Museums, Galleries & Tourist Attractions for hire

Once a regular haunt for the Duke of Wellington, 116 Pall Mall is now the Regency home of the Institute of Directors. A grand staircase – with viewing balcony – leads into five floors of versatile function rooms: look out for the dual-aspect Waterloo room’s gold-leaf-on-linen wallpaper. The IoD Academy, a newly launched training facility, suits business-first events. The Wine Bar, in the original vaulted cellars, is the place to unwind.

The purpose-built Wellcome Collection Conference Centre combines light, modern spaces with a prime location. The venue’s state-of-the art event space features a helical staircase that connects delegates to the fascinating Medicine Now gallery and Reading Room – excellent for drinks receptions – and the Library. Elsewhere, the Henry Wellcome Auditorium is best suited to presentations, and there are a number of smaller meeting rooms and breakout areas.

Opened in September 2017, The Postal Museum is a semi-subterranean venue with a rich history. Up top, the contemporary museum building suits presentations or networking events. Down below, Mail Rail – a blank-canvas space with vaulted arches – was once a depot for a secret mail railway. Trips on miniature trains around the original network and platforms make a memorable add-on to corporate, experiential and private events.

This famous City-based museum can handle anything from Christmas dinners to AGMs. Presentations and screenings are best held in the tiered Weston Room, but if you’re planning a soirée, look first to the Entrance Hall. A drinks reception should work nicely around its futuristic bar before guests move through to the large Sackler Hall, with its 360° digital screen. For summer parties, the Terrace Rooms have direct access to the Rotunda Gardens.

Set in tranquil Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace became a royal residence in 1689. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who was commissioned by William and Mary to create a retreat from Whitehall, and has hosted the courts of countless kings and queens over the centuries. This heritage is reflected in the grandeur of the event spaces. The bright Orangery combines with a marquee to hold up to 1,000 guests, while the Queen’s Gallery – with its rich 17th-century interiors and secluded Sunken Garden – holds 170 for pre-dinner drinks. There is also modern reception space for up to 300 guests in the clean-lined Hub on the ground floor.

A striking and characterful venue, the London Transport Museum is in a prime location on famous Covent Garden Piazza. Its galleries make an impressive backdrop for evening receptions and dinners, mixing old and new interiors with displays of iconic transport posters and original artwork. The purpose-built Cubic Theatre is well suited to conferences and presentations, with state-of-the-art AV and a breakout area for registration and catering.

This international dance venue has partnered with video agency Streaming Tank to provide live streaming, webcasting and encoding packages. The main auditorium comes with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, while retractable seating makes the Lilian Baylis Studio a versatile alternative. Movable acoustic walls do the same for the Mezzanine Level. Groups can enjoy private pre-show and interval drinks receptions in the modern Pina Bausch Room.

Renowned for its social work, music and architecture, this iconic church can also be hired for events. Its seven spaces range from meeting rooms to an underground crypt whose vaulted ceiling creates a special atmosphere for receptions, dinners and launches. St Martin’s Hall, with its double-height ceiling and oak-panelled walls, is a standout space for formal functions and conferences. The venue also has an in-house catering team and a 2am licence.

Sir Frank Williams was the driving force behind one of Formula One’s most successful teams. Today, he lends his name to the Williams Conference Centre. At the F1 outfit’s Oxfordshire base, its modern event facilities are housed in the building that used to be the home of BMW’s Le Mans project. Once they are done meeting, training and networking, groups small and large can wander around Sir Frank’s private collection of more than 40 Grand Prix racing cars. Or they can get active, with guests going head to head on a giant Scalextric or taking on the Pit Stop Challenge together. However you want to structure your day, on-site event managers offer full planning support.

Commissioned by James I in 1622 as an entertaining space for court masques, Banqueting House dazzled London’s high society when it opened. You can almost feel the spirit of courtiers who partied beneath the magnificent Rubens-painted ceiling of the Main Hall. This space is an awe-inspiring sight when set for a candle-lit dinner, but the room is also perfect for receptions of 500 and awards dinners for 380 guests. Once enjoyed as a drinking den by James I, the vaulted Undercroft below is an atmospheric space for a cocktail reception or after-dinner party. A list of approved suppliers provides everything from flowers to furniture.

Described as a tiny ‘doll’s house’ of a royal residence, Kew Palace has been gracefully restored to its state when George III lived there. Inside, a clutch of spaces for hire includes the understated but atmospheric King’s Dining Room (where the Queen celebrated her 80th birthday), which holds up to 30 dinner guests looking across the Great Lawn. Receptions for up to 40 standing guests can also be catered for in this space. In the summer, the Queen’s Garden and its adjoining Physic Garden – holding up to 40 people – make a beautiful spot for a garden party or alfresco cocktails. In addition, the newly restored Royal Kitchen (complete with original ovens and fireplace) and its gardens are open for receptions, while Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, located deep within Kew Gardens, provides a charming backdrop for private dining for 24. Group tours can be arranged, and there’s a new meeting room for 10 delegates in the Royal Kitchen.

London – all of it – is the backdrop to any event at Aqua Shard, on level 31 of western Europe’s tallest building. Even the toilets come with a view. A distinctly British theme runs through the venue, from the Liberty-print banquettes to a menu big on home-grown ingredients. There’s a spacious private dining room if your event is a little more exclusive, or the semi-private Gin Wing for larger affairs. Its little sister, Tea Wing, is another glass-clad event space.

Once home to royalty, including Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace is an unforgettable venue. It's magnificently played host to lavish celebrations over the centuries, from gala diners to festive banquets and historic meetings. Originally a dining room for members of Henry VIII’s court, the Great Hall makes a grand setting for banquets. Elsewhere, staterooms, grand staircases, cobbled courtyards and pretty gardens make the venue one of the country’s most impressive palaces.

Modern music-arts-restaurant hub Kings Place has been a prime mover in the regeneration of King’s Cross. Kings Place Events offers its hi-spec function rooms for private hire, including the Hall One auditorium, with its outstanding acoustics, and the Battlebridge Room, which looks out across Regent’s Canal. Available for exclusive use, the venue also houses the Rotunda restaurant, which has a large terrace for summer entertaining.

The old home of Frederic, Lord Leighton – Victorian painter and former president of the RA – this museum is one of London’s hidden gems. Tucked away behind a rambling red-brick exterior, statement backdrops abound here. Among them, the domed interior of Leighton’s Studio is a striking spot for dinner parties, while cocktail receptions can be held in the opulent Arab Hall – the museum’s centrepiece, designed to house the artist’s priceless collection of 16th- and 17th-century Islamic tiles and the house’s central fountain. Private events must take place in the evening as Leighton House is open to the public during the day.

Each of the Tower of London’s function rooms has its own story: the White Tower houses the armour of Henry VIII, while the Medieval Palace makes a great summer party space. The Martin Tower, which used to be home to the Crown Jewels, is available for intimate dinners, and New Armouries: Banqueting Suite is your best bet for conferences. A private view of the Crown Jewels or a Yeoman Warder tour are popular add-ons.

Telling the story of London’s river and port, the Museum of London Docklands spreads over five floors of a splendid Grade I-listed Georgian warehouse. Its pine columns and floors sit alongside contemporary fittings, producing a spacious and atmospheric feel. Facilities include a boardroom, along with three other spaces that work well for daytime events. By night, guests can also enjoy receptions and dinners in one or more of the museum’s 11 galleries.

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Book a daytime event on a DDR, and the afternoon tea and coffee service will be upgraded to include Easter cupcakes. Valid from 15 March to 13 April 2018.

Kensington Gardens is home to two of our favourite modern art galleries: the Serpentine Gallery and the more recent Serpentine Sackler Gallery. Together, the spaces combine the sense of occasion of a listed building with the coolness of a contemporary art space. The former will host private dinners, while both make formidable spaces for drinks receptions. Come summer, the temporary pavilion is a striking one-off space for standing soirées.

- It might be best known for its 150-plus arcade games, but Namco Funscape also offers its bowling lanes for private hire. The venue, ideally located on the South Bank within County Hall, is a great spot for Christmas parties, launches and teambuilding events alike. For private parties of up to 500 the Subscape area offers six bowling lanes, a DJ and dancefloor, private bar, access to the American-style pool hall, the Namoke karaoke and unlimited use of the video games. The alley area itself, bathed in ultra-violet light, has non-slip floors, so there’s no need to don a pair of unattractive bowling shoes. There is also the option to purchase tokens for Europe’s fastest bumper cars.

With a prime location on the South Bank, the Namco Funscape entertainment complex offers more than 150 arcade games, Europe’s fastest bumper cars and its Ping & Pool Hall. Private hire options spread over three floors: teambuilding, drinks receptions and Christmas parties are popular. We’re fans of the Escape Room, where groups solve puzzles against the clock. Elsewhere, a new Boutique Bowling package sees groups take over six revamped lanes.

The size and character of this Greenwich venue, along with its fascinating range of artefacts, make it ideal for large, upmarket events. The Upper Deck, a dramatic gallery in the glass-roofed Neptune Court, is made for gala dinners and awards ceremonies. Elsewhere, the Sammy Ofer Wing works well for standing receptions, allowing guests to enjoy the surrounding exhibition areas. The AV-ready Leopold Muller Lecture Theatre is the spot for conferences.

This Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse in Marylebone features interiors designed by neoclassical architects Robert and James Adam, with pretty signature touches such as filigree plasterwork and inset classical paintings. The three Fine Rooms, Hutchison Room and Library make elegant, Regency-style settings for dinners, conferences and receptions. Elsewhere, the more modern Gallery has been designed as an exhibition space and can be hired separately.