Plan your visit

Plan your free visit to our museum

The museum is Closed

Open Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm. We’re also open late, until 8pm, every third Thursday of the month. Entry is free, no need to book ahead.

Please note: Roadworks will be taking place outside the Museum until late August. Pedestrians will have access and diversions will be in place for motorists, but there may be noisy work taking place outside during our opening hours. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Getting here

You can find us in the same building as the Bank of England. Our museum entrance is on Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH.

If you are facing the Bank of England’s main entrance on Threadneedle Street, we are around the corner on the right.

By tube

The nearest underground tube stations are:

  • Bank (Central, Northern, and Waterloo & City lines, and Docklands Light Railway (DLR))
  • Cannon Street (District and Circle lines)
  • Mansion House (District and Circle lines)
  • Monument (District and Circle lines)
  • Moorgate (Northern, and Hammersmith & City lines)

Before your journey, check Transport for London's website for more information and route disruptions.

By bus

Several bus routes run through the city, near the Bank of England Museum.

For details, please check this map of buses from Bank. 

By train

Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street and Cannon Street mainline stations are within a 10-minute walk. Visit National Rail for more information.

By car or coach

Since we’re in the City of London, there are very few parking spaces near us. We recommend you use public transport if you can. The nearest car parks are at:

  • Thames Exchange, Bell Wharf Lane, EC4R 3TB
  • 158-170 Aldersgate Street, EC1A 4HY

The City of London has more information about parking in the City, including disabled parking.

In Bartholomew Lane, drivers and coach operators who drop off or pick up passengers on the double yellow lines do so at their own risk.

Frequently asked questions

  • Entry is free of charge. All our activities, exhibitions, talks and presentations are also free.

  • We are open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm).

  • Most people take about an hour to look around our museum.

  • Explore the collection with your smartphone!

    Download the free Smartify app to explore our audio guides in the museum or from home! QR codes available in the museum will launch the tour.

    If possible, please bring your own headphones.

    Any questions? Just as a member of staff!

    No smartphone? No problem! You can also pick up a free printed guide from our information desk to help you explore our museum.

  • Yes. We provide talks for small groups and presentations for larger groups. See Book a talk or presentation.

  • We have a small gift shop where you can buy a range of Bank of England related items.

    We don't have a cafe but there are places to buy drinks or sandwiches nearby. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the museum.

  • Yes, there’s free wifi for our visitors.

  • No - we don’t have lockers or anywhere to store luggage - if you bring luggage, you must keep it with you at all times.

  • Please find out what we offer to try to make our museum more accessible for everyone.

  • Yes! Many of our displays are enjoyed by children of all ages.

    Pick up a free activity sheet from our information desk. Get a small reward if you fill one in!

    We have activity sheets for different levels of understanding. So there’s something for children of all ages and abilities.

    1. I spy in the Bank (up to 5 years)
    2. Explore the Bank (5 to 7 years)
    3. Investigate the Bank (8 to 11 years)
    4. Discover the Bank (12 to 14 years)
    5. Understand the Bank (15 to 17 years)

    We often hold free family events and activities during the school holidays. Find out what’s on now or coming soon.

    Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.

    We don’t have a lot of space for storing buggies and pushchairs. So we may ask you to take them with you as you go round the museum.

    If you bring scooters you must carry them with you at all times.

    Baby changing facilities are available in our accessible toilet.

    You are welcome to breast or bottle feed anywhere in the museum.

  • You can take photos as long as it’s without flash and for personal use only. You’re not allowed to take photos of others without consent or to record videos.

    We’d love to see your photos on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so please share them and tag us!

  • Yes, we welcome school and community groups. We can offer you a free group talk or presentation. You must book these in advance.

    Before your trip, please read our risk-assessment information about visiting with a school group or visiting with a community group.

  • We offer free group presentations to primary school groups. These must be booked at least four weeks in advance.

    We also offer free classroom resources including teaching materials and videos.

  • Yes. If you’re interested in historical research, find out more about the Bank of England’s archive.

  • Absolutely! Please email us at education@bankofengland.co.uk or give us a ring on 020 3461 5545. Our phoneline is monitored from 10am to 4pm, Monday through Friday.

  • The safety and security of our staff and visitors is important to us. Hand sanitiser is available throughout the Museum and we highly recommend that this, or our hand washing facilities, are used during your visit. This is particularly important when handling the interactive parts of our collection, for example whilst lifting the gold bar or attempting to crack our safe! 

    On rare occasions it may be necessary to cancel presentations at very short notice (on the day) due to staff shortages. In these circumstances we can provide school groups with activity sheets that can be completed independently as part of a self-guided tour of the Museum. 

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This page was last updated 26 July 2022
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