Guards Museum

#102

A focused, artifact-rich introduction to the Foot Guards regiments next to their working barracks by St James’s Park. Uniforms, colours, battlefield relics and personal stories explain how five regiments became the public face of ceremony and a backbone of the army in war.

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Opening Hours

Sunday: 10:00 – 16:00

Monday: 10:00 – 16:00

Tuesday: 10:00 – 16:00

Wednesday: 10:00 – 16:00

Thursday: 10:00 – 16:00

Friday: 10:00 – 16:00

Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00

What's not to miss inside?

Five Regiments, One Household

Decoding the scarlet tunic

Badges, button spacing and plumes distinguish Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards at a glance.

Match a bearskin plume position to the correct regiment using the display chart.

📍 Intro gallery

Colours & Campaigns

Flags carried where it was hardest

Faded silks and battle honours trace service from the 17th century to today.

Pick one colour and read two battle names; look them up later on the park benches outside.

📍 Central hall

Kit, Music & Ceremony

Why parade precision matters

From boots to band instruments, objects show how drill, music and image serve morale and state occasions.

Find one ceremonial item with a surprising battlefield origin story.

📍 Uniforms & band cases

Chapel Connection

Living community beside the museum

Memorials and services link past and present within the same barracks square.

If open, pause in the Chapel and count three details that echo the museum’s stories.

📍 Next door at the Guards Chapel (check access)

🤓 Fun Facts

The Guards Museum sits by Wellington Barracks; many exhibits come directly from regimental stores and veterans—so displays change as material rotates.

Button spacing on the scarlet tunic is a quick ‘ID card’: evenly spaced for Grenadiers, in pairs for Coldstream, threes for Scots, fours for Irish, fives for Welsh.

Proceeds from tickets support the museum’s care of colours, uniforms and archives—your entry fee directly keeps the collection on view.