English Heritage

What you need to know

We've made some changes to help keep you safe, and things might be a little different when you visit. Here's everything you need to know.

• Do we need to Book?

  Advance booking is now essential. We have introduced limits on visitor numbers to help keep everyone safe, and you won’t be able to visit without your booking confirmation. If you’re a Member, your ticket will be free, but you still need to book in advance. Make sure you've read our ticketing FAQ before you book.

  Book Tickets

  Booking FAQs

• What parts of the site are closed?

  To comply with the latest government guidance, all indoor areas of Osborne are currently closed. This includes:

  • The House
  • The Swiss Cottage and Museum

• What changes have you made to your facilities?
  • Café - The Beach Café and cafe adjacent to our gift shop at the Petty Officer's Quarters will both be open for takeaway service only. 
  • Playgrounds - The play area located near Swiss Cottage is closed.
  • Shop - Osborne’s shop will be open.
  • Toilets - Toilet facilities will be available in the gardens. Additional hand sanitising stations will be available in various locations.
  • Accessibility Mini Bus Service – We are operating a limited mini bus service between the house and Queen Victoria’s Beach. As the service is running at reduced capacity, we kindly ask that visitors who are able to explore the site without making use of this service do so. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.

  Plan your Visit

• Visiting after 16 May

  Osborne's interior spaces will open on 17 May, in line with government guidelines. At Osborne this includes the ground floor of the House and the Swiss Cottage Museum.

  Two ticket types will be available from 17 May until 21 June. These are the house and grounds ticket, and the grounds-only ticket – which is available at a reduced rate.

  The Terrace Restaurant and Gazelle House Cake Shop will open with indoor and outdoor seating, and they will also offer takeaway.

  Face coverings are required within all of our interior spaces. We have additional Covid-secure measures in place including social distancing, enhanced cleaning and limits on visitor numbers.

• How are you keeping us safe?

  We've made a number of changes to help keep you safe. Although things might be a little different when you visit, you’ll still be able to enjoy exploring the places where history really happened. And you’ll still be given a warm and safe welcome by our friendly – if socially distant – staff and volunteers.

  You can visit our reopening page for information on general safety measures we've taken to help keep you safe.

  General Safety Information

• Do I need to wear a face covering?

  Face coverings must be worn in all indoor areas. We won't be able to provide you with a face covering, so please come prepared so you don't miss out.

• Is the mini bus service available?
  • Mini bus service - We are operating a limited mini bus service between the house and Queen Victoria’s Beach. As the service is running at reduced capacity, we kindly ask that visitors who are able to explore the site without making use of this service do so. Please speak to a member of staff upon arrival for further information.

• I still have questions.

  The answers to all frequently asked questions can be found on our FAQ page.

  Read our FAQs