Free entry with English Heritage membership
Standard-day walk-up tariff without voluntary donation. Prices vary by date; advance online tickets save up to 15%. Under-5s enter free. EH members receive free standard admission with their membership card. National Trust membership alone does not cover admission. Advance booking is optional for ordinary admission; check special events separately. Adult walk-up range: £18.10 off-peak to £22.70 peak.
Standard-day walk-up tariff without voluntary donation. Prices vary by date; advance online tickets save up to 15%. Under-5s enter free. EH members receive free standard admission with their membership card. National Trust membership alone does not cover admission. Advance booking is optional for ordinary admission; check special events separately.
No charge for anyone.
Free visitor parking about 50m from the house, with two Blue Badge bays. Advance arrangements are needed for drop-off at the house and the single coach bay. Follow EH's current approach instructions; the site is inside London's ULEZ.
Driving pin: Home Of Charles Darwin (Down House) Parking, matched to the public/visitor arrival parking described by EH at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/home-of-charles-darwin-down-house/directions/. Main attraction Google identity is stored separately. Walk from parking to admissions.
Down House was Charles Darwin's family home for 40 years and the place where he developed his theories and wrote On the Origin of Species. The furnished family rooms introduce domestic life alongside the scientific work, while the upstairs exhibition brings together manuscripts, notebooks and personal objects. Outside, the kitchen garden, greenhouse and experiment beds show how closely his research depended on everyday observation. Walk the wooded Sandwalk where Darwin paced while thinking, or use the multimedia guide to connect the house with this outdoor laboratory. Reviewers praise the helpful staff, clear explanations and gardens, making this an approachable visit even without specialist knowledge of Darwin. The cafe occupies the old kitchen, and picnics are confined to the designated area near the tennis court. A lift serves the upstairs exhibition, but the Sandwalk has uneven ground.
Later dates are in the calendar.
Off-peak days are £1.90 cheaper for an adult.
Off-peak prices, non-members
| Ticket | On the day | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £18.10 | £15.38 |
| Child | £9.00 | £7.65 |
| Concession | £16.30 | £13.85 |
| Family | £45.40 | £38.59 |
| Family (one adult) | £27.20 | £23.12 |
The site is inside London's ULEZ; check current vehicle charges separately.
Open daily 10am-5pm until 24 October 2026, then 10am-4pm from 25 October to 1 November. From 2 November-20 December 2026, open Saturday, Sunday 10am-4pm. Check the official calendar for holidays, later dates and event exceptions.
Last entry normally one hour before closing.
EH members receive free standard admission with their membership card. National Trust membership alone does not cover admission. Advance booking is optional for ordinary admission; check special events separately.
Wheelchair access and a lift beside the tearoom to the first floor. Compacted hoggin paths, but uneven ground on the Sandwalk. Accessible toilet with baby changing and an adult changing table. Two Blue Badge bays; contact the site in advance for house-side drop-off.
Parking: Free visitor parking about 50m from the house, with two Blue Badge bays. Advance arrangements are needed for drop-off at the house and the single coach bay. Follow EH's current approach instructions; the site is inside London's ULEZ.
Directions: Driving pin: Home Of Charles Darwin (Down House) Parking, matched to the public/visitor arrival parking described by EH at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/home-of-charles-darwin-down-house/directions/. Main attraction Google identity is stored separately. Walk from parking to admissions.
Image: Down House and its garden. Ajr50, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Down_House_and_garden.jpg
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Not suitable for dogs
Reach the wooded Sandwalk through Down House's gardens, beyond the kitchen garden. Normal admission or EH membership applies; visitor parking is free. The path has uneven ground. Pet dogs are prohibited throughout the site, including this route; assistance dogs are welcome.
