Over het museum
Leighton House was built for the painter Frederic Leighton (1830-1896), who became President of the Royal Academy and was one of the most successful artists of Victorian Britain. He bought the plot on the edge of Holland Park in 1864 and asked his friend, the architect George Aitchison, to design a combined home and studio. Work began in 1865, and Leighton moved in once the first phase was finished. The exterior was plain, but he and Aitchison kept extending and decorating the house for around thirty years.
The best-known addition is the Arab Hall, built in 1877-79 to display Leighton's collection of tiles from Damascus and elsewhere in the Middle East. It has a gilded dome, a small fountain and decoration by artists such as Walter Crane and William De Morgan. Further rooms, a winter studio and a top-lit picture gallery followed. The house was meant to show how a great artist should live, and the press often reported on it.
After Leighton died, the contents were sold. The house was preserved and has been open to the public since 1929, when the Perrin Galleries were added. It is now run by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea together with nearby Sambourne House. Visitors see the historic interiors, works by Leighton and his circle, and a collection of De Morgan ceramics and paintings. A modern wing added in recent years holds a learning centre and the De Morgan Café.
Hoogtepunten
- The Arab Hall with its gilded dome, fountain and Middle Eastern tiles
- Narcissus Hall and the staircase hall with turquoise De Morgan tiles
- Leighton's large north-facing studio on the first floor
- William and Evelyn De Morgan collection of ceramics and paintings
- Garden, De Morgan Café and shop, free to enter
Vaste collectie
- The historic interiors of Leighton House – The studio-house with the Arab Hall, Narcissus Hall and the first-floor studio, furnished with works by Leighton and his circle.
- William and Evelyn De Morgan collection – Ceramics by William De Morgan, including tiles installed in the Arab Hall and Narcissus Hall, and paintings by Evelyn De Morgan.
- Opgericht
- 1929
- Beheerder
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | £ 14 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | £ 10Visitors aged 18 to 25, full-time students of any age, visitors with disabilities and job seekers |
| Kinderen & jongeren | £ 6gratis t/m 5 jaar · Ages 6 to 18 pay £6; children under 6 enter free (one page on the museum website words this as 6 and under, but the same page lists the £6 ticket from age 6). |
| Senioren | –No separate senior concession is listed. |
| Mensen met een beperking | £ 10begeleider gratis · Accompanying carers enter free. |
| Studenten | £ 10Full-time students of all ages. |
| Joint ticket for Leighton House and Sambourne House, adult | £ 23 |
| Joint ticket for Leighton House and Sambourne House, concession | £ 16 |
| Joint ticket for Leighton House and Sambourne House, child (6 to 18) | £ 8 |
| Family Fun Saturday workshop, includes free entry for one adult | £ 6 |
Gratis toegang: First Monday of each month, 10:00 to 13:00: pay what you want, including nothing. Tickets at the door only; not for groups or on Bank Holidays.
The shop, the De Morgan Café, the garden and the Tavolozza Drawings Gallery can be visited without a ticket. National Art Pass holders get 50% off. Members of the Friends, Blue Badge Guides and accredited press enter free. Tickets can be bought at the welcome desk or booked in advance; same-day online tickets are not available.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift
- Aangepast toilet
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: niet aanwezig
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The entrance is step-free, and platform and passenger lifts give step-free access to all floors of Leighton House. Gender-neutral and accessible toilets with baby changing are on the lower ground floor. Benches, seating and portable folding stools are provided. There is no on-site parking or drop-off. Guide, hearing and assistance dogs are welcome. Sambourne House, the sister museum, has no step-free access.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 5 jaar |
|---|
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Verschoonruimte
The family trail A Passport to Leighton House, aimed mainly at children aged 5 to 10, is free at the welcome desk. Family Fun workshops on Saturdays cost £6 and include free entry for one adult. Pushchairs cannot be taken into the historic house but can be used in the new wing and learning centre, and there is a safe place to leave buggies. Baby changing is on the lower ground floor.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Kensington (Olympia) station · 8 min. lopen · 650 m
Kensington (Olympia) station on the London Overground is an 8-minute walk (650 metres) away. High Street Kensington station (District and Circle lines) is a 10-minute walk (800 metres), and Holland Park station (Central line) is a 15-minute walk through Holland Park. Buses 9, 23, 27, 28, 49 and 328 stop at Design Museum, Kensington High Street and Earls Court Road.
Met de auto
Geen eigen parkeerplaats bij het museum.
There is no on-site parking. Limited metered parking is nearby (Monday to Friday 08:30 to 18:30, Saturday 08:30 to 13:30, free on Sundays). The Holland Park pay-and-display car park is a 10-minute walk away.
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: niet aanwezig
A few cycle racks are outside the visitor entrance, and Santander Cycle docking stations are in the area. Travel by public transport is recommended.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Café
- Museumwinkel
- Garderobe: niet aanwezig
The De Morgan Café on the ground floor serves light refreshments and opens onto the garden. There is a gift shop at reception. There is no cloakroom, and suitcases and bags larger than 55 x 40 x 20 cm are not allowed.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
- Privéfeesten
- Zakelijke evenementen
- Bruiloften / trouwceremonies
The house can be hired for weddings, private dining, drinks receptions, concerts, Christmas parties, filming and photo shoots. Catering is by the exclusive caterer Rhubarb.
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 45 min. |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Fotograferen | Personal photography with hand-held cameras and phones is allowed. Flash, tripods, monopods, gimbals and lighting are not allowed in the rooms. |
| Goed om te weten | Free volunteer-led tours run Wednesday to Sunday from 14:30 to 15:15 and are included in the admission price; they are not guaranteed and depend on volunteers. Visits to the collection store are by appointment only. |
