Houses of Parliament, London

The original medieval palace burned down on the night of 16 October 1834, observed by crowds including William Turner, who sketched the fire and later produced two paintings from it. The current building, designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in Perpendicular Gothic style, replaced it between 1840 and 1876 and is arguably a more theatrically satisfying structure than the building it replaced. Westminster Hall, which survived the fire, dates from 1097 and is one of the largest surviving medieval hall spaces in Europe – its timber hammerbeam roof, added in the late 14th century, is a feat of medieval carpentry. The hall hosted the lying-in-state of Elizabeth II in 2022 and has been used for the same purpose for monarchs and prime ministers for centuries.

Visiting

The Palace is a working parliament, which shapes access. When Parliament is sitting, the public galleries of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are open to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis; queues form on the public footpath along the building’s north side. Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesdays at 12:00 is the most crowded session; most sittings are considerably quieter but also less dramatically entertaining.

When Parliament is in recess (summer and Christmas primarily), guided tours and self-guided audio tours are available.

Guided tour tickets: adults 40 pounds (90-minute tour in English; includes Westminster Hall, Central Lobby, House of Commons Chamber, House of Lords Chamber). Audio tour tickets: adults from 31 pounds (ten languages available; one child free). Tours run on Saturdays throughout the year and during recess from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Book online at tickets.parliament.uk; advance booking is recommended. Arrive at least 20 minutes before your ticket time to clear airport-style security.

The Surrounding Area

Westminster Abbey directly across Parliament Square is the coronation church of British monarchs and contains graves and memorials of most of them, along with Chaucer, Dickens, Newton, and Darwin. Entry costs 27 pounds. St Margaret’s Church, squeezed between the Abbey and Parliament Square, is the parish church of the House of Commons and free to enter.

The Tate Britain gallery is a 10-minute walk south along Millbank: the national collection of British art from the 16th century to the present. Free entry.

Getting There

Westminster station (Circle, District, and Jubilee lines) is directly adjacent to the building. Waterloo station is 10 minutes on foot. River bus services (Thames Clippers) stop at Westminster Pier. The best photographs of the building are from the Albert Embankment on the south side of the Thames, or from Westminster Bridge itself, with Elizabeth Tower and the Thames in the same frame.