Visit us

The National Archives is open to all, offering a range of activities and spaces to enjoy and our reading rooms for research.

Our site in Kew has a bookshop and restaurant, set in beautiful grounds just a five-minute walk from the River Thames. Plan your visit, or find out about our events, exhibitions or talks.

Visit us on the first Sunday of every month and explore our building, our picturesque gardens and discover a new side to The National Archives.

We have introduced new charges in our visitor car park: find out more.

Opening times

You can view original documents in the reading rooms from 09:00 Tuesday to Saturday. Find out the opening times of our restaurant, cafe and bookshop.

How to find us

Plan your journey here with our address in Kew, maps and information about local public transport links. Accessible route maps for disabled visitors are available.

What’s on

As well as researching, there is a range of events, exhibitions, talks and workshops here to get involved in.

Researching here

Find out what type of research you can do here and how to get started.

Information for disabled visitors

The National Archives is fully accessible to disabled visitors. Find out about accessible travel and our on site facilities.

Group visits

We accommodate school groups, academic research groups and library and information service professionals.

Venue hire

Situated in a riverside location in leafy Kew, we are a year-round venue with extensive, landscaped grounds offering both daytime and evening hire.

Security at our Kew site

Working with our private security providers, we provide optimum access to the collection while ensuring the security of our visitors, staff and site.