Museums Near Westminster Abbey: 6 Within a Walk
Updated October 27, 2026
The closest museum to Westminster Abbey is inside it: the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, high in the roof space, for £5 on top of your Abbey ticket. Across the road is the Jewel Tower, a 14th-century survivor of the medieval Palace of Westminster. Within about five minutes' walk are the Churchill War Rooms. Two of London's free national galleries, Tate Britain and the National Gallery, are each about 1 km away. The list is ranked from nearest to farthest. Is the British Museum near Westminster Abbey? Not on foot: it is in Bloomsbury, a Tube ride away, so it is left off this list. Distances are straight-line from the Abbey, and walking times are estimates.
- #1
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries
Inside the Abbey, high above the floor: £5 with your Abbey ticket
The Abbey's own museum fills the 13th-century triforium high above the church floor. You reach it by 108 steps or a lift in the Weston Tower. It holds over 300 objects, including the Liber Regalis, 21 funeral effigies, the Westminster Retable (England's oldest surviving altarpiece) and the marriage licence of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. A separate timed ticket costs £5 (about $7) for adults, bought with an Abbey ticket. Under-18s go free. Last entry is 2:00pm on weekdays and 3:00pm on Saturday. No photography. See our guide to the Galleries.
- #2
Jewel Tower
A medieval royal treasure house, 2 minutes from the Abbey
The Jewel Tower stands across Abingdon Street from the Abbey's east end, about 130 m away. It was built in the 14th century to hold Edward III's treasure. It later held House of Lords records and then the Weights and Measures Office. Three floors of displays include the 11th-century Westminster Capitals, the Anglo-Saxon Palace of Westminster Sword and digital reconstructions of the palace before the 1834 fire. English Heritage runs it and lists it as open daily 10am to 4pm (last entry 3:30pm). It is paid entry; see English Heritage for prices.
- #3
Churchill War Rooms
Britain's underground wartime command centre, about 5 minutes' walk
The Churchill War Rooms are on King Charles Street, about 340 m from the Abbey, across Parliament Square. They are the underground rooms that housed a British government command centre through the Second World War, and they include the Churchill Museum. The site is run by Imperial War Museums and is paid entry. Check times and book on the museum's own site, especially if you are pairing it with an Abbey visit on the same day.
- #4
Household Cavalry Museum
Working stables and the King's Life Guard at Horse Guards
The Household Cavalry Museum is at Horse Guards on Whitehall, about 620 m from the Abbey, about a 10-minute walk. It tells the story of the King's mounted guard, with a multimedia audio tour in several languages included in the ticket. Hours are 10:00 to 18:00 from April to October and 10:00 to 17:00 from November to March, with last admission one hour before closing. Time it with the King's Life Guard ceremony (Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11am, per the museum) or the daily 4 O'Clock Inspection. Paid entry; prices are on its tickets page.
- #5
Tate Britain
Free, with the world's largest Turner collection, about 15 minutes south
Tate Britain is on Millbank by the Thames, about 900 m south of the Abbey: a walk of about 15 minutes past the Houses of Parliament and Victoria Tower Gardens. Entry is free. It is open daily 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. It holds the world's largest collection of works by J.M.W. Turner, shown in a free display, and British art from the Tudors to today. Special exhibitions are paid and best booked ahead. It is the easy afternoon after a morning at the Abbey.
- #6
The National Gallery
Free European old masters at the top of Whitehall
The National Gallery faces Trafalgar Square, about 1 km north of the Abbey. The walk up Whitehall takes about 15 minutes and passes Downing Street and Horse Guards. General admission is free; some exhibitions charge. It is open daily 10am to 6pm and until 9pm on Fridays. It is closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January. The Friday late opening makes it the one museum here you can still visit after the Abbey's last admission.
Frequently asked questions
What museum is near Westminster Abbey?
The nearest is inside it: the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries (£5 with an Abbey ticket). Next door is the Jewel Tower, then the Churchill War Rooms about 340 m away. Tate Britain and the National Gallery are both free and about 1 km away.
Is the British Museum near Westminster Abbey?
Not within an easy walk. The British Museum is in Bloomsbury, north of Covent Garden. From the Abbey it is quicker to take the Tube or a bus than to walk.
Which museums near Westminster Abbey are free?
Tate Britain and the National Gallery are free for their main collections. The Jewel Tower, Churchill War Rooms and Household Cavalry Museum charge entry, and the Abbey's Galleries cost £5.
Can I do the Abbey and a museum in one day?
Yes. The Abbey takes 1.5 to 2 hours for the highlights and its last weekday admission is 3:30pm. Do the Abbey at 9:30am, then the Churchill War Rooms or Tate Britain in the afternoon. The National Gallery stays open until 9pm on Fridays.
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