Old Royal Naval College Greenwich: Painted Hall & Helios 2025
The Painted Hall Waits for No One, But It's Worth Every Minute
You walk through the Painted Hall with an audio guide in your language, then choose whether to join a guided tour of the buildings or explore the grounds on your own. Entry to the Visitor Centre, Chapel, and Victorian Skittle Alley is included, and you can time your visit around the hourly building tours or the half-hourly Painted Hall talks: whichever fits your pace.
30m–2h
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Old Royal Naval College and Grounds
- Visit Painted Hall interior
- Take Painted Hall audio guide or talk
- Join guided tour of buildings and grounds
- Explore Visitor Centre and Discover Greenwich Museum
- Visit Chapel
- Try Victorian Skittle Alley bowling
The Experience
"You've got to see the ceiling before you leave London," someone said to us at the Visitor Centre, and they weren't wrong. The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich took 19 years to complete (19 years of brush work covering nearly every inch of plaster and canvas), and standing underneath it, you understand why. Luke Jerram's Helios installation is hanging there until March 25th, 2025, and it changes how the light hits the whole room. The audio guide comes in seven languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, German, Japanese, plus British Sign Language), so you can move at your own pace and actually absorb what you're looking at instead of rushing through with a crowd.
The Old Royal Naval College itself sits on 17 acres of riverside estate in the heart of Greenwich's UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is where Henry VIII was born, and the architecture is so precise that film crews have been shooting here for decades. Bridgerton, Bond films, you name it. The guided tours of the buildings and grounds leave from the Visitor Centre every hour between 11am and 3pm, and if you skip the self-guided route, these walks are where you actually learn the 600-year story of the place. The Painted Hall talks run every half hour from 11am to 4pm if you want someone to explain what you're seeing rather than read it on your phone.
Your ticket also gets you into the Visitor Centre (which is the Discover Greenwich Museum), the Chapel, and the Skittle Alley: a Victorian bowling setup that's usually open from noon to 3pm. It's the kind of detail that makes the visit feel complete instead of just "I saw a famous ceiling and left." The whole site is wheelchair accessible, prams and strollers work fine, and public transport gets you there without a car.
What’s included
- Your visit includes entry to the Painted Hall with a multi-language audio guide, admission to the Visitor Centre (Discover Greenwich Museum), access to the Chapel, and entry to the Victorian Skittle Alley.
- You can join an optional guided tour of the buildings and grounds departing hourly from 11am to 3pm, or attend one of the Painted Hall talks running every 30 minutes from 11am to 4pm.
- Luke Jerram's Helios installation is on display in the Painted Hall through March 25th, 2025.
Operated by Old Royal Naval College
Is this one for you?Right for anyone visiting London who wants to see one of Europe's finest interiors without arranging a separate guide: the audio guide and hourly tours mean you control the pace. The site covers 17 acres, so plan for two to three hours if you're taking a building tour. An hour works if you're just seeing the Painted Hall and the Chapel.
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Top questions
What languages is the Painted Hall audio guide available in?
English, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, German, Japanese, and British Sign Language.
When do the guided tours of the buildings and grounds depart?
Hourly from 11am to 3pm, departing from the Visitor Centre.
How long did it take to paint the Painted Hall?
19 years.
When does Luke Jerram's Helios installation end?
March 25th, 2025.
What times is the Skittle Alley open?
Usually 12pm to 3pm.
Is the Old Royal Naval College wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the site is wheelchair accessible.
Can I bring a pram or stroller?
Yes, infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller.
How often do the Painted Hall talks run?
Every 30 minutes from 11am to 4pm.
Old Royal Naval College Greenwich: Painted Hall & Helios 2025
30m–2h · EN
from £ 17.50 per person
★★★★★★★★★★4.57186 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider