Wellington Arch

A visiting display inside Wellington Arch, the early nineteenth-century monument at Hyde Park Corner, offering a look at British history, culture and heritage alongside the arch itself.

Wellington Arch was built between 1825 and 1827 as a monumental gateway to Buckingham Palace, and was later reworked into a victory arch honouring the Duke of Wellington's win over Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. The monument itself is the main subject of a visit, and its interior holds a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions that explore aspects of British history, culture and heritage.

Visitors who climb the steps reach a viewing point with wide views across London, taking in Buckingham Palace, The Mall and the greenery of Hyde Park. The arch also sits beside the route the Household Cavalry takes on horseback towards the Changing of the Guard, so a passing procession may be seen from above or below.

The visit suits people who enjoy architecture and city history as much as the displays themselves, and it can be combined with a walk through the park. The exhibitions are reached by the arch's own stairway, so the route is a short, self-paced circuit rather than a long tour.