Foundling Museum

Free with membership

Facilities

Accessible loos
Easily accessible without car
Facilities for children
Mostly wheelchair accessible
Shop

Accessibility

The museum is fully accessible.

Does our information need updating?

Let us know here

The Foundling Museum has more than 275 years of history permeating its objects, stories, and spaces. It tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, which was established in 1739 by the philanthropist Thomas Coram, to care for babies at risk of abandonment.

The Foundling Hospital was the UK’s first children’s charity and became its first public art gallery. It was transformed into one of London’s most fashionable venues by the artist William Hogarth, who encouraged leading artists to donate their work and by the composer George Frideric Handel, who held annual benefit concerts of Messiah in its chapel.

Today the collection includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, furniture, clocks and ceramics. Highlights range from tiny, touching identifying tokens left by mothers with their babies to composer George Frideric Handel’s Will. Artworks on display include work by outstanding contemporary artists like Yinka Shonibare, Tracey Emin and Michael Craig-Martin, as well as those made and donated nearly three centuries earlier by William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds.

Our Gerald Coke Handel Collection is a major research resource for study of the composer and philanthropist George Frideric Handel and his contemporaries. More than 14,000 items include manuscripts, printed music, books, artworks, sound recordings and ephemera.

During its two centuries in operation, the Foundling Hospital looked after a remarkable 25,000 children. The Museum opened in 2004, fifty years after the Foundling Hospital placed its last pupil in foster care. The Museum building is situated in the grounds of the old hospital at 40 Brunswick Square in Bloomsbury (near to Russell Square tube station). It was constructed in the 1930s, and incorporates many architectural features from the original eighteenth-century hospital building.

Visit the Museum to discover the story of the Foundling Hospital, the children who lived there, and its vibrant community of artists, musicians and supporters through its galleries and historic rooms.

Opening Times

Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.

The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.

View website

The Foundling Museum offers a variety of exhibitions, events, and tours, with detailed opening times and ticketing information provided below.

Regular Opening Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm

Amended Opening Hours

Saturday, 11 April: Picture Gallery closed until 2pm
Saturday, 2 May: Museum closed
Thursday, 21 May: First floor closed from 1pm

Ticket Prices

Adult: £14.50
Student (22+): £13.00
Camden resident: £13.00
Disabled: £13.00
Access companion: Free
21 & under: Free
Foundling Friend: Free
Care-experienced individual: Free
Government benefits claimant (selected): Free
National Art Pass holder: Free
Historic Houses member: Free

Tickets include access to the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions and are valid for a whole year from the date of purchase.

Exhibitions and Events

A Grand Chorus: The Power of Music: 2 October 2025 – 31 May 2026
The Foundling Hospital Boys’ Band: 6 January – 31 May 2026
Handel’s Heroines: Lucy Crowe OBE, Bridget Cunningham & London Early Opera: 23 April 2026
Choir of the Earth Presents: Hallelujah Chorus Flashmob: 21 March 2026 (Outdoor, Livestream, and Workshop options available)
Walking Tour: Musical Entertainment in 18th-Century London: 22 March 2026
Make, Dress, Move: Paper Dolls in Motion: 22 March 2026
Spotlight Talk: Hogarth’s Gin Babies: 25 March 2026
Music & Art | Gainsborough & the Theatre: Inspired by the Stage: 27 March 2026 (In-person and Online options available)
Harlots, Strumpets & Tarts Walking Tour: 28 March 2026
Sunday Drop-In Tours: 29 March 2026

Group Tours

Guided tours are available for groups of 1-20 people at £11.50 per person (£7.50 for students) plus £96.00 for the guide. Self-led group tours are also available for groups of 8-20 people at £11.50 per person (£7.50 for students). Out-of-hours tours and specialist tours can be arranged at additional costs.

Special Notes

In July and August 2026, the Museum will undergo building works, and tours during this period may be subject to change.

For more information or to book tickets, contact the Museum directly.

Admission

Historic Houses members visit free

Adult: £14.50
Concessions: £13.00
Under-21s: Free

Group Visits

Guided tour up to 20 people: £11.50 per adult, £7.50 per student + £96 for the guide (incl. VAT)

Self-Led tour for 8-20 people: £11.50 per adult, £7.50 per student

Book a group visit here

Educational Visits

Schools visit free.

University groups wishing to visit must book a group tour.

Accessibility

The museum is fully accessible.

Does our information need updating?

Let us know here

Getting here

40 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ

Four-minute walk from Russell Square tube station, 10 minute walk from Euston and Kings Cross mainline stations. The nearest buses are the 7, 59, 68, 91, 98, 168 and 188 from Russell Square Station. Cycle docking stations for Santander Cycle Hire are located at Brunswick Square and Russell Square Station. For visitors wishing to travel by car there is an NCP carpark at The Brunswick Shopping Centre.