Houses of Parliament
About Houses of Parliament
Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, are home to the House of Commons and the House of Lords and the famous clock tower Big Ben.
Facilities
| Opening Times | For times and dates of entry when Parliament is in session, see website. Guided tours are available during summer opening - 31st July to 29th September 2007, The clock tower “Big Ben” does not form part of the tour. |
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Houses of Parliament Address
| Address: |
2 Abbey Gardens, House Of Commons, London
London
SW1P 3SE
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| Telephone: | 0870 9063773 |
| Fax: | +44 (0)20 7219 5603 |
| Email: | mcdonaldm@parliament.uk |
| Website: | http://www.parliament.uk |
Location Information for Houses of Parliament
| Address: |
2 Abbey Gardens, House Of Commons, London
London
SW1P 3SE
|
|---|---|
| Telephone: | 0870 9063773 |
| Fax: | +44 (0)20 7219 5603 |
| Email: | mcdonaldm@parliament.uk |
| Website: | http://www.parliament.uk |
| Public transport: | Westminster, London Underground |
| By Road: | Tube: Westminster;Bus: 3,11,12,24,53,77A,88,109,159,184,511 |
Getting There
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Latest 5 reviews of Houses of Parliament
Great Cultural Experience
We were able to watch MP's debate some interesting issues during our visit. If you have an interest in international politics, this is a great place to visit. It is also an affordable way to rest your feet while getting a great cultural experience. You can stay for as long or as little as you want which is pretty cool since you can make it fit your own schedule. I went in January so there wasn't a wait. Not sure what it would be like at other times of year.
A definite must-see!
As a Canadian, I'm not new to Parliament buildings. But the British Parliament buildings are a sight to behold. While buying a tour pass is not exactly inexpensive, it is definitely worth your money and time. The tour guides give great tours and the buildings are beautiful both inside and outside. Security is very tight, but that's understandable these days. Definitely a must-see!
Well worth a visit
I was able to access Parliament during a Monday night session as part of a "London Walks" tour of the surrounding area. Our small group sat in on a session of the House of Lords while they debated an obscure welfare bill. (Everyone fell asleep just like in American politics;) We were allowed to stay as long as we wanted and politely ushered in and out at our request.
I would strongly suggest access via this evening tour for anyone interested in politics or world events. We were also given an explanation of the buliding of the Houses of Parliament in full view from across the river; an iconic London sight if there ever was one.
Worth a visit!
We arranged passes thorough our MP before we travelled. Our tour was slightly shorter than usual due to Prime Minister's Question Time and we could not enter the Commons, but the tour was interesting and the guide was very knowledgeable. The architecture was fabulous - particularly the House of Lords. We were able to access the public gallery and listen to the debate after PM Q's. Tea/coffee is reasonably priced in the Jubilee Cafe.
Thoroughly enjoyable even for those in our party not particularly interested in politics.
Great Tour if You're able to see during Summer Break
Toured in September, 2008. Since I'm not from the UK, to see Parliament I needed to go on the group tour and I'm glad I did because it was excellent. You get tickets from the Jewel Tower building (I believe that's its name) located across the street from Parliament(on Westminster Abbey side). There's a Parliament sign. There is a small fee (not included in a London pass card if you have). I believe these tours are only open to international visitors in the months of August and September.
Parliament is located on the Thames River and is a huge gothic styled complex of buildings and the base of the British legislative body. The tour of Parliament was about 90 minutes long. You see rooms affiliated with the House of Lords as well as the House of Commons. The British Parliament is divided into these two houses with a third being that of the British Monarch who still plays a significant role. The House of Commons is elected by the people while the House of Lords retains British history somewhat by being made up of British religious leaders and appointments due to the heredity of British titles. Our tour guide (Hugh) was very good and had a great sense of humor about British history, politics and royalty. We were not allowed to take photos inside Parliament except for the Westminster Hall which is all that is remaining from the original Parliament building which was devastated by the London fire. The Hall has an incredible wood roof that is the largest in northern Europe. This is also the Hall where most heads of state and royalty lie after their passing. Parliament was also hit during World War II and extensive renovations had to be conducted as a result but Westminster Hall remained somewhat untouched overall.
During the tour, we saw the rooms were the Queen prepares to open each session. She has a ceremonial role in opening sessions and no bill becomes law without her signature. However, it is purely a ceremonial role at this point of history. This is explained on the tour. We also saw the small rooms where the House of Commons and the House of Lords meet. If you’ve ever watched PBS, you will know what I’m talking about. Those rooms where they are crammed in on top of each other arguing and debating. The Brits like it to be close because they feel it leads to better interaction and debate. There are also viewing platforms located above the rooms for the general public if they want to watch the debate live. Our tour was one dazzling room after another with the Lords side being a bit more royal looking with painted and guilded ceilings and the Commons side being a bit more “plain” with heavy use of wood paneling and single color ceilings. Both very pretty but in completely different ways. The House of Lords side is heavy in the color of red while the Commons side is heavy in the use of green. Both have their own meeting rooms. The Lords side meeting room has a number of portraits of former British kings and queens while the Commons side has statues of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, etc. You can see pictures (that I couldn’t take) at: http://www.parliament.uk/about/images/interior.cfm
Parliament is also home of the famous Big Ben. It also has some nice grounds which are open to the public and run along the Thames River. It was a very informative tour and I’m so glad I was able to do.
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Events at Houses of Parliament
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Flogging Of Dead Horse
Show/displayRecurring event
Starring Mr Gordon Brown, Her Majesty's Government bring you the weekly flogging of the dead horse of British Politics. An age old tradition come see him do battle with General Legover and Lord Snooty of Camberwell. See some of Members go Quacking mad over their expenses and then run for cover in their gold plated duck houses.
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Houses of Parliament Summer Opening
Special event23 Jul 2009 to 3 Oct 2009
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Tours During Session
ExhibitionRecurring event
Visitors who tour Parliament will see the key areas of the estate, such as the Commons and Lords debating chambers and the Queen's Robing Room. Watch laws being made, attend debates, committees or judicial hearings, use the Archives, tour the estate and climb the Clock Tower (Big Ben). UK residents can tour throughout the year; overseas visitors may only tour during the Summer Opening. Accompanied by a trained guide, visitors travel through designated areas of the parliamentary estate. A full tours takes about 75 minutes.

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