Guards Museum

The West End

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Take stock of the history of the five regiments of foot guards (Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards) and their role in military campaigns from Waterloo onwards at this little museum in Wellington Barracks. There are uniforms, oil paintings, medals, curios and memorabilia that belonged to the soldiers. Perhaps the biggest draw is the huge collection of toy soldiers for sale in the shop. Don't miss the adjoining Royal Military Chapel flattened by a bomb in June 1944.

If you found the crowds at the Changing the Guard ceremony overwhelming and didn’t see much, get here at 10.30am on any day of the change to see the soldiers of the New Guard muster and get into formation outside the museum, be inspected 20 minutes later, and depart just before 11am for their march over to Buckingham Palace to relieve the Old Guard.

Transportation

  • underground: St James’s Park

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