Details of this year’s Open House London have just been released.
So many (600!)interesting places to visit. Some you can just turn up to, some need booking in advance or entering a ticket ballot.
More information here
https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/calendar
https://londonist.com/london/festivals/the-open-house-london-2026-programme-has-just-dropped
Thanks for posting. I’ve had such a great time at this in the past few years that I have arranged to be in London again during the week.
A few years back I got to go up the Post Office Tower while it revolved, which was so exciting.
Last year I spent a couple of very happy days visiting all sorts of fascinating buildings. It’s well worth it.
Looks interesting. Does this always take place around the third week of September?
London is usually off by a week from the rest of the country. there are many things open throughout the country.
I’ve just googled Open House 2025 and that was the same week in September so I’m guessing the week doesn’t change much.
I’m just replying to this to add that I managed to fit in some Open House visits on a short trip to London.
Last Saturday I visited the new City Hall, which is way east in the Royal Docks area. My sister came up for the day too, and we took the cable car from North Greenwich (by the Millennium Dome). We got chatting to the staff/volunteers about how they enjoyed working there.
On the Sunday I went to Drapers’ Hall, one of the livery halls in the City near Liverpool Street station. I love the fact that at 10.30am on a Sunday there was actually a queue to get in! I was joking with the chap behind me about whether were accidentally queueing for an Instagram-famous brunch place, but we decided there were so many grey haired people that we must be in the right place.
And then I did a little tour of Senate House, the huge 1930s art deco building in Bloomsbury that was the model for Orwell’s Ministry of Truth in 1984.
I love the Open House Festival - I highly recommend it.
And there are Heritage Open Days during the same time period all over the country - so if you happen to be in England during this time of year, it’s worth checking. https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
Senate House has appeared in a number TV programmes and films when they need impressive Art Deco architecture. Years ago I used the library on a Saturday and the ground floor was full of people in nazi uniforms with massive swastika banners hanging off the walls. It definitely felt a bit weird to walk through it all.
The library was in the tower and the window ledges were individual desks you could work at. The views were stunning and I never got much work done!
This is all so great to hear. I remember threads in the past that have talked about this, and wishing I could be there during that time.
Unfortunately, I won’t be there this year, but next year I will be in England in September, so I’m very excited and will make a note of that now so I can start planning for it. Thanks to everyone for posting about this!
the library was in the tower and the window ledges were individual desks you could work at.
I remember that! I was at UCL and preferred working in the Senate House library. It was interesting on Sunday to be able to look around the various ceremonial rooms that we weren’t allowed in as students.
