Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tomb of Queens Elizabeth I and Mary I
Royal Air Force Chapel
Tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots
Poets' Corner
Cloisters and Abbey Museum
Coronation Chair
Westminster Abbey is more than just an “abbey”—it's the most famous English church
in Christendom, where royalty has been wedded, crowned, and buried since the 11th cen-
tury. Indeed, the histories of Westminster Abbey and England are almost the same. A thou-
sand years of English history—3,000 tombs, the remains of 29 kings and queens, and hun-
dreds of memorials to poets, politicians, scientists, and warriors—lie within its stained-
glass splendor and under its stone slabs.
(See “Westminster Walk” map,
here
.)
Cost:
£
18,
£
36 family ticket (covers 2 adults and 1 child), cash or credit cards accepted
(line up in the correct queue to pay; if the situation is unclear, ask an Abbey attendant
for help), includes fine audioguide and entry to the cloisters and Abbey Museum.
Praying is free, thank God. It's also free to enter just the cloisters and Abbey Museum
(through Dean's Yard, around the right side as you face the main entrance), but if it's
too crowded inside, the marshal at the cloister entrance may not let you in.
Hours:
Abbey—Mon-Fri 9:30-16:30, Wed until 19:00 (main church only), Sat 9:30-14:30,
last entry one hour before closing, closed Sun to sightseers but open for services;
Abbey Museum—daily 10:30-16:00; cloisters—daily 8:00-18:00. Special events can
shut down all or part of the Abbey.
When to Go:
The place is most crowded every day at midmorning and all day Saturdays
and Mondays. Visit early, during lunch, or late to avoid tourist hordes. Weekdays after
