Please note that our reading rooms open and close at different times to our building, as shown below.
Building and facilities
| Building and exhibition | Café | Shop | Car park | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | CLOSED | - | - | - |
| Tuesday | 09:00 to 19:00 | 09:00 to 17:00 | 10:00 to 17:00 | 08:00 to 19:30 |
| Wednesday | 09:00 to 17:00 | 09:00 to 16:00 | 10:00 to 17:00 | 08:00 to 17:30 |
| Thursday | 09:00 to 19:00 | 09:00 to 17:00 | 10:00 to 17:00 | 08:00 to 19:30 |
| Friday | 09:00 to 17:00 | 09:00 to 16:00 | 10:00 to 17:00 | 08:00 to 17:30 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 17:00 | 09:00 to 16:00 | 10:00 to 17:00 | 08:00 to 17:30 |
| Sunday* | 11:00 to 16:00 | 11:00 to 16:00 | 11:00 to 16:00 | 11:00 to 16:00 |
*We will be open every Sunday until 22 July 2024. After that, our building will be open on select Sundays.
For specific dates, please check the Closure dates section below. We are usually closed on bank holidays.
Reading rooms and document ordering
| Reading rooms | Documents can be ordered between | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | CLOSED | - |
| Tuesday | 09:30 to 19:00 | 09:30 to 16:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:30 to 17:00 | 09:30 to 15:30 |
| Thursday | 09:30 to 19:00 | 09:30 to 16:00 |
| Friday | 09:30 to 17:00 | 09:30 to 15:30 |
| Saturday | 09:30 to 17:00 | 09:30 to 15:30 |
| Sunday | CLOSED | - |
Our reading rooms are usually closed throughout bank holiday weekends.
Closure dates
We will be closed on the following dates (inclusive). Some dates may be subject to change.
- Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March: On Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March 2024 our building and grounds will be closed due to planned maintenance. Our online services will be available as per usual.
- Easter: We will close early at 17:00 on Thursday 28 March. On Friday 29 March, Saturday 30 March and Sunday 31 March the exhibition, shop and cafe will be open but the reading rooms will be closed. On Monday 1 April we will be closed.
- Early May Bank Holiday: On Saturday 4 May and Sunday 5 May the exhibition, shop and cafe will be open but the reading rooms will be closed. On Monday 6 May we will be closed.
- Spring Bank Holiday: On Saturday 25 May and Sunday 26 May, the exhibition, shop and cafe will be open but the reading rooms will be closed. On Monday 27 May we will be closed.
- Summer Bank Holiday: Saturday 24 August to Monday 26 August
- Christmas 2024: Wednesday 25 December to Friday 27 December (closing at 17:00 on Tuesday 24 December)
- New Year’s Day 2025: Wednesday 1 January