under a glass roof

Founded

1900

Operated by

Wallace Collection (non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Director

Dr Xavier Bray

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the permanent collection is free and unticketed. Temporary exhibitions need a ticket; children under 12 enter exhibitions free with a paying adult, concessions are offered to visitors with disabilities, and carers receive free tickets.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The main entrance is step-free, with a sloping drive and automatic doors, and a lift serves all floors, so all public areas are accessible. Wheelchairs can be borrowed from the front desk and reserved by phone. An accessible toilet with an alarm and a baby-change cubicle are on the lower ground floor; the nearest Changing Places toilet is at Paddington station, about a 25-minute walk. Seating is available in the galleries, and magnifying glasses and torches can be borrowed at the Welcome Desk. Large-print guides for temporary exhibitions are available. The free Bloomberg Connects guide includes audio description, captioned videos and British Sign Language content, and BSL, captioned and audio-described events are listed in the programme. Trained assistance dogs are welcome. Blue Badge bays are on Manchester Square and nearby streets.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

The museum has a family visits page with downloadable activity sheets, short films for families and online activities for ages 6–11, plus a programme of family events. Breastfeeding is allowed anywhere, folding stools can be borrowed at the entrance, and a lift serves all floors. Families may bring their own food but may not eat it in the galleries.

Getting there & parking

Bicycle racks are on the museum driveway and nearby streets; the nearest Santander Cycles docking stations are on Hinde Street, George Street and Portman Street.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is available in the museum. The Courtyard Restaurant and Café sits on a glass-roofed terrace. Free lockers are on the lower ground floor (maximum item size 56 × 25 × 45 cm); larger bags are not allowed. Food and drink bought in the restaurant must be consumed there, and visitors with their own refreshments may use the outdoor courtyard seating.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The galleries and courtyard can be hired exclusively out of hours for receptions, dinners, weddings, private parties, filming and private tours.

Plan your visit