Open House 2024
This is your chance to explore the history and architectural highlights of Carlton House Terrace, the home of the UK’s national academy of science.
On 14 and 15 September 2024, Open House Festival, the largest annual festival of architecture and design returns to the capital. Over the weekend, visitors are invited to discover the secrets of the Grade 1 listed town houses, designed by John Nash, that are currently home to the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
Uncover countless treasures behind the doors of 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, including portraits of Royal Society Fellows dating back to the 1600s, plus the recently revealed portrait of Sir David Attenborough by world renowned artist, Jonathan Yeo. Also on show are the ornate mother-of-pearl inlay ceiling, and features from the building’s time as the pre-WWII German Embassy.
During this rare opportunity to see the 19th century building, join one of our free guided tours or explore at your own pace with our self-guided tour. Please note that places are limited for our free guided tours and you must book your spot at the building on the day of the tour.
What is Open House?
Open House is a simple but powerful concept: hundreds of great buildings of all types and periods open up their doors to all, completely without charge.
This unique opportunity to access and understand architecture is a chance to look at everyday buildings anew and communicates the value of a well-designed city to everybody who uses it. For more information, visit the Open House website.
For all enquiries, please contact public.engagement@royalsociety.org.
Tours
There will be guided tours and talks given by members of our Library team throughout the weekend. Tours can only be booked in person on the day and are first-come, first-served. Tours of the history and architecture of the building will run regularly throughout the weekend. There will also be guided tours of our current exhibit, Figuring the Earth, on Saturday, plus show and tell sessions in the Library on Sunday. More details can be found below.
Exhibit: Figuring the Earth - perspectives from the Académie des Sciences and the Royal Society
Join the curator for a guided tour of our current exhibit, Figuring the Earth.
This collaborative exhibition brings together artefacts from the French and UK academies of science to explore the efforts made on both sides of the Channel to understand, measure and model the size and shape of the Earth from the seventeenth century to today.
It showcases the importance of international scientific exchanges between scientists and institutions to advance knowledge.
The exhibition will be open until 4 October 2024.
This special guided tour will run at 11.15am and 2.45pm on Saturday 14 September. Tickets can only be booked in person on the day.
Inside the Society: What happened at early Royal Society meetings?
For many years weekly meetings of the Fellowship lay at the heart of the Royal Society. Join the Society's archivist and find out what these leading scientific luminaries got up to when they gathered at the Society's London headquarters to experiment and debate. From the very first meeting of the Society in 1660 we'll peek into the records of the history of science for a glimpse of the everyday, the groundbreaking and the bizarre.
This show and tell session will run at 11.15am and 2.45pm on Sunday 15 September. Tickets can only be booked in person on the day.
Attending the event
- This event is free to attend
- Please register for your prefered entry time slot on Eventbrite
- We will open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Last entry will be at 4.15pm
- Tours of the building can be booked free of charge upon arrival at the building on the day
- As this is a popular event, please be prepared to queue during busy times. Priority will be given to those registered on Eventbrite
- Please note that the Conference Room will be closed on Saturday 14 September. It will be open on Sunday 15 September. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause
- Travel and accessibility information
Accessibility
We strive to make our events as accessible to everyone as possible. Below are some details to help you plan your visit, but if you have any questions please contact us directly on 020 7451 2601 or at public.engagement@royalsociety.org.
You can access the entrance to the building via five steps with a hand rail, or by using a lift which is operable by reception staff. If you need to use the lift, please use the buzzer to the right of the entrance steps or inform a member of staff when you arrive.
Once inside the building, all areas can be reached without using steps. There is an accessible toilet on the basement floor.
There may be queues to enter the building at busy periods. If you are unable to queue, please inform a member of staff when you arrive and we will make alternative arrangements.
Guided building tours can be made accessible and step-free. If you would like to attend a guided tour and have any accessibility requirements that you would like to discuss, please contact us in advance at public.engagement@royalsociety.org.
Portable seats are available on request.
There will be filtered water available in the basement to refill bottles.
Families
We encourage families to come and explore the building. We have self-guided tours that can be taken at your own pace and we will have a family friendly activity that can be done on your self-guided tour.
Baby changing facilities are located in both the male and female toilets. Buggy parking space is also available on the ground floor.