The Guards Museum explores over 380 years of history behind the Foot Guards – the five Regiments of Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. These Regiments are world-famous for their role guarding the British Monarch and Royal Palaces, but they have always been highly trained, frontline infantry soldiers – from the beginning of the British Army to the present day.
With over 1000 items from our collection on public display, our history will take you through Royal coronations and Royal executions, from the coldest corners of the world to riding camel-back in the desert sun, from guarding the palace to guarding the nation.
5 Regiments. 380 years of history. We tell their story.
Upon arrival, there is an introductory video to set you off on your 380-year journey through time. Pick up a free audio guide to take you through objects and stories from across the collection – from the very first campaign medal in the British Army, to a firsthand account from the battlefields of Waterloo, to an officer, who also happened to be a goose.
The nearest underground station is St James Park but the museum is also in walking distance of Victoria and Waterloo Stations.
The museum can be found within 500 metres of Buckingham Palace down Birdcage Walk, right opposite The Guards Chapel. 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.
Creating a museum and maintaining a museum are two very different challenges. We receive considerable support from the Ministry of Defence in the form of premises and services and some assistance with staff costs, and for this we are extremely grateful. However, there are still significant sums to be found each year to allow us to keep our doors open to the public seven days a week.
http://www.theguardsmuseum.com/Friends-of-the-Museum
