Theatre Museum Museums
In 1974 the Theatre Museum was formed by combining the Enthoven and Beard Collections with the holdings of two external organisations. These were the British Theatre Museum Association, which collected and displayed theatre material from 1957 as a way of lobbying for a state-funded theatre museum, and Richard Buckle's Friends of the Museum of Performing Arts who purchased at auction in 1968 much Ballets Russes material for a projected performing arts museum.
The Theatre Museum exists to increase the enjoyment, understanding and study of the history, craft and practice of the performing arts in Britain through its collections, which are the largest of their type in the world. The Theatre Museum collects a wide range of documents, artefacts and works of art which record the history of the performing arts in Britain from the sixteenth century to the present.
The Museum's collections include over a million theatre programmes and playbills, the earliest dating from 1704. The size of the collections means that they cannot all be stored within the Museum building in Covent Garden. The collections are therefore currently split between two locations, the other one being in Kensington Olympia.
Entrance to Theatre Museum is FREE
Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 - 18.00
Last admission 17.30
Closed Bank Holidays
Attraction Details
For enquiries about Theatre Museum, please contact the attraction using the details below.
AddressRussell Street, Covent Garden, London, Greater London, WC2E 7PR
Opening times10am - 6pm
Entry costs
Attraction typeMuseums
Hotels near Theatre Museum
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Covent Garden Apartments
Situated in the heart of Central London, Covent Garden Apartments are within a 10-minute walk of Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden Market..
Uber London Charles Dickens
Uber London Charles Dickens House is set in Londons Theatre Land. Once home to the famous author, this smart property is within 5 minutes walk of Covent Garden and the River Thames..
9 Siddons Court
Set in London, this apartment is 100 metres from Theatre Royal Drury Lane. 9 Siddons Court features views of the city and is 200 metres from Lyceum Theatre. Free WiFi is offered .
Strand Palace Hotel
Located in Londons West End, the Strand Palace Hotel is within 700 metres of the Adelphi and the Vaudeville theatres..
Marconi House
Featuring free WiFi, Marconi House is situated in London, 100 metres from Lyceum Theatre. Theatre Royal Drury Lane is 200 metres away. The accommodation is air conditioned and features a flat-screen TV.
The Waldorf Hilton
The Waldorf Hilton is situated in Londons West End, 150 metres from The Royal Opera House. It boasts spacious, elegant rooms, a chandelier-lit restaurant, and a fitness club..
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