The Wallace Collection: a free museum where everything hangs where it was meant to

A seven-minute walk from Bond Street station stands a town house holding what is widely rated one of the world's finest collections of 18th-century French art. Entry to the permanent collection is free, it opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and the address is Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN.

What is the Wallace Collection?

It is a museum inside a town house, where the collection still lives in the place it was assembled. The museum describes its holdings as "unsurpassed masterpieces of painting, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour, and porcelain." It singles out "an outstanding array of 18th-century French art" and "one of the finest collections of princely arms and armour in Britain."

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Who assembled it?

The first four Marquesses of Hertford, though not equally. The 1st and 2nd bought some pieces in the 18th century; the 3rd was the first in the family with a real interest in art. The decisive figure was the 4th Marquess, who lived mostly in Paris and, in the museum's words, "determined the essential character of the Wallace Collection we see today" — he acquired most of the paintings, porcelain and furniture, along with the non-European arms and armour.

Who was Richard Wallace?

The museum calls him "the likely illegitimate son of the 4th Marquess." He grew up in Paris, worked as the Marquess's assistant and adviser, chiefly on art, and in 1870 inherited the un-entailed part of the collection and property.

One common error is worth correcting here: Sir Richard Wallace died in Paris in 1890. The collection was bequeathed to the British nation in 1897 by his widow, Lady Wallace, in the year of her own death — she left the nation the works of art on the ground and first floors of Hertford House. The museum opened to the public in 1900.

Is it true that nothing ever leaves the building?

It was true for almost 120 years. It has not been since 2019. Lady Wallace's bequest says the collection "shall be kept together unmixed with other objects of art." That wording was traditionally read as barring acquisitions, disposals, display alongside other objects, and lending.

On 24 September 2019 the museum announced it would be able to lend works temporarily for the first time, in the UK and abroad. The Charity Commission granted an Order under section 105 of the Charities Act 2011, which also allows it to borrow, and the culture department supported the decision. The reasoning was straightforward: the bequest does not expressly forbid lending, and Sir Richard Wallace lent works himself.

Loans remain rare. The museum said each request would be assessed individually to protect the character of the house, and that it would agree only "in very special circumstances." So the practical position for a visitor is unchanged: almost everything in the collection can be seen only here.

What does it cost, and when is it open?

"Entry to the permanent collection is free," in the museum's own words. It opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and closes on 24, 25 and 26 December. Individual rooms close from time to time: the 16th-Century Gallery, for instance, is shut from 10:00 to 13:00 on 25 November 2026. The museum warns that parts of it may close at short notice, so check the site before travelling to see one particular object. There is a restaurant and a café in the house.

How do you get there?

The nearest Underground station is Bond Street (Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines), a seven-minute walk, with step-free access by lift at the Marylebone Lane entrance. Then Marble Arch at ten minutes, Oxford Circus at twelve, Baker Street at thirteen and Tottenham Court Road at twenty-two.

Buses 2, 10, 12, 13, 30, 74, 82, 94, 113, 137 and 274 stop nearby, all wheelchair accessible. There is no visitor parking on site: street parking nearby is metered until 18:30, and Blue Badge bays are on Manchester Square and surrounding streets.