What is it?
Only the home of the world’s most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament. Beyond hosting the Wimbledon Tennis Championships each July, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is open to visitors year-round. The private members club began life as a croquet club in 1868 before introducing lawn tennis shortly after it was patented by Major Walter Wingfield in 1874.
Tennis fanatics can go on behind-the-scenes tours of the 42-acre site and get a glimpse inside the 18 Championship grass courts, including the iconic Centre Court. There are 14 grass practice courts located in Aorangi Park (named after the London New Zealand Rugby Club, which leased the grounds from 1926 ’til 1981) plus six more on the old croquet grounds and eight clay courts.
The only thing you can’t do is play tennis – that’s reserved for pros and the people that hold exclusive memberships.
Why go?
To walk in the footsteps of tennis greats.
Don’t miss:
The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, where you’ll find memorabilia dating as far back as 1555, a 3D cinema explaining the science of the game and a holographic ‘ghost’ of former world champion John McEnroe roaming the dressing room.
When to visit:
Open daily 10am – 5pm from April to September and 10am – 5.30pm October to March. Peak times are weekends and school holidays.
The busiest time of year is the first two weekends of July, during the Wimbledon Championships.
Ticket info:
Outside of the Championships, tickets for the museum and grounds tour are £30 and £15 for the museum only. Access to the Wimbledon Shop and Wingfield Café is free.
During the Championships, entry to the museum is included for all Championships ticket holders.
Time Out tip:
Get your fill of Wimbledon’s famous strawberries and cream at the Wingfield Café, where any of the freshly-picked strawbs not eaten at the tournament are used as jam for scones and Victoria Sponges. As you eat, you can trace the history of Walter Wingfield, the father of British tennis, across the café walls.