The City Guide Tour
When? Every Tuesday at 2pm.
Duration of tour: one hour
Meeting point: the A-board near the porch
entrance to Mansion House – this is in Walbrook (exit 8 from Bank
tube station).
Cost: £6 adults; £4 concs (please pay the guide
in cash).
Booking: tours cannot be booked in advance.
Please arrive at the meeting point described above by 2pm. The
maximum number for the tour is 40, so please allow enough time.
Visitors will be admitted on a first-come, first-served
basis.Please note that no tours take place in
August when Mansion House is closed for refurbishment or on public
holidays which may fall on a Tuesday, such as Christmas Day and New
Year’s Day.
About the Tour
On the tour, your guide will explain the history of the House,
how it has been used by previous Lord Mayors, and the important
role it plays in supporting the current Lord Mayor. The tour
includes
many of the public rooms on the first floor of the House, as
well as the
Harold Samuel Collection, which comprises eighty-four 17th
Century Dutch and Flemish paintings by such masters as Frans Hals,
Nicoleas Maes, and Jacob Ruisdael.
The Mansion House Plate Collection is also included on the
tour, and there will be the opportunity to see the Lord Mayor’s
Sword and Mace, the Fire Cup and the Pearl Sword, which according
to legend was used by Elizabeth I at the time of the opening of the
Royal Exchange in 1571.
The tours are led by trained City of London Guides.
View details of their other guided walks here.
Please note: if there are business meetings in
some parts of the House, then it may not be possible to view these
areas. However the guide will explain who is there and what is
going on, and this will help to illustrate
the daily work of the Lord Mayor.
Useful Information
View frequently asked questions about the tours.
Find out more about the Mansion House
See a
photo tour of the House on the BBC
website.
The Group Tour
When? There are no regular slots but tours are arranged
at a time to suit the programme of events at Mansion House and up
to 3 months in advance.
Duration of tour: one hour
Cost: Free
Booking:
tours.mansionhouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk;
or call 020 7397 9331.
About the Tour
Group tours are available for self-organised
(non-commercial) groups with a minimum number of 15 and a maximum
of 40. All tours are guided by an employee of the City of
London Corporation and cover the same areas as the City
Guides Tour.
Please note: We regret that given the high
level and continuous demands for use of the House, that booked
tours may very occasionally have to be cancelled
at short notice. It may also not be possible to see certain rooms
due to business meetings and events taking place within
the House. The House is closed throughout August for essential
maintenance and on Bank Holidays.
Tours of the Art Collection
When?There are no regular slots but tours are
arranged at a time to suit the programme of events at Mansion
House, and up to 3 months in advance.
Duration of Tour: One Hour
Booking:
tours.mansionhouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk;
or call 020 7397 9331. The Tours are guided by Guildhall Art
Gallery staff.
Cost: £60 per group, maximum 20 people
What's to see?
Find out more about the Art and Sculpture on display at the
Mansion House
Please note: It may not be possible to
view some areas as business meetings are orften scheduled at
short notice. However the guide will explain who is there and what
is going on, and this will help to illustrate
the daily work of the Lord Mayor. We regret that given the high
level and continuous demands for use of the House, that booked
tours may very occasionally have to be cancelled
at short notice.
Open House weekend
Every year in September, the Open House
Architecural Festival opens the doors to venues usually
not usually accessible to the public. The Mansion House
participates in the festival and further information can be
found on the
Open House website This year the
Festival takes place on the 18 and 19
September 2010.