You can walk into Christie’s on King Street without a ticket, an appointment or any intention of buying. Its selling exhibitions are open for public view, the building is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and it is often open at weekends for viewings too, although those hours change with each auction. It is one of the better free galleries in London and almost nobody treats it as one.
We read the auction houses’ own pages on 13 October 2026.
Christie’s, 8 King Street
The address is 8 King Street, St James’s, SW1Y 6QT, where Christie’s has been since 1823. The firm is older than that: James Christie held his first sale in London on 5 December 1766, which makes it the world’s oldest fine art auctioneer.
Weekend opening is the part worth a phone call. The house says it is often open for weekend views but that hours vary by auction, so ring the saleroom on 020 7839 9060 rather than turning up on a Saturday and hoping.
The access detail is unusually good, with one current exception
Christie’s publishes a fuller access list than most museums: accessible toilets, a gender-neutral toilet, braille toilet signage, a hearing loop, baby changing facilities, and street-level access via 4 to 7 King Street. Wheelchair access covers the majority of the main galleries, including the King Street Gallery, Great Room, Ante Room, West Room, East Room and Augusta Gallery, and can be arranged for the St James’s, Duke Street, and Upper and Lower Ryder Street galleries.
It is also dog-friendly, which is rare for a building full of art.
The exception: when we checked, the lift to the first-floor galleries was undergoing maintenance, with alternative access available on request at reception or by contacting client services on 020 7389 9060 beforehand. If the first floor matters to your visit, call ahead until that work finishes.
Bonhams has two London salerooms
New Bond Street at 101 New Bond Street, W1S 1SR, and Knightsbridge at Montpelier Street, SW7 1HH. Bonhams does not publish opening hours on its locations page, so treat the viewing dates on each individual sale as the authority.
Sotheby’s publishes no locations page at all
Sotheby’s site has no working locations index: the paths that would hold one return 404, and its London presence appears only through sale series rather than an address and opening hours. That is not a reason to assume you cannot visit, but it does mean you have to work from a specific auction’s viewing dates instead of a building’s hours.
How to use them
Viewings generally run for a few days before a sale, so the calendar rather than the building decides what is worth seeing. A collection on view at Christie’s can hold works that will then disappear into private hands for a generation, and the admission is nothing. Christie’s also runs a pre-sale storage facility at Park Royal, 7 Central Park, NW10 7FY, which is not a public gallery.
Christie’s London
- Address
- 8 King Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6QT. Bonhams is at 101 New Bond Street W1S 1SR and Montpelier Street SW7 1HH
- Nearest
- Green Park or Piccadilly Circus
- Hours
- Christie’s is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and often at weekends for views, with hours varying by auction. Bonhams does not publish hours
- Booking
- None needed for public viewings. Ring the Christie’s saleroom on 020 7839 9060 to confirm weekend hours for a particular sale
- Price
- Free to view
- Standing
- The world’s oldest fine art auctioneer, selling since 1766 and at King Street since 1823, whose selling exhibitions are open for public view
How to get in
Free and open to anyone, not only buyers. Street-level access via 4 to 7 King Street, wheelchair access to most main galleries, accessible and gender-neutral toilets, braille signage, a hearing loop and baby changing. The building is dog-friendly. The lift to the first-floor galleries was under maintenance when we checked, with alternative access on request
Where to go next
Free museums and free things to do cover the rest, and Mayfair covers the streets around Bond Street.
Questions we get asked
Can anyone visit an auction house in London?
Yes. Christie's says its selling exhibitions are open for public view, and the King Street building is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. You do not need to be a buyer, and there is no admission charge.
Is Christie's free to visit?
Yes, viewings are free. Auctions and viewings are held at 8 King Street, St James's, SW1Y 6QT.
Is Christie's open at weekends?
Often, for views, but the hours vary by auction. Ring the saleroom on 020 7839 9060 to check for the sale you want to see.
Is Christie's wheelchair accessible?
Largely. There is street-level access via 4 to 7 King Street and wheelchair access to most main galleries, with access to the St James's, Duke Street and Ryder Street galleries arranged on request. When we checked, the lift to the first-floor galleries was under maintenance, with alternative access available on request.
Where are Bonhams' London salerooms?
101 New Bond Street, W1S 1SR, and Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, SW7 1HH. Bonhams does not publish opening hours on its locations page, so use the viewing dates for each individual sale.
Can you take a dog into Christie's?
Yes. Christie's lists its King Street saleroom as dog-friendly.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 467 in the guide.
Last checked 13 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
