Our building, including our reading rooms and exhibition spaces, is now open to everyone.
We encourage reading room visitors to book their visit and order documents in advance, although this is no longer essential. You do not need to book to visit our exhibition, shop or cafe.
The 1921 Census of England and Wales is now available in digital format in our reading rooms, free of charge. You do not need to book to access it, although we may operate timed slots at particularly busy times to help manage demand.
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.
Our building is now open to everyone, but the opening times of our services varies throughout the week.
Find out what type of research you can do with our collection and how to get started, including information on the processes and safety measures we have put in place.
- Handling documents
- What can I take into the reading rooms?
- Do I need a reader’s ticket?
- New to using archives?
- What to expect when researching
- How to order, view and copy documents
- What can I expect when I visit?
- What records we hold
- The National Archives’ SafePod
- Using The National Archives’ reference library
The National Archives is fully accessible to disabled visitors. Find out about accessible travel and our on site facilities.