Parking
There is no parking available on the site.
The nearest off site parking is the Abingdon Street underground car park (managed by NCP), located roughly 400 meters away.
Food and Drink
There is a small coffee shop selling a selection of hot drinks (coffee, tea and hot chocolate) as well as biscuits, crisps, cakes and ice cream. It is fully wheelchair accessible.
There is a pleasant outside seating area offering views of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
Picnic Area
There are benches and tables offering views of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
Shop
The gift shop sells a wide range of English Heritage souvenirs and gifts, including books, posters, bags, wooden weaponry and Medieval, Royal and London themed items.
The gift shop is located on the ground floor of the tower. It is fully wheelchair accessible.
Toilets
There are no toilets on the site. The closest public conveniences can be found at Westminster underground station, exits one and six (roughly five minutes walk away).
Dogs
No dogs allowed, although assistance dogs are welcome.
Exhibition
There are two exhibitions on two floors of the tower. 'Parliament Past and Present' is a fascinating exhibition about the history of Parliament, and on the second floor there are panels telling the story of this small but important building. Artefacts on display include speaker's robes, an Anglo Saxon sword, historic weights and measures and Norman stone capitals. Unfortunately the upper floor is not wheelchair accessible, as it can only be reached by a spiral staircase of roughly 40 steps.
Please note: These exhibitions will undergo a refurbishment in April 2013, becoming more interactive and better suited to children, as well as foreign language visitors.
Gardens
There are some small grassy areas surrounding the building with benches and tables, although no 'grounds' as such. The remains of a moat and medieval quay are still visible outside.
Audio Tours
- Basic Language Audio Tours
- No
Family Friendly
- Pushchairs Allowed
- Pushchairs are allowed, although they cannot be taken up the spiral staircase to the second floor and must not have bags attached to them (parliament security restrictions). They can however be left with staff in the shop.
Education
- Family Learning
- A children's activity sheet is available upon request.
Commercial Photography and Filming
English Heritage welcomes all photographers to our sites and we hope you will share your pictures with us on Flickr and Facebook.
We do have some restrictions at certain locations, so if photography is your main reason for visiting, please call the site ahead of your visit to check if any parts of the site are restricted.
If you are interested in using English Heritage sites for commercial photography this must be arranged in advance. Please go to: Sarah Eastel Locations (http://www.film-locations.co.uk) for more information.
