General Booking and Safety Measures

The Museum is open

The National Army Museum is open with measures in place so you can enjoy your experience here as safely as possible. Entry remains free, but we are asking visitors to book a time slot online before arriving. Please also adhere to government guidance on the wearing of face coverings.

Book your free time slot

Covid-19 safety measures

Our contemporary building features large open spaces and modern facilities. The safety of our visitors and staff is our priority and we have the following measure in place.

Risk assessments

Risk assessments have been carried out for both staff and visitor operations. These are regularly reviewed and take into account the latest guidance from the government and Public Health England.

Download the latest version of our Covid-19 risk assessment.

Staggered entry

Entry remains free, but we are asking visitors to pre-book a free time slot in advance of their visit. Subject to capacity on the day, we will also have a number of walk-up tickets available and you may need to queue during busy times.

Protective screens

There are protective perspex screens in place at the Welcome Desk, the Shop and in the Templer Study Centre.

Increased cleaning

We have increased our cleaning regime across the Museum with greater frequency to sensitive areas (handrails, handles and doors) and our toilet facilities.

Hand sanitiser

There will be hand-sanitising stations on entering the Museum, plus additional stations throughout the Museum.

Some of our facilities and services may remain temporarily closed.

Please follow government advice when planning a visit to the Museum. If you or any of your household have any of the recognised symptoms of Covid-19, please do not visit the Museum. Instead, re-plan your visit for a time when it is safe for you to do so.

FAQs

When is the Museum open?

The Museum is now open daily, except on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday - Sunday: 10.00am - 5.30pm (last entry 5.00pm)

Which facilities are open?

Galleries

The galleries are open. However, some gallery interactives remain unavailable.

Templer Study Centre

The Templer Study Centre is open for current readers from Wednesday to Friday, 10.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.30pm (last entry 3.30pm).

Access to the Templer Study Centre is by appointment only, in order that we can maintain social distancing, and requires 10 working days’ notice. Please email info@nam.ac.uk to book your slot.

Before booking a visit, we encourage you to visit our Templer Study Centre page, read our website research advice, and search our Online Collection.

Research visits (Stevenage)

The viewing room at Stevenage is available on Thursdays and Fridays, 10.00am to 12.30pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

Access to the collections is free, by prior appointment only, and requires 10 working days’ notice. Please email info@nam.ac.uk to enquire about booking a visit.

Before enquiring about a visit, we encourage you to check our information on stored collections visits.

Shop

The Shop is open between 10.00am and 5.30pm. We accept cash, but we would ask you to use contactless card payments if possible. You can also visit our online shop.

Toilets and changing facilities

Toilets are open, including baby change and Changing Places facilities.

Lifts

Owing to Covid-19 restrictions, lifts are only available for visitors with limited or restricted mobility. We would also recommend that you wear a face covering when using the lift.

Café

The Cookhouse Café is open between 10.00am and 4.00pm and available for takeaway or for eat-in.

The Café offers hot and cold options for both breakfast and lunch alongside pre-packed sandwiches, kids' packed lunches, and cakes. Card payments only.

Play Base

Play Base is open with new measures and changes to ensure it continues to be safe and fun while also ensuring we keep our visitors and staff safe. Face coverings are required for all Adults attending a Play Base session (unless medically exempt).

With new social distancing measures in place, and increased cleaning between sessions, we have adjusted our Play Base session times and now only offer five sessions a day, with reduced capacity in each session.

Play Base session times:

10.00am – 11.00am
11.30am – 12.30pm
1.00pm – 2.00pm
2.30pm – 3.30pm
4.00pm – 5.00pm

Children’s birthday parties

We will be able to offer children’s birthday parties from the beginning of September. If you would like to enquire about birthday parties, please complete our booking form.

Which facilities remain temporarily closed?

Cloakroom

The cloakroom remains closed, so we ask that you keep all your personal belongings with you (including push chairs) as you follow the one-way route. Please do not bring suitcases, large bags or scooters to the Museum.

Lunchroom

There are still no lunchroom facilities at this time and we ask visitors not to bring food and drink into the Museum.

How do I book my free time slot for the Museum?

Please book online before arriving at the Museum, choosing a date for your visit and one of the following time slots:

10.00am - 1.00pm
1.00pm - 5.30pm (last admission 5.00pm)

You can book a time slot up to a month in advance of your visit. We will release new time slots every week. Please be mindful of others when booking your slot and don’t book more than you need.

Please bring your ticket with you. We may follow up your visit with a short survey to improve our service to you.

If you are unable to book your time slot online, please call the Museum switchboard on 020 7730 0717 during Museum opening hours. A member of our team will be pleased to assist you.

Do I need to arrive at the start of my time slot?

No, you can arrive at any time during your time slot.

Can I turn up without a ticket?

Yes, but we would advise that you book your free ticket before you arrive.

Do I need to print my ticket?

No, but you will need to show it on your phone, if you don't have a print-out.

What will happen when I arrive?

Queuing

You may have to queue outside the Museum at busy times.

Security check

If you bring a bag to the Museum, it will be searched upon entry. Our security officer will ask you to place your bag on the desk, open it and step back before they perform the bag search. Our security officer will be wearing disposable gloves to carry out the check and will change gloves between each bag search.

Once the check is complete, the security officer will ask you to close and collect your bag so that you can begin your visit.

Please do not bring suitcases, large bags or scooters to the Museum.

Check-in

You will be asked to confirm your booking at our Welcome Desk.

Will there be someone to ask if I have questions?

Yes, our staff are available to guide you and to answer any queries you may have. At the Welcome Desk, the Shop and the Templer Study Centre there will be protective perspex screens in place.

Can I book a school visit?

We are able to offer some of our school workshops on-site at the Museum. Details can be found on our workshop listings page.

In order to facilitate safe school visits, we have greatly reduced our capacity and have also introduced other safety measures. Further details are available to teachers on request.

If you are unable to visit us, but would still like to use our learning content, we have developed a number of virtual workshops. Details of these can also be found on our listings page.

Can I book a group visit?

Group visits are not currently possible. We hope to resume this service soon. For more information on group visits, please email info@nam.ac.uk

I have access needs. Can I still visit the Museum?

We continue to welcome visitors with access needs or reduced mobility.

It is possible to borrow a wheelchair on site. These are fully disinfected after each use. If you would like to inform us of your visit in advance, please email info@nam.ac.uk

Will the Museum continue to run its Public Programme?

Yes, we are now beginning to reintroduce some of our talks and family programme in the Museum. All events running as part of our public programme have a reduced capacity to allow for social distancing. Venues and seating are cleaned between events. We will review this regularly and advise of any changes.

We are also continuing to deliver some of our talks, family programme and exclusive members events using our digital channels.

For the latest details, visit our What's On page, our social channels or sign up for our e-newsletter.

What else can I do to stay safe?

Visit the government website for more information about Covid-19 and prevention measures.

Last updated: 5 January 2022