London Open House is a free festival of London’s architecture, engineering and urban landscape. Open House describe it as the world’s biggest architecture festival.
Most buildings are not usually open to the public, so it’s a rare chance to visit anything from a medieval hall to a modern skyscraper.
London Open House 2026 Dates
The Open House festival is on 12–20 September 2026. Most sights are open on the weekend of September 12/13.
Visits and guided tours
Visit and/or take a behind the scenes guided tour of a wide range of buildings including:
- Historic houses, livery halls and monuments
- Government buildings, workspaces, schools & town halls
- Private clubs, houses and institutions
- Places of worship, cemeteries
- Theatres, cinemas and arts centres
- Windmills, pumping stations
- Train stations, tunnels, cabbie’s shelters and much more
Attractions open by ballot
10 Downing St can only be visited if you enter a ballot. You need to register for a festival visitor account to enter. The ballot is now open.
Attractions open with advance booking
Some of the more popular sights are now open for visits or guided tours with advance booking only. Bookings open from midday on 19 August 2026. You must have a festival visitor account to book.
BT Tower
BBC Broadcasting House
Trellick Tower
Barbican Observatory
Royal Hospital Chelsea
Old Admirality Building
Lloyd’s of London
Mansion House
Walking tours
There are many free guided walking tours and trails showing architectural highlights and historical areas. Most require pre-booking.
How to find out what’s open
Most places are open on a first come basis. Some have limited numbers and need advance booking. Bookings are now open.
You now need to register for a visitor account to book attractions and events.
To find what’s open:
- Search the online listings
- View locations on a map
Free admission to museums and historic buildings that normally charge an entrance fee
For fans of historic buildings and quirky museums, the Open House festival is a chance to save money on places that normally charge and entrance fee.
The places listed below are open to the public and normally charge an entrance or tour fee. They are free to visit on certain days during the Open House festival.
Click on the titles for more information.
Central London
Benjamin Franklin House
Grade I listed Georgian house of Benjamin Franklin.
Address: 36 Craven St, WC2 5NF
Open: 12 & 13 September 2026 10am–3pm
Tube: Charing Cross (zone 1)
Museum of the Order of St John
Address: 26 St John’s Ln, London EC1M 4DA
Open: Saturday 19 September 2026 1pm-6pm
Tube: Farringdon/Barbican
Dr Johnson’s House
Address: 17 Gough Square, EC4A 3DE
Open: 12-13 & 19-20 September 10am-5pm
Tube: Blackfriars
North London
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
Britain’s only museum devoted to modern Italian art
Address: 39a Canonbury Square, N1 2AN
Open: Saturday 12 September 11am-6pm, Sunday 13 September 12pm-5pm
Tube: Highbury & Islington
South East London
Old Royal Naval College
Christoper Wren’s famous building in Greenwich
Address: Greenwich, SE10 9NN
Open: Saturday 12 September 10am-5pm, Sunday 13 September 10.30am-5pm
Tube: Cutty Sark
Brunel Museum
Address: Railway Avenue, SE16 4LF
Open: Saturday 19 September 10:45am-2:45pm, Sunday 20 September 10:45am-2:45pm
Tube: Rotherhithe
Fan Museum
Address: 12 Crooms Hill, London, SE10 8ER
Open: Saturday 12 September 11am-5pm
Tube: Cutty Sark, Greenwich
Last updated: 14 August 2026