Plan Your Visit
Time at The Box is time well spent. We have two different buildings for you to explore – our main building where you’ll find our collections galleries, exhibitions, Cottonian Research Room, shop and The Box Kitchen & Bar, and the beautifully restored St Luke’s church where we also display exhibitions throughout the year. Best of all, we’re free to visit with no need to book in advance!
How long does a visit take?
There's no right or wrong way to visit The Box - whether you've got an hour or a day, there's always something here for you to experience and enjoy. Here are some handy recommendations:
- 1 hour: Look around one of our galleries in detail - are you a natural history, human history, media or archives fan? Or why not experience one of our current exhibitions at your leisure? Land Sea Sky brings the work of three fantastic artists together - Ingrid Pollard, JMW Turner and Vija Celmins. Planet Ocean explores pivotal moments in our past and present relationship with the sea. Osman Yousefzada - When will we be good enough? presents us with questions about power, class and our shared histories.
- 2 hours: Pick two or three of our spaces to explore and enjoy what's on offer in The Box Kitchen & Bar.
- Half a day: Look around all our spaces, browse our brilliant onsite shop and treat yourself to something to eat and drink.
- All day: Why not make a day of it? Look around our galleries in detail, take a break for lunch, enjoy our exhibitions and then visit the shop before you leave.
Stay connected and hear about what's new with our regular updates.
Free digital guide
Explore The Box with our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app. Our guide takes you behind the scenes at The Box with exclusive perspectives from artists, curators, and more.
Getting around
Our main entrance and exit on Tavistock Place has step free access. We have an additional entrance and exit on North Hill which has steps.
Entry to and exit from St Luke’s is also on Tavistock Place, opposite our main building.
CCTV is in operation across our site.
Facilities
Lifts
Two lifts provide access between our floors. They are available to visitors with access needs only. Some lifts can also accommodate flatbed wheelchairs. Please contact us for detailed access information.
You can also check out our Access page for more details about how you can make the most of your visit and our commitment to getting things right.
Toilets
Toilets are available on each floor. We have wheelchair accessible toilets, a fully accessible Changing Places toilet (which includes a hoist, height adjustable changing bench, shower and height adjustable sink) and baby change facilities on our ground floor.
Picnic space
You are welcome to bring your own food with you on your visit. There is plenty of seating outside in Tavistock Place and designated space inside is on the large steps leading between the main entrance and shop. Food and drink is not permitted within our galleries.
Lockers
Lockers are available on site and cost £1 each which contributes towards the care of The Box's collections. If you need further assistance speak to the staff at the Welcome Desk.
WiFi
Free WiFi is available throughout our site.
Dogs
We welcome official guide or care dogs on but unfortunately no other dogs are permitted inside The Box buildings.
Forgotten something?
Emergency supplies of eco-friendly nappies, wipes and sanitary products are available from our Welcome Desk.
Make your visit kinder to the planet
There are lots of ways to help make your visit to The Box as environmentally-friendly as possible:
- Use public transport or a Beryl e-Bike to get to and from The Box - we have an e-bike parking bay on Tavistock Place!
- Try one of the delicious vegetarian or vegan dishes from the menu in The Box Kitchen & Bar.
- Take a look at the climate change cases in our Active Archives gallery to learn more about the climate crisis and get some useful tips about how you can take action to reduce your impact on the environment.
- Browse and buy from the many ethically produced items in our shop.