Visit us
Come and discover the rich history of England's oldest medical college
Opening times
Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm, and until 8pm at our monthly Museum Lates.
This includes our new exhibition 'Healing words: The unofficial story of medical practice in England 1500–1800' opening on the First Floor Gallery from 11 September 2024.
Closures:
We are closed to museum visits 29 July - 30 August for maintenance and conservation work, public holidays and for RCP major events and ceremonies. Please check our 'Closure dates’ section below before planning your visit.
The Medicinal Garden is also open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, find out more about the garden.
Please contact us in advance if you are travelling to visit on a specific day, you can email us on history@rcp.ac.uk
Closure dates
2024 Closure days
The RCP Museum is closed on public bank holidays, the month of August for maintenance and conservation work, and the following days for RCP major events and ceremonies:
- 6 February
- 12 - 16 February
- 25 - 26 April
- 1 May
- 14 May
- 9 July
- 12 July
- 16 July
- 29 July - 30 August
- 18-19 September
- 21-22 November
Please note on the following days the Treasures Room is inaccessible due to private events. Our new exhibition 'Healing words: The unofficial story of medical practice in England 1500–1800' will be open on thye First Floor Gallery from 11 September 2024 and other public areas of the building are still open to explore.
- 22 March
- 24 May
- 13-14 June
- 10-11 October
- 7 November and morning of 8 November
- 19 November
Admission
Visitors can access the Museum and Garden FREE in a number of ways. General admittance for self-guided visits is available for groups of up to 5 people during week day opening hours. Individuals, groups of up to 5 and groups of 6+ can also book one of the below FREE activities:
- Monthly building taster tours (please register)
- Monthly museum lates (please register)
- Monthly garden tours from Apr – Oct (please register)
Our expert Museum staff also offer a range of private guided tours for larger groups for a small fee, for details and prices contact history@rcp.ac.uk
What to expect when you visit
On arrival please sign in at our reception desk where you will be given directions, details of available rooms and exhibitions, and a visitor badge.
There are two main display spaces, the Treasures Room on the lower ground floor, and the exhibition on the temporary exhibition on the first floor. The collections are also displayed around the building in the central Lasdun Hall, in meeting rooms and in the Dorchester Library.
The RCP building also hosts conferences and meetings, and so some rooms may be unavailable to view on your visit. You are welcome to visit rooms that are not in use, however please do not enter rooms that have an event sign outside the door.
Please be aware that human remains (usually referred to as the 'anatomical tables') are on display on the second floor of the building.
Please contact us in advance if you are travelling a long distance to see a particular room or item in the collection at history@rcp.ac.uk
Location
11 St Andrews Place,
Regent's Park,
London
NW1 4LE
There is no public access from Albany Street or Peto Place.
Access from Albany Street is staff only, and the footpath from Peto Place is blocked by a locked gate. Please arrive from the Outer Circle, Regents Park side of the building.
Getting here
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is located at 11 St Andrews Place, Regent's Park, London NW1 4LE.
BY FOOT
The building can only be accessed from the Outer Circle/Regents Park side. You will not be able to get to the museum directly from Albany Street or from Peto Place, although Google Maps will often try to direct you that way.
BY UNDERGROUND
If you are travelling via the underground, the nearest tube stations are Regent's Park (Bakerloo line; 4mins); Great Portland Street (Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines; 4mins); Warren Street (Victoria and Northern lines; 8mins).
BY BIKE
The RCP has bicycle stands for guests to the left of the main entrance. Cycle hire docking stations are located nearby on Longford Street and Bolsover Street.
BY TRAIN
If you are travelling by train to the RCP, the nearest train stations are Euston (11 mins); Marylebone (20 mins); King's Cross and St Pancras International (25 mins).
BY BUS
If you are travelling by bus, the nearest bus stops are Euston Road (Stop D; 6mins); Regent's Park Station (Stop B; 4mins); Albany Street (Stop C; 4 mins).
BY CAR
The RCP is outside the congestion charge zone but is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone. We have limited car parking spaces available for disabled visitors and RCP members and fellows, please contact us to book these in advance. On-street parking is available in Regent's Park and there is a pre-bookable car parking facility close to the building.
Before travelling please take a look at TfL's travel accessibility site for information on which stations, services, lifts and escalators are out of operation, how to navigate London's public transport with step-free access, and other relevant accessibility updates.
To make arrangements please phone us on +44 (0)20 3075 1200
or +44 (0)20 3075 1363 or email us in advance of arrival. Unfortunately, spaces cannot be guaranteed.
Accessibility
The RCP aims to be welcoming and accessible to all. As such, we are continually updating and improving our provisions for our visitors.
Spaces
Outside
The impressive exterior of our Grade I listed building features stunning vistas, including a cantilevered top storey, entrance piloti and the curved brickwork of the Wolfson Theatre. The RCP Medicinal Garden with over 1,300 plants surrounds the building and the gardens in front of houses 1 – 8 of St Andrew’s Place.
Lower ground floor
On display in the lower ground hall is the Victor Hoffbrand collection of apothecary jars.
In the Treasures Room you can explore the RCP silver collection, the Prujean chest of 17th century surgical instruments, the remarkable Symons collection and rare 17th to 19th-century medical artefacts.
Ground floor
The central Lasdun Hall features the stunning central ‘floating’ staircase, portraits of past physicians, and offers views over the RCP Medicinal Garden.
Off the central space lies the historic Censors’ Room lined with 17th-century Spanish oak panelling and, opposite, the arch-ceilinged Council Chamber added by architect Sir Denys Lasdun’s in 1998.
To the right of reception as you enter the building is the Wolfson Theatre used for lectures and events, and a marble spiral staircase leading to the lower ground floor.
First floor
Surrounding the central space is the gallery featuring temporary exhibitions from our extensive collections.
Directly opposite the top of the stairs you will find the Dorchester Library where we keep and display rare books donated over five centuries by fellows and members.
Across the central space from the Dorchester Library is the Osler Room. An event and fine dining area, it has beautiful views of the garden and St Andrews Place and contains a working hydraulic wall that divides the room in two.
Second floor
The second floor gallery is where you will find the anatomical tables, a remarkable and rare set of 17th-century human remains.
Tours and events
We run an exciting programme of events and tours throughout the year.
Check out what’s on this year.
To book a private guided tour or talk for your group get in touch at history@rcp.ac.uk. We offer both in person and virtual options.
Research visits
The RCP’s collections are available for anyone to use for historical, medical, family history and all other kinds of research. Archives, museum objects, and books from the Heritage Library can be viewed by appointment.
For more information on how to access our collections please visit our research services.
School visits
We offer free on-site careers-focussed sessions for secondary schools.
To book a school session get in touch at history@rcp.ac.uk.
COVID-19 and visitor access
Last updated: Jan 2023
RCP and COVID-19
In the interest of your own and other attendees’ health and safety, if you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 or have COVID-19 symptoms please do not visit or attend an event at the RCP.