Apsley House is a neoclassical townhouse belonging to the Dukes of Wellington, in Central London. The building is famous for its pristine exterior conditions and the excellent preservation of its interior decoration. Compared to other aristocratic townhouses from the same period, Apsley House stands out as the best maintained.

To this day, Apsley House is still lived in by the Duke of Wellington’s family, but on weekends it is open to the public as an art gallery. It is, in fact, often referred to as Wellington Museum, referencing the Wellington Collection it houses.

The collection is made up of paintings, military memorabilia, furniture, sculptures, porcelain, and silverware. Some of the most notable works featured here are several paintings by internationally renowned artists such as Velázquez, Goya, van Dyck, and Rubens.

Originally built for Lord Apsely (from him the name) between 1771 and 1778, Apsley House used to be the first residence that visitors walked by after passing the toll gates at Knightsbridge. For this reason, the building became then known as Number 1, London.

Since then, the city has obviously grown around it, but Apsley House still makes for an interesting visit, especially for those interested in London’s aristocratic past and present.

Location

149 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NT.

Apsley House is located at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, between the Mayfair and Belgravia districts, two of the most exclusive areas of London. Immediately south of the townhouse is the Wellington Arch.

Close to Apsley House, opposite Hyde Park’s direction is Geen Park, at the edge of which you’ll find Buckingham Palace. Beyond it is St James’s Park.

Entries

To visit Apsely House you will need to purchase your tickets at the ticket office on-site.

All tickets come in two options, without donation (shown above) or with a 10% donation addition. If you do not wish to donate to English Heritage, you will need to specify that at the ticket office.

Apsley House is free to visit if you have a London Pass. In this case, you can just show up at the residence and show your pass. It is also included in the 2FOR1 offers, which make you eligible to buy two tickets for the price of one.

Schedule

Being an inhabited townhouse, Apsley House is only open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The residence remains closed Monday through Friday.

Transport

Apsley House is in a busy and active area of London, so you won’t have trouble finding public transport options to reach it. The closest Tube stop is Hyde Park Corner, right next to Apsley House, along the Piccadilly line.

In terms of buses, you also have a wider choice. Buse routes 2, 9, 13, 16, 19, 22, 23, 36, 38, 52, 74, 137, 148, 390, and 414 all stop right in front of or behind Apsley House.

You can find a summary of the public transport options in the table below.

Nearby sights

Hyde Park - directly north of Apsley House.

Wellington Arch - immediately south of Apsley House.

Geen Park - directly south of Apsley House, behind Wellington Arch.

Harrods - 1 km (0.6 miles) southwest, 12-minute walk.

Buckingham Palace - 1 km (0.6 miles) southeast, 13-minute walk.

St James’ Park - 1.1 km (0.7 miles) southwest, 14-minute walk.