Open House Festival London; Free Entry to Hundreds of London Settings

Open House Festival has closed for 2025 but we’ll bring you more details as they emerge for 2026. You can find out more information about how we got on over at Visit To 10 Downing Street with Open House Festival.

Open House Festival runs each year in September, offering FREE entry to hundreds of historic houses, government buildings, museums & private homes, many of which are not normally open to the public.  A number of these settings operate on a first-come-first-served basis, but the more popular require booking in advance with a select few requiring a ticket ballot.  Whilst the ticket ballots are now closed for 10 Downing Street, BBC Broadcasting House, BT Tower, Canada House & the London Museum, there are plenty of other settings to available to visit.

Find out more information on how you can get involved and explore unusual settings, a number of which are not normally open to the public.

City Hall London

Open House Festival 2025 will be running from 13 – 21 September 2025 and offers you a chance to explore government buildings, museums & historic houses within London.  We were lucky enough to win tickets in the 10 Downing Street ballot some years back & it’s got to be up there as one of our favourite days out.  The 2025 programme has now been released & whilst the the ticket ballots are closed, there are hundred of other settings open during the Open House Festival.

Open House Festival offers you a chance to explore buildings, museums & historic houses & private homes, many of which are not normally open to the public. Running form 13-21 September 2025, the full Open House Festival programme is now live so worth taking a look as soon as possible as the more popular settings do get booked up quickly.

There are hundreds of settings to explore so worth looking through the full calendar of events and taking account of dates, opening times and & any pre-book requirements. Here’s a chance to visit Van Gogh House London, The Argentine Ambassador’s Residence, Kenwood House, City Hall & hundreds of other buildings.  Many work on a first come first served basis on the day, although some may require pre-booking.

Some of our favourites running for 2025 include;

• Argentine’s Ambassador’s Residence, (drop in)
• Embassy of the Republic of Poland, (guided tour)
• Drapers Hall, (drop in)
• City Hall, (drop in)
• National Portrait Gallery, (drop in)
• National Audit Office, (drop in/talk)
• Senate House, (drop in)
• Van Gogh House London, (drop in)
• Royal Hospital Chelsea, Home of the Chelsea Pensioners, (guided tour)
• Inner Temple Gardens, (drop in)
• Fulham Palace, (drop in/guided tour)

The full programme is now live with more details available at Open House Festival.

10 Downing Street

Open House Festival; 10 Downing Street, BBC Broadcasting House, BT Tower & Canada House, (ballot now closed)

The following settings have ticket ballots in place for visits taking place as follows;

10 Downing Street; 13 September 2025, (11:30 & 13:30).

BBC Broadcasting House; 20 September, (various times from 10:00 – 16:00).

BT Tower; 20 September, (various times from 09:30-18:30).

Canada House; 13 & 15 September, (various tour times plus an art tour & tea on the terrace on 15 Sept).

London Museum; 20 September, (various times from 10:00 – 16:00).

Simply register/log in for a free Open House account and then select the ballot(s) you wish to enter.  You can enter multiple ballots that gives the opportunity to apply for tickets for various tour times & dates. The ballots remain open until Monday 18 August where successful applicants will be notified via email.