Don’t forget HRP membership is the most cost-effective way to visit our palaces, giving unlimited free entry to all five palaces for a whole year! Prices start at only £43.00 for individual membership! Visit http://www.hrp.org.uk/ for information about membership.
NEW EXHIBITION!
Power House
Opens 2 April (Press preview 13 April 2011)
Tower of London
Discover the stories and personalities behind the major organisations of state, who took care of Royal business behind the mighty Tower walls, from 1100 to the present day, in a new permanent exhibition opening on the White Tower’s top floor.
The exhibition will showcase the roles of the major organisations that provided the bedrock of England’s power throughout the centuries. Great institutions include the Ordnance Office, Ordnance Survey, the Royal Mint, Record Office, the Jewel House, Menagerie and Royal Observatory. Power House will also put the spotlight on other Tower of London functions, ranging from royal residence to state prison.
NEW EXHIBITION!
Royal Beasts
Opens 28 May (Press preview 25 May 2011)
Tower of London
This May the unusual and intriguing story of the Tower of London’s imperial Royal Menagerie will be brought to life. Royal Beasts explores the history, spectacle and tragedy of the Tower menagerie. Founded during the reign of King John in the early 1200s, it became a regular feature of the Tower for over 600 years!
The new exhibition will be an opportunity for visitors to encounter a diverse cast of former Tower residents through arresting modern animal sculpture by artist Kendra Haste and new interactive sensory displays. The recently restored north wall walk and the never before opened Brick Tower will host some of the displays, including sights, sounds and smells of some of the animals!
EXHIBITION
Fit for a King
Daily
Tower of London
Discover 500 years of spectacular arms and armour worn by kings and royal princes in this stunning exhibition in the White Tower. Learn about the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings, from the Tudors, and the notorious Henry VIII, to today’s royal family.
FREE iPhone and iPod Touch app
Tower of London
Escape from the Tower app
Meet the prisoners (virtually of course!)
Bring your iPhone or iPod Touch to the Tower and you can help the virtual prisoners escape from the real locations they were held!
Can you help four worthy prisoners escape from the infamous Tower of London be re-enacting their real-life events?
Play Escape from the Tower, our exciting new free app for iPhone and iPod Touch, and re-enact some of the Tower’s most famous escapes during your visit.
Players who complete all four missions can register their score and will be eligible for entry into a prize draw to win free entry to all the palaces!
Further information
Escape from the Tower app is free and available for download on iPhone and iPod Touch only
The app can be downloaded at home or on site at the Tower wi-fi hotspot in front of the Tower shop at the main gate.
Twilight Tours
Every Wednesday until 30 March 2011. Tours start at 19.00.
Tower of London
Experience the eerie shadows that gather at the Tower after the visitors leave. Hosted by one of our Yeoman Warders, you will be amazed and appalled by the tales of past residents, royal gossip and the secrets kept within these ancient walls.
Tickets £25 each*To book tickets call 0844 482 7799. Advanced booking essential.
*Tickets do not include entry into the Crown Jewels or White Tower
FAMILY ACTIVITIES!
Family fun at the Tower
5 March
11.00-15.00
Tower of London
Soldiers, prisoners and courtiers invite you to share their experiences, if you dare! Come and take part in our family activities and learn more about the stories of the Tower. There will be a range of arts and crafts activities to choose from. Remember to pick up fun filled trails and treats! See signs on the day for more information.
AFTERNOON SCHOOL
Crown Jewels
23 March
16.00-18.00
Tower of London
Sally Dixon-Smith, HRP
Keith Hanson, Chief Exhibitor
A repeat of last season’s sell-out session, this afternoon school discusses the Crown Jewels and their unique role, and a guided tour of the Jewel House includes an explanation of the responsibilities that are enshrined within the coronation ceremony.
Historic Royal Palaces is re-presenting the Crown Jewels in 2012 and this is your unique opportunity to hear from the experts working on this project.
Tickets £20/£18 HRP members. To book tickets call 0844 482 7799 or online at http://www.hrp.org.uk/
This event includes refreshments and entry to the Tower of London
EASTER HOLIDAYS!
Dark tales of the Tower
1-21 April
Tower of London
Soldiers, prisoners and courtiers invite you to share their experiences, if you dare! Live costumed interpreters bring the mighty fortress to life and will keep children enthralled as they uncover tales from the Tower of London’s past.
EASTER WEEKEND!
Colonel Blood and the great Crown Jewels robbery
22-25 April
Tower of London
It is 1671. Will the sinister Colonel Blood and his gang pull of the greatest heist of all time?
Enter the world of Charles II, the Merry Monarch. Will you help or foil the dastardly Colonel Blood and his gang as they attempt to steal the Crown Jewels? Lively fun for all the family with re-enactments from live costumed interpreters.
AFTERNOON SCHOOL
The Tower and photography
7 May
14.00-16.30
Tower of London
Bridget Clifford, Keeper of Collections, Royal Armouries Alex Drago, HRP Education Manager Christopher King, previously the Tower’s photographer in residence
As a World Heritage Site and one of Britain’s most visited attractions, the Tower of London is perhaps one of the most iconic and photographed sites in the world. But with so many images of the Tower existing, is it ever possible to get beyond its tourist veneer?
All delegates will receive a complimentary copy of Christopher King’s blog book, Other Histories.
Tickets £20/£18 HRP members. To book tickets call 0844 482 7799 or online at http://www.hrp.org.uk/
This event includes refreshments and entry to the Tower of London
AFTERNOON SCHOOL
Prisoners at the Tower
18 May
14.00-16.30
Tower of London
With Royal Armouries Curators
There are no cells at the Tower of London and the site was never formally assigned the status of a prison, but the fortress nature of the Tower meant that it was a safe place to keep high-ranking political and religious prisoners who threatened the ruling status quo.
In this afternoon school. Royal Armouries staff will provide valuable insight into the nature of imprisonment at the Tower of London, allowing delegates a privileged opportunity to view their unique collection.
Delegates will even have the opportunity to come face to face with a dagger belonging to the man who tried to steal the Crown Jewels, Colonel Blood!
Tickets £20/£18 HRP members. To book tickets call 0844 482 7799 or online at http://www.hrp.org.uk/
This event includes refreshments and entry to the Tower of London
AFTERNOON SCHOOL
Royal Beasts
28 May
14.00-16.00
Tower of London
Kendra Haste, Artist
Sally Dixon-Smith, HRP Collections Curator
The royal menagerie is one of the most curious, but least known stories of the Tower. The seeds of the menagerie were sown in the gifting of animals to the monarchy which began in the 13th century, but over the centuries expanded significantly and would eventually leave the Tower in the early 19th century destined for London Zoo!
Join us in this afternoon school to celebrate the opening of Historic Royal Palaces’ new exhibition, ‘Royal Beasts’, which tells the story of the Tower menagerie. Sally Dixon-Smith will provide an overview of this often overlooked side of the mighty fortress and acclaimed animal sculptor Kendra Haste will discuss the 13 commissioned sculptures she has created for the exhibition.
Tickets £20/£18 HRP members. To book tickets call 0844 482 7799 or online at http://www.hrp.org.uk/
This event includes refreshments and entry to the Tower of London
