Hampton Court Palace tops the list in Richmond upon Thames
Science Museum counted 3M visitors in 2012. The built-up area itself has 11 places on our list; 114 others are within 5 km of its edge. Look for 46 museums, 29 attractions and 15 historic houses. Of these, 7 are looked after: 4 by the National Trust, 2 by English Heritage and 1 by Historic Royal Palaces. Go 16 km out for British Museum.
Must-know places in Richmond upon Thames
Beyond Hampton Court Palace, there are 2 historic houses, 2 museums and an art gallery.
Historic house · Historic Royal PalacesHampton Court Palacein town
Historic houseStrawberry Hill Housein town
Historic house · National TrustHam Housein town
Art galleryOrleans House Galleryin town · 56K visitors a year
MuseumMuseum of Richmondin town
MuseumWorld Rugby Museumin townEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Places on the map
Look to the northeast for most of the 114 just outside.
The dashed line is Richmond upon Thames’ built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
Kinds of place
Museums or galleries are the biggest group (59), then other attractions (29).
Green: inside Richmond upon Thames. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
7 places are cared for: 4 by the National Trust, 2 by English Heritage and 1 by Historic Royal Palaces (Hampton Court Palace, Ham House, Osterley House and Chiswick House, and 3 more).
The places, one by one
It starts in town with 11 places and goes on to 114 within 5 km of its edge.
Strawberry Hill House
Villa and house museum in Twickenham, London, United Kingdom.
Ham House
Historic house museum in Ham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, UK.
Orleans House Gallery
Building and art gallery in Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, United Kingdom.
7Eel Pie Island Museum
Music museum in Twickenham, Richmond upon Thames, London, England, UK.
8
9
10
12Kew Gardens
Botanical garden and world's largest collection of living plants in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
13Victoria and Albert Museum
Museum in London, England, United Kingdom.
14
15Kensington Palace
Royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, London, England, UK.
16
17
18Kew Palace
Grade I listed historic house museum in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom.
19
20Serpentine South
A complex of two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, in the center of London. These are the Serpentine Gallery and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery.
Saatchi Gallery
Physical and online contemporary art gallery in Chelsea, London.
Chiswick House
Neo-Palladian villa in the Chiswick district of London, England, UK.
White Lodge
Georgian house situated in Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea
Retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, UK.
Fulham Palace
Grade I listed historic house museum in London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, United Kingdom.
Saint Sophia Cathedral, London
Greek Orthodox cathedral in London.
Pitzhanger Manor House and Gallery
Grade I listed historic house museum in the London Borough of Ealing, United Kingdom.
Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum
Learned society in London UK.
Hogarth's House
Grade I listed historic house museum in the London Borough of Hounslow, England,UK.
William Morris Society
House museum in London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Greater London, England, United Kingdom.
Kingston Museum
History museum in Wheatfield Way, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom.
London Museum of Water and Steam
Museum in London, United Kingdom.
Emery Walker's House
House in London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, England, UK.
Dana Research Centre and Library
Part of the Science Museum in London.
Sambourne House
Museum; 18 Stafford Terrace, London; home of Edward Linley Sambourne.
Paultons Square
Communal garden square in the Chelsea district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London SW3.
The Clockmakers' Museum
Museum of the Clockmakers' Company, London, United Kingdom.
Antique Breadboard Museum
Small museum in Putney, London, England, UK.
Ubuntu Museum: African Museum of Humanity
Small museum in Roehampton, London, United Kingdom.
Prince Consort Gallery
Exhibition venue in the Victoria and Albert museum.
Mica Gallery
Art gallery located near the Cadogan Gardens intersection on Pavilion Road, Knightsbridge, London.
The 11 inside Richmond upon Thames come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
702 listed buildings and 1 scheduled monument are on Richmond upon Thames’ History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Richmond upon Thames →
Around the region
Top of the 11 day trips: British Museum, at 16 km.
Big drawMuseumBritish Museum16 km northeast · 5.8M visitors a year (2023)
Historic houseBuckingham Palace14 km northeast
Cathedral · English HeritageWestminster Abbey15 km northeast
AttractionElizabeth Tower15 km northeast
Big drawCastleTower of London18 km east · 2.7M visitors a year (2016)
Big drawArt galleryNational Gallery15 km northeast · 709K visitors a year (2021)
AttractionLondon Eye15 km northeast
MuseumMadame Tussauds14 km northeast
CastleWindsor Castle20 km west
CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral17 km northeast
Big drawArt galleryTate Modern17 km northeast · 1.2M visitors a year (2021)Places well known beyond Richmond upon Thames (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
What visitors ask about Richmond upon Thames
What are the main attractions in Richmond upon Thames?
The best known inside Richmond upon Thames’ built-up area are Hampton Court Palace, Strawberry Hill House, Ham House and Orleans House Gallery. In all, 11 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 114 more within 5 km.
Does Richmond upon Thames have a museum?
59 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Richmond upon Thames: Orleans House Gallery, Museum of Richmond, World Rugby Museum and Eel Pie Island Museum.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Richmond upon Thames?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Richmond upon Thames, 7 places are cared for: 4 by the National Trust, 2 by English Heritage and 1 by Historic Royal Palaces (Hampton Court Palace, Ham House, Osterley House and Chiswick House).
What are the best-known days out near Richmond upon Thames?
Within 40 km: British Museum (16 km), Buckingham Palace (14 km), Westminster Abbey (15 km), Elizabeth Tower (15 km).
Where are Richmond upon Thames’ historic buildings listed?
Richmond upon Thames has 702 listed buildings, 23 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Richmond upon Thames when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (78)
- Hampton Court Palace: Ricardalovesmonuments, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Strawberry Hill House: Chiswick Chap, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ham House: Stevekeiretsu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Orleans House Gallery: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Richmond: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- World Rugby Museum: Algernon Rutter, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eel Pie Island Museum: Jim Linwood from London, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Twickenham Museum: Jim Linwood from London, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kew Pier: Patche99z, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Marianne North Gallery: Prl42, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kew Gardens: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Victoria and Albert Museum: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Natural History Museum: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kensington Palace: Steve Cadman from London, U.K., CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Science Museum: Shadowssettle, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richmond Palace: Patche99z, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kew Palace: xlibber, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Osterley House: Osterley Park House, London-25June2009.jpg: Jim Linwood derivative work: Snowmanradio, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kensington Gardens: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saatchi Gallery: Jack Gavigan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Transport Museum Depot: Wei-Te Wong from Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Syon House: Russ Hamer, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chiswick House: Michael Coppins, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chelsea Physic Garden: flickr user flickr-rickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Design Museum: Anthony O'Neil, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Army Museum: Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- White Lodge: Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Royal Hospital Chelsea: Camster2, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leighton House Museum: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bushy House: J. Miall, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Boston Manor: P.g.champion, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, Wikimedia Commons
- Wimbledon Park: Bumper12 at English Wikipedia / Stu Clayton, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Fulham Palace: Michael Coppins, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Sophia Cathedral, London: Ricardalovesmonuments, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pitzhanger Manor House and Gallery: Peter Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and Holy Royal Martyrs: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum: Kerim44, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pembroke Lodge: steve, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dormition Cathedral: John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wat Buddhapadipa: Noel Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gunnersbury Park: tpholland, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hogarth's House: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- London Buddhist Vihara: Anuradha Dullewe Wijeyeratne, 168 / 7, Inner Flower Road, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka. Tel : + 94 11 257 3986 Cellular : + 94 77 761 5870 E - Mail, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Musical Museum: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum: ozziebackpacker, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Southside House: David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Morris Society: Bernard Burns, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kingston Museum: Zoopraxiscope, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carlyle's House: J.L., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- London Museum of Water and Steam: Smurfy, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Queen's Tower: self, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Emery Walker's House: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dana Research Centre and Library: Azeraz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cadogan Pier: Alexander P Kapp, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Putney Pier: Images George Rex from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Piano Nobile: C20Brit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sambourne House: Jhsteel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Brands: Museum of Brands, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paultons Square: David Hawgood, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kempton Steam Museum: Kempton Steam Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Clockmakers' Museum: Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chelsea Harbour Pier: Images George Rex from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Wimbledon: No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cast Courts: www.mgaylard.co.uk, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Prince Consort Gallery: N Butterworth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dorich House Museum: AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kyoto Garden: Piotr Zarobkiewicz, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- British Museum: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Buckingham Palace: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Westminster Abbey: Σπάρτακος, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Elizabeth Tower: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tower of London: Bob Collowan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Gallery: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- London Eye: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Madame Tussauds: Citizen59, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Windsor Castle: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- St Paul's Cathedral: Mark Fosh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tate Modern: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.