Lawn tennis is often described as being one of the classiest sports there is, and this elegant game originated in the late 19th century in Birmingham, England. As many of you know, in a calendar year, there are four major tournaments or grand slams that take place, namely - The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Out of these four, Wimbledon is the oldest tournament and is the only one to be played on grass. This grand slam is also by far the classiest, most prestigious tournament on tour, and winning it is every tennis players ultimate dream. The Championships, Wimbledon, takes place every June-July at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a prominent, private members’ club. Taking a tour of these historic grounds along with the famous Wimbledon Museum is definitely an opportunity of a lifetime and something worth doing when you are in the UK.
Wimbledon Tours - In a Nutshell
Wimbeldon Tours - Things to know
| ⏰ Suggested duration: | 1.5 hours |
| 📍 Location: | London |
| ☀️ Best Time to Visit: | Late June or ealy July |
| 🚇 Closest Train Station: | Southfields station |
Wimbeldon Tours Opening Hours
• Monday - Sunday: 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Must-see at Wimbeldon Tours
Centre Court
Fred Perry Statue
Aorangi Terrace
Royal Box
Wimbeldon Tours Address
N/A Church Rd, London SW19 5AF,
United Kingdom
Get Directions
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, commonly known as the All England Club, is an exclusive, members-only club, located in Wimbledon, England. Initially only a croquet club, it was founded by 6 gentlemen in 1868, with tennis being introduced in 1875. The first ever Wimbledon tournament took place in 1877, with Spencer Gore emerging as its first champion. Since then, tennis, and this tournament in particular, has grown leaps and bounds, and Wimbledon today is the most sought-after venue (and tournament) for tennis players worldwide. The club boasts 18 tournament grass courts and is famous for being the only venue in the world that requires its players to be dressed in all-white, epitomizing the grandeur and class of this competition.
Why You Must Take a Wimbledon Tour
For all tennis fans (particularly Federer lovers), Wimbledon is the Holy Grail of the sport. It is the most highly-regarded tennis tournament, and playing in it, let alone winning it, is every tennis players fantasy. If you still need convincing as to why you should take a tour of the All England Club, the home of Wimbledon, here are a few reasons to help you make up your mind
- Taking a Wimbledon Tour is the best way to experience the history and splendour of the Championships and the grounds. On the tour you get access to exclusive, restricted areas and you get to go behind-the-scenes at the ‘Home of Tennis’.
- You get a first-hand look at the plush, grass-courts that is steeped in tennis and sporting history.
- You get a chance to dive into the history of the game and find out what makes this the most elusive tennis competition in the world.
- On this tour, you can step into Centre Court, the Mecca of tennis, and take in the magical atmosphere of this hallowed ground.
- Last but not the least, you get to check out the Wimbledon Museum and get up-close and personal with the coveted Men’s and Women’s Championship trophies, among other rare and interesting tennis memorabilia.
Wimbledon Tour Tickets
A Wimbledon Tour entrusts you with an expert guide who will take you through the best of the stadium in about 90 minutes. Book your Wimbledon Tour tickets on Headout at the best price on the internet!
Wimbledon Tour Ticket Categories
With discounted prices for kids, seniors and students, touring the Wimbledon lawn tennis stadium works easy on the pocket.
Adults ( 17 to 60 years) -
Child ( 5 to 16 years) -
Student ( Anyone with valid student ID) -
Seniors ( 61 years and above) -
Wimbledon Stadium and Museum Tour
• Delve into the world of tennis and explore the largest tennis museum in the world at Wimbledon.
• This is a 90-minute guided tour of the Wimbledon All England Tennis Club with a Blue Badge Guide.
• Check out the Championship Trophies room, Millennium Building, viewing gallery of the CentreCourt 360 and the 3D film theatre.
Your Wimbledon Tour Experience
On a guided tour of the grounds, explore and immerse yourself in the world’s most popular Grand Slam venue, the All England Club. Stand where legends have stood and walk where champions have walked, as you stroll through some of the most exclusive areas of the club, including the players’ dressing room, the press room, the media centre and of course, Centre Court. If you’re a tennis fanatic, this tour is bound to increase your heart-beat and get the hairs standing on your skin (no exaggerations).
Wimbledon Tour Timings
Tours start at 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM. A tour typically lasts 90 minutes.
Highlights Of The Wimbledon Tour
Below are the 7 highlights of the guided tour that takes place in Wimbledon Tennis Court. Read on to know what to expect during your tour.
Centre Court
Centre Court is the main court at The Championships and is the venue for the Men’s and Women’s finals. With a capacity of 14,979 and a retractable roof, to ensure continuity of play under harsh weather, words alone cannot describe the feeling when you walk into the court.
The No.1 Court
This is the other show court at The Championships and is used to host Grand Slam and Davis Cup ties. This court is relatively new, having opened in 1997, and has a capacity of 11,360. It replaced the older No. 1 Court, which is now the Millenium Building.
Fred Perry Statue
One of the highlights of the tour is the bronze statue of English tennis legend, Fred Perry. He was the first player to win a Career Grand Slam (winning all 4 titles) and he won the Wimbledon Championship 3 years in a row, 1934-36. His statue was unveiled in 1984, commemorating 50 years since his first title here.
Aorangi Terrace
Often called ‘Henman Hill’ and ‘Murray Mound’, this grassy banked area of the club, is where, during the Championships, scores of people gather together to watch the matches on a giant screen at the side of Court no.1, in a picnic like atmosphere.
The Press Areas
Get exclusive access to the press room and media room, and see where the players give their interviews and hold press conferences before/after a game. You may have seen this room from your TV many a times, but here's a chance to see it in person.
The Players’ Entrance
Take the long walk to the courts as you walk through the players entrance onto the grounds. This has often been described as the most daunting and nerve-wracking walk in any player’s career, as they head onto the battlefield.
Royal Box
The Royal Box is a highly-exclusive, invite-only section of Centre Court that is usually occupied by members of the Royal Family, their esteemed guests and of course, tennis greats. There are 74 seats in this section and they sit facing the baseline of the court. This time, you’ve got an invite!
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
On a tour of the All England Club, you also get a chance to visit and explore the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, the largest museum in the world solely dedicated to celebrating tennis. It was inaugurated in 1977, and since then, has seen millions of people walk through its doors and admire its many exhibits. The Museum is definitely a treat for all tennis fans and aspiring tennis stars.
Highlights of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
- On a tour of the museum, you get a chance to see some incredible tennis artefacts and memorabilia, including the first ever tennis balls used, Rafael Nadal’s signature trousers, Bjorn Borg’s tennis shoes and of course, the Men’s and Women’s Singles trophies.
- Apart from simply admiring the many exhibits, the museum is also experiential, in the sense that it has a lot of interactive displays and various simulation games that you can try your hand at!
- One of the specialties of the museum is the ‘Ghost of John McEnroe’. Through projection and sound, the great McEnroe comes alive and talks about his experience at the Championships, and takes audiences back to his playing days.
- There are a number of screens at the museum, showing highlight reels of the some of the greatest games ever played at Wimbledon and also talking about the history of this great competition.
Wimbledon Map
The AELTC is a vast area and not all areas are accessible to the public. However, on a Wimbledon guided tour, you get to cover most of it. Download the Wimbledon map and keep it handy to navigate yourself around AELTC.
Know Before You Go On A Wimbledon Tour
Opening Hours & Tour Timings
All England Club Opening Hours - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Wimbledon Tour Timings - 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM. A tour typically lasts 90 minutes.
Wimbledon Tours During The Championship
The Wimbledon Championship happens every year in the last week of June and first week of July. During this period, the Museum remains open to the Championships ticket holders ( note, standard museum entry charges are applicable). They can visit the Museum any day during the tournament season between 9.30 AM and 8 PM unless the Grounds close earlier. However, the Wimbledon Tours DO NOT run during The Championships.
All England Club Address
216 Grand Dr, London SW20 9NB, UK Get Directions >
Wimbledon Tennis Stadium On Map
Getting To All England Club
- By Bus - This is the most efficient way of reaching the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Take the 493 bus as this drops you right outside the Museum (Gate 4). You can take the bus from the Wimbledon and Southfields Tube Stations.
- By Tube - Southfields Underground Station (District Line) is the closest station to the club.
- By Train - The nearest station is Wimbledon, which is located about 20 minutes from the club. You can board the 493 bus from here or take a taxi.
- By Car - There is parking available at the club and it is available on a first-come first-serve basis. Alternatively you can park at the Wimbledon Town Centre, where there is a multi-storey car park available.
Tips For Your Wimbledon Tour Experience
- Book your tickets for the tour online and in advance. By purchasing your tickets online you save yourself the trouble of waiting in line at the ticketing counters, and you also get the chance to avail good deals and discounts.
- While there are no guided tours of the museum, you can avail a free audio guide in one of ten languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Croatian and Brazilian Portuguese).
- While there is no dress code per se for the Wimbledon Tour, don a pair of comfortable shoes as there is lots of walking involved. Also, since the tour runs every day of the year, make sure you are dressed for the weather as parts of the tour will be outside.
- There are no cloakroom facilities onsite, so travel light. There are no provisions to stack away your leave luggage or coats behind whilst you attend your tour, so please consider this when preparing for your visit.
- There is limited free car parking on site from August to April - 6 spaces available on a first come first served basis. Parking becomes inaccessible from May to July because of Championship preparations. If you do not get a parking spot here, head over to the metered parking on Somerset Road which has 20 parking bays, SW19 5BN.
- Children and young adults under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Carry a camera with you to capture all your favourite moments! You will have a ton of photo opportunities at this historic venue.
- If you get the chance, try the strawberries and cream from the Wingfield Cafe . It's said to be speciality that people come searching for.
Wimbledon Tour Reviews
Its a guided tour and the tour guides are very knowledgeable. The highlight of the Tour is the visit to Center Court. Additionally you learn a lot of the Champion players and how the entire arena is maintained. A good tour which is for almost close to 2 hours. Advance booking is recommended. With small kids it may be bit difficult because it can disturb the group. So do keep that in mind. Along with guided tour you also get to visit the museum which holds the trophies and video clips etc.
Kushal P, Tripadvisor October 2018
If you are someone who loves sports, sports history, tennis, or just viewing fabulous venues, a visit to the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon is well worth a visit. For 21 pounds, you have a 90 minute guided tour of the facility by a blue badge guide. I can't speak to the size of the groups that tour, but ours was very reasonable-- 13 people. Our guide had wonderful personality and was extremely knowledgeable about tennis generally and of course the facility itself. The entire group had great chemistry and humour, so the tour was a lot of fun. I give our guide full credit for the nice ice breaking she did at the outset, the gentle jokes, and the great affection she obviously has for the place through which she guided us. Although I've never been to the tournament itself, I watch Wimbledon every year on TV and it was marvelous to see the place live without the crowds. It's a beautiful facility, and overall my time was very well spent there.
The museum itself is worth a visit as well and is included with the tour. It's very well done and quite interesting. It won't take very long to go through- I spent maybe 30 minutes, though you could spend more time if you're into tennis history.
Enter the AELTC either by walking toward it from the Southlands underground down Church Street (It's actually a nice walk, maybe 15 minutes in length) or just grab a bus headed that way- the bus stop is directly across the road on Church Street. The entrance to the museum and tour is at Gate 4. You'll see Gate 2 and 3 first-- keep walking.
chrism623, Tripadvisor October 2018
Read what others have to say about a Wimbledon Tour on TripAdvisor.
Ready For A Wimbledon Tour?
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