About
The Society of Antiquaries of London is England's senior learned society devoted to the study of the material past, founded in 1707 and granted a royal charter in 1751. Based in apartments at Burlington House on Piccadilly, alongside the Royal Academy of Arts and several other learned societies, the Society holds significant library, print, and object collections relating to British archaeology, architecture, and antiquarian history, built up continuously by its Fellows over more than three centuries.
The Society's collections include archaeological finds and antiquities gathered or donated by Fellows since the eighteenth century, an internationally important library of antiquarian books, manuscripts, and periodicals, extensive collections of prints, drawings, and watercolours documenting British buildings and archaeological sites (some now lost or substantially altered), and archival material tracing the development of British archaeology and antiquarian scholarship as a discipline from its gentlemanly amateur origins to its modern professional form. Notable holdings include material connected to major historic excavations and surveys the Society itself sponsored or supported over its long history.
As a learned society rather than a conventional museum, the Society of Antiquaries occupies a fundamentally different access model to a standard visitor attraction: public access is principally through occasional open days such as Open House London, scheduled group tours arranged in advance, and library and collections access for researchers by appointment, rather than standard daily museum opening hours. Its apartments at Burlington House form part of a working scholarly institution, with the library in active use by Fellows and visiting researchers, and events and lectures held in its historic meeting rooms throughout the year.
For visitors able to attend an open day or arrange a tour, the Society offers an evocative glimpse into the history of British antiquarian scholarship itself: elegant eighteenth and nineteenth-century meeting rooms, cabinets of curiosities assembled by generations of Fellows, and a collection that has directly shaped how archaeology and the study of Britain's material past developed as academic disciplines.
Categories:
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
💡 Advertised open days, or pre-booked tours during weekday afternoons
💡 Visitor Tips
- This is a learned society with collections, not a conventional museum — check the Society's website for advertised open days or book a tour rather than expecting standard opening hours.
- Open House London, held annually, is typically one of the more reliable opportunities for public access to the Burlington House apartments.
- Researchers wishing to consult the library or print collections should contact the Society well in advance to arrange an appointment and confirm what material is relevant to their research.
- The historic apartments include stairs, so visitors with mobility needs should contact the Society ahead of a visit to arrange step-free access via the available lift.
- Combine a visit with the neighbouring Royal Academy of Arts, also housed at Burlington House, for a fuller sense of this unique cluster of scholarly and artistic institutions.
- Photography without flash is generally permitted during tours and open days, though flash and tripods are restricted to protect historic material.
- Group tours are well suited to archaeology, history, and heritage studies students, and can be tailored with advance notice.
- Allow time to appreciate the meeting room itself, not just the collections on display — the room's Victorian fittings and portraits are part of the historical experience.
Highlights
The Meeting Room and Fellows' Portraits
The Society's principal meeting room at Burlington House, still used for regular Fellows' meetings and lectures, is hung with portraits of notable antiquaries and past Presidents spanning more than two centuries. The room itself, with its Victorian fittings and scholarly atmosphere, evokes the Society's long institutional history and its central role in shaping British antiquarian and archaeological scholarship since the eighteenth century, making it as much an exhibit in its own right as a working space.
Antiquarian Library and Manuscripts
The Society's library holds one of the most significant antiquarian book and manuscript collections in Britain, including rare early printed works on archaeology, architecture, and British history, alongside manuscript records generated by the Society's own activities since 1707. Available to researchers by appointment, the library underpins scholarship across British archaeology and history and includes material relating to sites and monuments that have since been lost, altered, or demolished.
Prints, Drawings, and Watercolours of British Antiquities
An extensive collection of topographical prints, drawings, and watercolours, many commissioned by the Society or its Fellows from the eighteenth century onward, documents historic buildings, ruins, and archaeological sites across Britain, some captured before later demolition or alteration. This visual archive is an invaluable resource for understanding how Britain's historic landscape and built heritage has changed over three centuries.
Archaeological Objects and Antiquities
Objects gathered, excavated, or donated by Fellows since the Society's early years form a cabinet-of-curiosities style collection reflecting the changing interests and methods of British antiquarianism, from early speculative collecting through to more rigorous archaeological method, illustrating the discipline's own historical development as much as the objects' original historical contexts.
Collections
The Society of Antiquaries of London's collections, assembled continuously by its Fellows since 1707, comprise an internationally significant antiquarian library and manuscript collection, extensive print, drawing, and watercolour holdings documenting British historic buildings and archaeological sites, archaeological objects and antiquities donated or excavated by Fellows, and institutional archives tracing the development of British archaeology and antiquarian scholarship as academic disciplines.
The Society also holds a close historic connection to Kelmscott Manor, William Morris's former Oxfordshire home, bequeathed to the Society and managed separately as a historic house. Collections are maintained primarily to support scholarship and are accessible to researchers by appointment and to the wider public through occasional open days and tours.
The Antiquarian Tradition
A tour-based presentation of the Society's meeting rooms, portraits, and selected objects illustrating three centuries of British antiquarian scholarship, offered during open days and pre-booked group tours.
📍 Meeting Room and Reception Rooms
Library and Print Collections
Access to the Society's antiquarian library, manuscripts, and print collections for researchers, showcasing material relating to British archaeology, architecture, and antiquities since the eighteenth century.
📍 Library and Print Room
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.
Nearby Museums (5 within 6 miles)
Royal Academy of Arts
London — ~0 min walk (0.0 mi)
Handel & Hendrix in London
London — ~8 min walk (0.4 mi)
National Portrait Gallery
London — ~10 min walk (0.5 mi)