About
The Royal Armouries at the Tower of London is the original and oldest museum display in the world, with public exhibitions of arms and armour at the Tower dating back to the 1660s. Housed primarily within the White Tower — the iconic Norman keep built by William the Conqueror around 1078 — the collection represents the national collection of arms and armour, spanning over a thousand years of martial history from medieval swords and plate armour to elaborate tournament equipment and ceremonial weapons.
The centrepiece of the display is the Line of Kings, a dramatic exhibition of royal armour mounted on carved wooden horses that has been on show since at least 1660, making it the oldest museum display anywhere in the world. Visitors can see the personal armour of Henry VIII, including the famous suit made for him in 1540 when his waistline had expanded considerably, alongside armour belonging to Charles I and James II. The collection includes magnificent tournament armour, field armour from the Wars of the Roses and English Civil War, and weapons ranging from longbows to early firearms.
The Tower of London itself provides an unparalleled historical setting for these displays. As a former royal palace, fortress, prison, and armoury, the building's own history is inseparable from the objects within it. The White Tower's chapel of St John, dating from around 1080, is one of the finest surviving examples of Norman ecclesiastical architecture. Displays are arranged thematically across multiple floors, covering hunting and tournament, warfare in the medieval and Tudor periods, and the development of firearms and edged weapons.
This is distinct from the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, which houses the majority of the national collection in a purpose-built modern museum. The Tower displays focus specifically on royal and Tudor armour and the historical connection between the armoury and the Tower itself. Admission is included with the Tower of London ticket, managed by Historic Royal Palaces.
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Annual Visitors (2019)
2,800,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Arrive at opening (09:00 Tuesday-Saturday) and head straight to the White Tower for the armouries before crowds build. Weekday mornings in term time are quietest.
💡 Visitor Tips
- Book tickets online in advance for the best prices — walk-up tickets cost significantly more. Timed entry slots help manage queues but allow flexibility once inside.
- Head straight to the White Tower when gates open to see the armouries before crowds build. The Line of Kings and Henry VIII's armour are the star attractions and get very busy by midday.
- Allow at least 3-4 hours for the full Tower of London experience including the armouries. The White Tower alone needs 60-90 minutes to explore properly across its multiple floors.
- The White Tower has no lift and requires climbing steep medieval staircases — mobility-impaired visitors should contact the access team in advance for alternative arrangements.
- Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tours are free with admission and provide excellent historical context for the armouries and Tower. Tours depart regularly from near the main entrance.
- Visit on weekday mornings during school term time for the quietest experience. Summer weekends and school holidays see enormous queues — arrive before opening.
- The Crown Jewels are a separate exhibition within the Tower and draw the longest queues. Visit them either first thing or late afternoon, and see the armouries during the middle of your visit.
- Photography is allowed in most areas (no flash). The atmospheric lighting inside the White Tower makes a camera with good low-light performance worthwhile.
Highlights
The Line of Kings
The oldest museum display in the world, dating from the 1660s when Charles II ordered the arrangement of royal armour on carved wooden horses in the White Tower. This spectacular procession of mounted figures wearing the personal armour of English monarchs has been continuously on display for over 350 years, evolving from a propaganda display celebrating the restored monarchy into the world's first public museum exhibition.
The carved wooden horses, some dating from the late 17th century, are works of art in their own right, with the original carved heads attributed to the sculptor Grinling Gibbons.
The display includes armour spanning the medieval period to the 17th century, mounted in chronological sequence to tell the story of English kingship through martial display.
Henry VIII's Armour
Several suits of armour belonging to Henry VIII form the most celebrated items in the collection, including the magnificent foot combat armour made for him around 1520 at the royal workshops in Greenwich, and the later armour from about 1540 that reveals his dramatically increased girth in middle age.
The 1520 armour, richly etched and gilded, was made for the Field of the Cloth of Gold tournament near Calais and represents the pinnacle of English armour-making under Henry's patronage. The king established the Royal Armoury workshops at Greenwich in 1515, importing skilled German and Flemish craftsmen to produce armour rivalling the finest Continental work.
These personal armours provide intimate physical evidence of one of England's most famous monarchs.
Tournament Gallery
A stunning collection of tournament armour and equipment illustrating the elaborate martial sports that dominated European court culture from the 14th to 17th centuries. Displays include jousting armour designed to protect riders during mounted combat with lances, foot combat armour for fighting across barriers, and the specialised helmets, shields, and horse armour that evolved for different tournament disciplines.
The gallery explains how tournaments served as military training, social display, diplomatic occasions, and entertainment, with rules, scoring, and ceremonies rivalling modern sporting events.
Highlights include tournament armour from the Greenwich workshops and Continental European masterpieces demonstrating different national traditions of armour decoration.
The White Tower itself
The great Norman keep built for William the Conqueror beginning around 1078 is itself one of the most important architectural monuments in Britain. Standing approximately 27 metres tall with walls up to 4. 5 metres thick, the White Tower was the most formidable fortification in Norman England and served as a royal palace, treasury, armoury, and symbol of royal power for nearly a thousand years.
The building houses the Chapel of St John the Evangelist, a remarkably complete example of early Norman Romanesque architecture dating from about 1080, with massive round columns, barrel-vaulted aisles, and an ambulatory.
Walking through the White Tower provides the physical context for understanding why the royal armoury was stored and displayed here.
Collections
The Royal Armouries at the Tower of London displays the historic core of Britain's national collection of arms and armour, focusing on royal, Tudor, and medieval material with deep connections to the Tower itself. The collection includes the personal armour of English monarchs from Henry VIII to Charles II, the Line of Kings display (the world's oldest museum exhibition, from the 1660s), tournament armour from the royal Greenwich workshops, medieval swords, polearms, and longbows, sporting firearms and hunting weapons, and instruments of punishment associated with the Tower's history as a state prison.
The displays are arranged thematically across the floors of the White Tower and other Tower buildings, emphasising the relationship between the objects and the historic fortress that housed them.
While the main Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds holds the majority of the 75,000-object national collection, the Tower displays focus specifically on objects with direct royal provenance or Tower connections.
The Line of Kings
The world's oldest museum display, featuring royal armour mounted on carved wooden horses, continuously exhibited since the 1660s. Includes armour of Henry VIII, Charles I, James II, and other monarchs.
📍 White Tower, Ground Floor
Fit for a King
Henry VIII's personal armours including the famous 1520 tournament armour and the 1540 armour reflecting his later physical proportions. Explores the king's role in establishing the Greenwich armoury workshops.
📍 White Tower, First Floor
Tournament Gallery
Jousting and tournament armour demonstrating the martial sports that were central to medieval and Tudor court culture, with equipment for mounted and foot combat.
📍 White Tower
Hunting and Sporting Weapons
Elaborately decorated firearms, crossbows, and hunting equipment combining functional weaponry with luxury craftsmanship, including royal sporting pieces.
📍 White Tower
Power and Punishment
Instruments of torture and punishment associated with the Tower's history as a state prison, including the rack, block, and axe, presented in historical context.
📍 White Tower, Basement
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.