Historic Royal Palaces announces a new chapter for the Tower of London

• Historic Royal Palaces announces biggest-ever investment in learning & community engagement at the 1,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site, boosting learning capacity by 250%.

• Made possible in part through unprecedented support from donors and partners including The Julia Rausing Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Sandys Trust, Charles & Nicky Manby, Star Family Foundation (USA), and Herbert & Ellen Kozlov with fundraising ongoing.

• Creating Tomorrow’s Tower: Historic Royal Palaces’ long-term vision for the Tower of London

London, UK – 15 July 2026: Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, today unveils plans for a once-in-a-generation transformation of learning and community spaces at the world-famous site.

As a powerful fortress, a royal palace and an infamous prison, the Tower of London has helped shape Britain’s story for nearly 1,000 years. Now, supported by extraordinary philanthropic support, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is being reimagined as one of the UK’s most inspiring places for learning, creativity and community connection.

Historic Royal Palaces is transforming how it welcomes and works with schools at the Tower of London, creating world-class learning experiences at the heart of one of the world’s most iconic visitor attractions. New, fully accessible facilities designed by Jamie Fobert Architects will include two new learning centres, dedicated spaces for community use and an Archive Study Centre as well as a green classroom in the Moat designed by landscape architects Grant Associates. Together they will replace fragmented provision with inspiring, inclusive spaces designed for modern education, enabling hands-on workshops, multi-sensory learning, teacher development, community programmes and live broadcasts.

Expanding learning capacity by 250%, the investment will increase school visits from 125,000 to 200,000 annually, while extending its reach nationwide through digital programmes and outreach. Supporting pupils, teachers, families and communities across the UK, it will create meaningful opportunities to connect with history, nature and sustainability, ensuring the Tower’s stories continue to inspire future generations.

This ambitious, multi-year programme is the largest investment in learning and community engagement in the Tower’s history and lies at the heart of Tomorrow’s Tower. Tomorrow’s Tower is Historic Royal Palace’s long-term vision for the site spanning education, the visitor experience, sustainability, access, and conservation. It is being made possible by the support of donors and partners who share HRP’s commitment to inclusion and meaningful engagement with history.

A welcoming first step into history: the Weston Learning & Community Centre

Located on the Wharf, the Weston Learning & Community Centre will become the starting point for hundreds of schools and community groups each year. Designed for participation and belonging, it will feature flexible hands-on learning spaces, including the Clore Learning Studio, the Charles and Nicky Manby Courtyard, a dedicated community room and a calming sensory zone – many with sweeping views of the Tower and the London skyline. These spaces will support workshops led by costumed presenters and creative, hands-on nature-based activities for learners and communities of all ages. These transformations have been made possible by substantial support from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, and Charles and Nicky Manby.

Julia Rausing Learning Centre: re-imagining the historic Waterloo Block as the new epicentre for learning at the Tower

With significant support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Julia Rausing Trust, the historic Waterloo Block will be carefully adapted and conserved to create the three‑floor Julia Rausing Learning Centre, significantly expanding provision for education and engagement while conserving the building’s heritage.

The revitalised Waterloo Block will provide purpose-built, flexible education spaces designed to support curriculum-linked learning, creative engagement, and deeper exploration of the stories of the Tower, from medieval power to imprisonment, global connections to local stories. It will also support teacher professional development, live digital learning, archive exploration and youth and community projects.

The ground floor will offer a fully accessible space for community and school groups. The first floor will introduce new studios and lunchrooms, supporting year-round visits. The second floor will house further learning studios, a new Interactive Broadcast Studio to connect the Tower to learners across the UK and a new Archive Study Centre.

Opening up a hidden resource: Archive Study Centre

For the first time, the Tower’s architectural archives will be opened to the public in a dedicated, fully accessible space. Housed within the Julia Rausing Learning Centre, the new Archive Study Centre will bring together more than 25,000 drawings, showing over 200 years of design, building and conservation work across the Tower and other palaces cared for by Historic Royal Palaces.

Housed onsite, these historically significant materials will be made readily available for students, teachers, researchers, and local communities. By opening them up in this way, HRP is turning a hidden resource into a living part of the Tower experience, placing these stories, ideas, and discoveries at the heart of learning and understanding.

Learning in nature: a Green Classroom in the Moat

As part of Tomorrow’s Tower, the Tower’s historic Moat will be transformed into a biodiverse and climate-resilient landscape in the heart of London.

A new “green classroom” will invite school and community groups to explore biodiversity, climate, and history together, showing how nature and heritage are connected. Designed by Grant Associates, it will offer hands-on opportunities for outdoor learning, encouraging curiosity, wellbeing, and a deeper connection to the natural world.

More than just a space for learning and exploration, this “green classroom” will enable conversations and activities centred on the positive power of nature: how it can inspire and restore us, and help us see familiar places in a new light.

A first for the Tower: a dedicated space for local communities

The Tower of London has shaped the life of East London for a thousand years. The Mint Street Community Room is the first dedicated community space in the Tower’s history — a place especially for its neighbours.

Designed as an accessible and welcoming environment, it reflects HRP’s commitment to opening the Tower to the communities who live on its doorstep, creating new opportunities for participation, connection, and shared ownership of this historic place, supporting co-created activity with local residents and community partners.

Tomorrow’s Tower

Find out more about Tomorrow’s Tower and the investment into learning and education at the Tower here: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/tomorrows-tower.

John Barnes, Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces, said: “The Tower of London should be a place of learning, discovery and connection for everyone, and Tomorrow’s Tower is our long‑term commitment to making that happen. This investment in schools and learning is an important first step, within a wider programme that also addresses sustainability, visitor experience, conservation and access. Thanks to the generosity of our funders, we are opening the Tower up more widely, so future generations can understand why its stories still matter.”

Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Governor of the Tower of London, said: “For over a thousand years, the Tower has been many things — fortress, palace, prison and garrison – but throughout its history it has always brought people together — first as a place to live and work, and today also to experience and enjoy all it has to offer. Tomorrow’s Tower builds on that legacy. By opening up new spaces for learning, community and discovery, we are ensuring the Tower’s stories continue to resonate, reaching more classrooms, more communities and the millions of people from around the world who visit each year, while carefully protecting what makes this extraordinary place so special.”

Simon Fourmy, Chief Executive of The Julia Rausing Trust, said: “Julia Rausing strongly believed that access to education and culture can have a transformative and profound lasting impact on people's lives. Through the Julia Rausing Learning Centre, many more children and communities will have the opportunity to engage with one of the UK's most significant historic sites in ways that are interactive, inclusive and accessible. We are proud to support a project that will broaden access to learning while helping to preserve the Tower's remarkable heritage for future generations."

Sophia Weston from the Garfield Weston Foundation said: “We believe in supporting a diverse range of charities across the UK. From local community initiatives to large national projects, the common thread is that all our grantees make a real positive difference, improving lives and strengthening communities throughout the country.  We are delighted to support the improvements in learning facilities at this iconic venue .”

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “The Tower of London is one of the UK’s most loved and visited heritage places, an iconic site attracting local, national and international visitors alike. This project will create inspiring new spaces for learning, community engagement and discovery, revealing the Tower’s remarkable stories to more people than ever before.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we’re able to support a transformation programme that places heritage at the heart of education, helping children and young people feel connected and inspired by this extraordinary place where history happened, now and for future generations.”

Dame Vivien Duffield DBE, Chairman of the Clore Duffield Foundation, said: “All children and young people deserve the very best opportunities to benefit from the transforming power of our world class arts and heritage organisations. I am delighted that we are able to support this Clore Learning Studio at the Tower of London, one of the most important and iconic heritage sites in the UK.  Now more than ever, I believe that culture should be at the heart of our children’s learning.”

A spokesperson from the Sandys Trust said: “As the charity of a family long associated with HM Tower of London and other sites under Historic Royal Palaces’ care, the Sandys Trustees are delighted to help create “Tomorrow’s Tower”. By helping to enhance the learning facilities, we hope that many more people will benefit from the Tower’s future as a place of education and inspiration.”

Charles & Nicky Manby said: “We have always felt that the history of the Tower is as relevant today as it has been for a thousand years.  Access to learning about the Tower is a critical opportunity for all young people, so we are delighted to help support the learning centre.” 

Jamie Fobert, Director of Jamie Fobert Architects, said: “The Tower of London is so rich in history and extraordinary architecture; it is a honour to be tasked with creating new learning and community spaces within its walls. Working closely with Historic England and the wonderful HRP team, we have striven to breathe new life into underused spaces, always mindful of the past while creating opportunities for the future.”