Fulham Palace
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
London
What it’s like
Free grounds with a 500-year-old oak, a natural play area and free trails through the historic rooms.
Getting in costs nothing, which is rare for somewhere with a moat, a 500-year-old holm oak and actual historic rooms to poke round. Kids get free trails to follow through the museum, and outside there's a natural play area near the main lawn for when the trails don't hold their attention any more. There are temporary exhibitions on rotation too, so it's not the same visit twice if you go back later in the year.
Climbing the trees is a hard no, they're old and the site would rather you used the play area instead, which is fair enough given how long that oak's been standing there. Ball games are out as well, apart from soft balls for under-5s, so leave the football at home. Under-10s can ride bikes or scooters outdoors with supervision, but nothing indoors, and if you cycle there you dismount and walk to the parking near the car park.
Picnics are fine on the main lawn until 5pm, you can bring your own table and chairs, though the walled garden's off limits for eating. There's no BBQs allowed, individual or otherwise, but the drawing room café covers food and drinks if you'd rather not carry a hamper. The museum and historic rooms run 10.30 to 5, with last entry at 4.30, while the botanic garden stays open much later, from 7am to 6pm.
Getting in after 4.30 needs a bit of planning. The back gate into Bishop's Park and the All Saints church gate are open until 4.30 daily, and after that you use the wooden gates on Bishop's Avenue instead. Parking is the real catch here: there's no general car park, just metered bays on Bishop's Avenue, with one accessible bay for blue badge holders in a gated car park. Worth knowing before you plan a big group day, since there's no space for a coach load of cars nearby.
Facilities
Need to know
- Last entry
- 16:30 (Museum & historic rooms)
- Parking
- No general parking on site. Metered bays on Bishop's Avenue
- Picnics
- Allowed on main lawn. Contact for groups of 30+
- Dogs
- Not allowed in the garden to keep it safe for visitors and plants
- Parties
- Birthday parties in garden by advance booking
- Rooms occasionally close for private events, so a museum visit isn't guaranteed room by room.
- The whole site needs a ticket on 4 October for the apple day event.
- Museum and shop are shut on 28 September and 5 October.
- Drones aren't allowed on site.
- High winds can force a partial site closure.
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, entry to Fulham Palace is free.
What time does everything close?
The museum and historic rooms run 10.30 to 5pm with last entry at 4.30. The botanic garden stays open later, 7am to 6pm, and the café runs 9.30 to 5.
Is there parking?
General car park, just metered bays on Bishop's Avenue. There's one accessible bay for blue badge holders in a gated car park.
Can we bring a picnic?
Picnics are allowed on the main lawn, not the walled garden, and you need to pack up by 5pm. Bring your own table and chairs if you want them.
Can we have a barbecue?
Individual BBQs aren't allowed anywhere on site. The drawing room café does food and drinks instead.
Can the kids climb the trees?
The trees are historic and off limits for climbing. There's a natural play area near the main lawn for that kind of thing instead.
Can we play football or cricket on the lawn?
Ball games apart from soft balls, which are fine for under-5s under supervision.
Can kids ride bikes or scooters?
Under-10s can ride outdoors with supervision, but not indoors. If you cycle there, you dismount at the gate and walk to the cycle parking.
Which gate do we use to get in?
The back gate into Bishop's Park and the All Saints church gate are open until 4.30pm daily. After that, use the wooden gates on Bishop's Avenue.
Can we book a birthday party there?
Parties can be held in the garden with advance booking. If you bring an entertainer or external organiser, there's a £350 plus VAT fee, £420 all in.
Are dogs allowed?
Not in the garden, so leave them at home if that's where you're headed.
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