Things to do in London with kids who are learning about the Tudors

Explore Tudor history at the Tower of London

The Tower of London offers families a glimpse into Tudor history, where some of the most dramatic royal events unfolded.

While the fortress was built centuries earlier by William the Conqueror, the Tower of London reached the height of its notoriety during the Tudor period when Henry VIII sent two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, to be executed within its walls.

The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London serves as the final resting place for three executed Tudor queens: the aforementioned Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and also Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for just nine days.

Initially buried unceremoniously after their executions, their remains were rediscovered during restoration work in 1876 and were reinterred with proper memorials, including an inscribed marble pavement bearing their names and coats of arms.

In addition to exploring Tudor history, you can see the Crown Jewels, and meet the famous ravens that have called the Tower home for centuries.

Yeoman Warders (or ‘Beefeaters’) lead regular tours that tell spine-tingling tales of imprisoned princes, daring escapes, and royal intrigue, helping history to come alive for visitors of all ages.

For more information, see our post Visiting the Tower of London with children: everything you need to know.

Look out for the ghost of Jane Seymour at Hampton Court Palace

Although not in central London, Hampton Court Palace is just an easy train ride from away and is a must-visit for those who love Tudor history.

Hampton Court Palace’s origins were as Cardinal Wolsey’s grand residence before becoming one of Henry VIII’s most important palaces.

During Henry’s reign, the palace served as a spectacular centre of court life, featuring vast kitchens that could serve up to 1,600 meals daily to the 800 courtiers who might accompany the king. The Tudor Great Hall, where Shakespeare’s company later performed Hamlet and Macbeth, stands as a testament to the palace’s grandeur.

The presence of Henry VIII’s wives is still felt throughout – including the alleged ghost of Jane Seymour, who died there after giving birth to the future Edward VI.

Today, visitors can explore the Tudor kitchens, stroll through the famous maze, and experience the same impressive architecture that has drawn millions since Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public in 1838.

See royal burial places at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey will be well known to many from recent royal occasions such as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Westminster Abbey is also a treasure trove of Tudor connections. Henry VII’s magnificent Lady Chapel, with its stunning fan-vaulted ceiling, stands as perhaps the finest example of Tudor architecture in Britain.

Elizabeth I’s magnificent tomb lies here – and next to her, in an ironic twist of history, rests her half-sister Mary I. Their Tudor grandmother, Elizabeth of York, is buried alongside her husband Henry VII in his elaborate chapel.

Another striking Tudor highlight is the abbey’s vaulted ceiling in the nave, completed under Henry VIII, which still bears Tudor symbols including the distinctive Welsh dragon and his first wife Catherine of Aragon’s pomegranate emblem.

Modern-day visitors can walk the very same tiles where Elizabeth I processed during her coronation in 1559, making it an extraordinary place to step into Tudor history.

See where Henry VIII is buried at Windsor Castle

Another place outside Central London but again, an easy train ride away, Windsor Castle emerged as a crucial stronghold in Henry VIII’s kingdom and is where he is buried.

Featuring its distinctive gateway named for the monarch and built in the early sixteenth century, the sprawling estate provided perfect grounds for the king’s passion for hunting, while also serving as a backdrop for personal drama – including the temporary isolation of his first queen during their marital crisis.

The castle gained further prestige as the headquarters of the elite Order of the Garter, whose knights gathered at the magnificent St George’s Chapel. This sacred space, reaching completion under Henry’s rule, would ultimately become the monarch’s final resting place – though not with the elaborate memorial he had envisioned. Instead, a modest stone marker indicates where he lies beside Jane Seymour, the wife who gave him a longed-for son but in doing so, died in the process.

See a play at the Globe Theatre

The Globe Theatre on the South Bank today is a recreation of Shakespeare’s original playhouse, though it is actually the third version of this iconic structure.

The first Globe, opened in 1599, right at the end of the Tudor period. It was the creative home of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and saw the premiere of many of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, from Julius Caesar to Macbeth. This original structure met a dramatic end in 1613 when a stage cannon accident during Henry VIII set the thatched roof ablaze, leading to its rapid destruction. Though quickly rebuilt with a tiled roof, its successor was shuttered by Parliament in 1642.

The modern Globe, which opened in 1997, exists due to Sam Wanamaker, who spent decades championing its reconstruction on London’s Bankside after finding only a small, inaccurate plaque marking the historic site in 1949.

If you want to experience this unique open-air theatre and imagine what it would have been like to see a play back in Tudor times, consider either booking tickets for one of the various shows, or booking a tour.

Look at Tudor portraits at the National Portrait Gallery

For those looking for something a bit different to old buildings, the National Portrait Gallery offers a different way to experience the Tudors in London.

Located just off Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery has two rooms dedicated to Tudor portraits. These portraits feature famous subjects including Elizabeth I, Mary I, Henry VIII, Katherine of Aragon, Sir Thomas More etc.

Learn about Tudor seafarers at the National Maritime Museum

In the Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery of the National Maritime Museum, families can explore the fascinating story of how Elizabeth I transformed England into a powerful seafaring nation.

The exhibition brings to life how the queen invested heavily in explorers like Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, sending them on daring voyages of discovery that would fill England’s coffers with newfound treasures and establish vital trade routes across the globe.

Children can discover this exciting period of history through artefacts, maps, handwritten diaries, paintings, interactive displays and more, while also learning about the darker side of England’s maritime expansion, including piracy and the impact on indigenous peoples.

The gallery offers young visitors a window into how England went from a relatively minor kingdom to ruling the waves during the Tudor period.

Step aboard the Golden Hinde

The Golden Hinde replica in Southwark, London, offers a hands-on way to experience Tudor maritime history. This full-size reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s famous galleon recreates the ship that circumnavigated the globe during the Tudor period, a voyage that made Drake’s fortune and cemented his place in Elizabeth I’s favour.

Young visitors can explore the different decks, see where Drake and his crew slept, and learn how sailors navigated across vast oceans. The cramped conditions below deck particularly resonate with children, helping them grasp the challenging realities of Tudor sea life.

The ship offers guided tours with costumed interpreters who bring Drake’s adventures to life, explaining how the crew survived at sea, fought Spanish ships, and carried out the first English circumnavigation of the world. Or you can just turn up and explore yourself.

Visit St Margaret’s Church to see where Sir Walter Raleigh is buried

If you haven’t had enough of seafaring Tudors, you could visit St Margaret’s Church in Westminster.

St Margaret’s Church, standing beside Westminster Abbey, was fully reconstructed in the late 15th and early 16th centuries during the Tudor period. The rebuilding began in 1482 under Robert Stowell and culminated in the church’s consecration on April 9th, 1523, during Henry VIII’s reign. This version of the church still forms the core of the building we see today, despite later restorations.

Sir Walter Raleigh’s tomb is located here, near the High Altar. You can also see a stained glass window above the west door which shows him sailing for the Americas, his imprisonment and burial.

See how the Tudors lived at Sutton House in Hackney

Sutton House in Hackney is a Tudor brick mansion built in 1535. Now owned by the National Trust, Sutton House offers families a unique glimpse into Tudor life, in particular that of Ralph Sadleir, a key figure in Henry VIII’s court who worked alongside Thomas Cromwell.

As a young teenager, Sadleir learned languages and diplomatic skills in Cromwell’s household, where he also met his future wife Helen, a laundress. Sadleir, who conducted important diplomatic missions including negotiating with Scotland on behalf of Henry VIII’s sister Margaret Tudor, built this three-storey home (then known as ‘the bryk place’) while working his way up through Tudor politics.

The house still maintains many of its original Tudor features, which were carefully restored by the National Trust, making it an excellent destination for children to experience authentic Tudor architecture and learn about life in Henry VIII’s England.

Although located slightly off the beaten tourist track, Sutton House is easily accessible from Homerton Overground station on the Mildmay Line. Sutton House is closed for the winter period to carry out essential conservation work and will be reopening in the Spring 2025, check the website for details.

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Try on Tudor clothes at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge

Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest offers a look into Tudor royal life and hunting culture. Originally commissioned by Henry VIII in 1543 as a ‘Great Standing’ or grandstand within his newly created Fairmead Deer Park, this three-story oak-timbered building showcases the craftsmanship of royal Tudor carpenters.

For families, the lodge provides an engaging historical experience where children can explore all three floors of this authentic Tudor structure, imagining themselves as Elizabeth I, who hunted in these forests and ordered a survey of the building in 1589.

The building’s elevated position offers sweeping views over Epping Forest, helping young visitors understand how Tudor royalty would have used this grand viewing platform to observe and participate in hunts.

Children can step into the past by trying on Tudor costumes and discover the sights and smells of a working Tudor kitchen.

See Tudor style architecture

There are a number of places in London where you can get an idea of what life in Tudor times might have looked like, through architecture.

Staple Inn

Staple Inn in Holborn, right next to Chancery Lane tube station, once played an important role in legal London as it provided training for young lawyers.

The building survived the Great Fire of London. Restorations took place in 1936, but in 1944 a flying bomb hit the garden and the building collapsed. The building was reconstructed in 1955 and so whilst this is an ‘antique fake’, it provides an example of what buildings would have looked like in Tudor times.

Prince Henry’s Room

On Fleet Street you can see another building that survived the Great Fire that dates from around 1610. Unlike Staple Inn, the facade is original. Although you can’t go inside, you can admire it from outside.

St James’s Palace

St James’s Palace, built by Henry VIII between 1531-1536 on the site of a former leper hospital, stands as one of London’s most significant Tudor buildings and remains a working royal palace today.

The red-brick Tudor structure, with its distinctive octagonal towers and four courtyards, was constructed primarily as a pleasure palace where Henry VIII could escape the formality of court life, though it later became a principal royal residence.

While much of the original Tudor architecture survives, including the grand gatehouse, Chapel Royal, and parts of the State Apartments, the palace is not generally open to the public as it serves as the official residence of several members of the royal family. However, visitors can admire its impressive Tudor exterior from the street, particularly the decorative brickwork and grand Tudor gateway along Pall Mall, and watch the time-honored Changing of the Guard ceremony in the Friary Court.

St Bartholomew the Great Gatehouse

St Bartholomew the Great’s gatehouse (just a stone’s throw from the Barbican) is an example of how London’s residents adapted former religious buildings following Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. After the partial destruction of the original Augustinian priory in 1536, local resident William Scudamore saw an opportunity in 1595 to construct a timber-framed house above the remains of the church’s southern doorway.

This Tudor addition, though modest in size with just two stories and a small attic, proved remarkably resilient – surviving the Great Fire of London in 1666 (thanks to the protection of the priory’s substantial walls).

The façade was hidden under Georgian additions until its rediscovery following First World War bomb damage.

See Henry VIII’s wives in a new light at SIX The Musical

Six The Musical offers families an entertaining way to learn Tudor history through modern pop music. This infectious musical pop-concert show reimagines Henry VIII’s six wives as a girl group competing in a singing contest to determine who had the worst experience with their shared husband.

Each queen performs her own contemporary-style pop song, telling her story with plenty of sass and attitude, before they ultimately join forces to reclaim their own narratives beyond just being ‘Henry’s wives’.

Created by Cambridge University students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the show has become a global sensation since its 2017 debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

With catchy songs, glittering costumes, and history served with a hefty dose of girl power, this 75-minute show offers the perfect introduction to Tudor history for tweens and teens (the show is recommended for ages 10+) while being entertaining enough to keep parents thoroughly engaged.

The show is on at the Vaudeville Theatre and is currently booking until 30 November 2025. For those outside London who won’t get a chance to see it in the West End, look out for it on tour in the UK throughout 2025.