Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 2AP
England

Website

E-mail

information@royalcollection.org.uk

All information is supplied by the venues or providers themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.
Wheelchair access icon

Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A royal palace and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. Visitors can walk around the State Apartments, extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace; for part of the year visitors can also see the Semi State rooms, which are some of the most splendid interiors in the castle. They are furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection including paintings by Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain, sculpture and armour. Within the Castle complex there are many additional attractions. In the Drawings Gallery regular exhibitions of treasures from the Royal Library are mounted. Another popular feature is the Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a miniature mansion built to perfection. The fourteenth-century St. George's Chapel is the burial place of ten sovereigns, home of the Order of the Garter, and setting for many royal weddings. From October to March visitors can also enjoy George IV's private apartments (the Semi-State Rooms), among the most richly decorated interiors in the Castle.
During August and September the East Terrace is open to visitors. Overlooking Home Park and the rose garden created for George IV in the 1820s, it offers views of the East façade of the Castle, not normally visible to the public.
Nearby on the Windsor Estate is Frogmore House, an attractive country residence with strong associations to three queens - Queen Charlotte, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary.

Venue Type:

Historic house or home, Garden, parklands or rural site, Gallery, Castle or defences

 Opening hours

March to October
09:45 -17:15
(last admission 16:00)

November to February
09:45 -16:15
(last admission 15:00)

As a working royal palace, the Castle is used frequently by The Queen for State ceremonies and official entertaining. Please check opening arrangements before planning a visit.

Reduced admission charges apply when the State Apartments are closed. Visitors can still enjoy the extensive Castle Precincts, St George's Chapel, Queen Mary's Dolls' House, the Castle Exhibition and the exhibition in the Drawings Gallery.

The Semi-State Rooms will be open from October to March.

St George's Chapel is open every day to visitors except:

The Castle is open every day except:
25 and 26 December
The State Apartments are open every day except the first two weeks of January (call for details).

St. George's Chapel is closed to visitors on Sundays as services are held throughout the day. Worshippers are welcome to attend the services.

 Admission charges

Adult £16.50
Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £15.00
Under 17 £9.90
Under 5 Free
Family £43.50 (2 adults and 3 under 17s)

Admission prices when the State Apartments are closed:
Adult £9.00
Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £8.00
Under 17 £6.00
Under 5 Free
Family £24.50 (2 adults and 3 under 17s)
1-Year Pass - terms and conditions
Enjoy free re-admission for a year if you buy your ticket directly from us. Simply ask us to stamp your ticket on your first visit.
The benefit of 1-Year Pass complimentary re-admission is always subject to ticket availability and cannot be used on certain dates. Please check the website for details.

 Disability access
  • Wheelchair access to some public areas
  • Wheelchairs available for loan

Additional info

Most public areas are accessible for wheelchair-users, including the State Apartments. Unfortunately for architectural and safety reasons it has not proved possible to provide wheelchair access to the Semi-State Rooms.

Wheelchairs can be borrowed, free of charge, from the Visitor Centre. However, they cannot be pre-booked and must remain in the Castle grounds.

Windsor Castle
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 2AP
England

Website

E-mail

information@royalcollection.org.uk

All information is supplied by the venues or providers themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.
Resources listed here may include websites, bookable tours and workshops, books, loan boxes and more. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all.
 Boxes, objects and other kit

Investigating Materials

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=231

This session focuses on the materials used in building Windsor Castle and St George’s Chapel and for making the armour on display in the State Apartments. By exploring the Materials history box, which includes pieces of stone, wood and flint, and items salvaged from the fire of 1992, children discover natural and man-made materials and learn why different materials are used for particular purposes. Part of the session is conducted outside, weather permitting.

How to obtain

To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk

 Face to face resources

Castles and Homes Introductory Talk

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=231

Pupils looking at different people’s lives and lifestyles explore the Castle as an historic royal home and as a favourite home and working palace of our Queen. A themed trail is provided. The talk can be adapted to focus on the Castle as the home of a prominent monarch of the past such as King Henry VIII or Queen Victoria.

How to obtain

To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk.

Castles Introductory Talk

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=231

Why were castles built and what were they used for? Pupils explore the evolution of castles and their role in medieval society, both in peacetime and in times of war. We look in detail at the means of attack available to a determined enemy and, by pinpointing examples at Windsor, at the formidable defences typical of a medieval fortress. A themed trail is provided.

How to obtain

To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk

In the Footsteps of Medieval Kings Guided Tour

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=230

In walking the paths that medieval kings followed through this impregnable fortress, pupils discover how the history of Windsor Castle reflects events of the period. These include the Norman conquest of England, the building of wood and later stone fortresses across the land, the signing of the Magna Carta and the coming of the new Age of Chivalry under Edward III.

How to obtain

This tour will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from April to November. The maximum group size is 33 pupils.
To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk

The Castle Precincts: A Walk with a View

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=231

This tour of the Castle’s open spaces is an exciting way for children to examine Windsor’s medieval defences and see for themselves the advantages of building a castle on a hill. A themed trail is provided.

How to obtain

This tour will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from April to November. The maximum group size is 33 pupils. To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk

Twilight Evenings at Windsor Castle

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=260

Our Twilight Evenings are aimed at teachers wanting to confirm, before booking, that a school visit to Windsor Castle will fulfil their learning objectives.
Teachers of history, geography, religious studies, art and design, and travel and tourism are invited, and the evening includes a guided tour of the State Apartments and a visit to St George’s Chapel. Teachers also meet the Education team and learn how our varied schools programmes, offering talks, tours, trails and handling collections, link to many areas of the National Curriculum and beyond.

How to obtain

Please contact the Education bookings team for dates and to ask about INSET days in 2009. Call 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk.

Windsor Castle and Town

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=231

Was Windsor Castle built on a hill in the middle of the town or did the town grow up around the Castle? We find out by exploring when, how and why a castle was built at Windsor and how it developed through the centuries. A themed trail is provided.

How to obtain

To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk

Windsor Castle: History Around Us (Key Stage 4)

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=230

Over the centuries, Windsor Castle’s role has included fortress, prison, Baroque palace, family home, wartime refuge, heritage attraction and residence used by The Queen for official duties. This session helps pupils develop skills in selecting and evaluating evidence on site of this changing role.

How to obtain

To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk

Windsor Castle in Medieval Times

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=230

How did the earth and timber fortress at Windsor develop into a magnificent royal residence and medieval seat of government? Pupils discover how the Castle’s history reflects events of the period, from William I’s conquest of England to Edward III’s victories in the new Age of Chivalry.

How to obtain

To make a booking, please contact the Education bookings team at our Ticket Sales and Information Office on 020 7766 7323 or email education@royalcollection.org.uk.

Windsor Castle
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 2AP
England

Website

E-mail

information@royalcollection.org.uk

All information is supplied by the venues or providers themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.