There is a Rembrandt self-portrait hanging in a house on the edge of Hampstead Heath, and you can walk in and look at it without a ticket, a booking or a penny.
Kenwood holds Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait with Two Circles, generally reckoned one of the finest self-portraits in existence, alongside work by Vermeer, Gainsborough, Turner and Constable.
English Heritage’s own description of the position: “The breathtaking interiors and stunning world-class art collection, which includes Rembrandt’s ‘Self-Portrait with Two Circles’, are free for everyone to enjoy.”
No charge, and “You don’t need to book your ticket in advance and entry is free, but you will get guaranteed entry by booking online ahead of your visit.”
So booking is optional and buys you certainty rather than access. On a wet Tuesday you can walk in. On a sunny Sunday in August, book.
Groups are the exception: over 10 people must email to book, and “Kenwood reserves the right to stagger the entry times of large unbooked groups.”
The grounds open at 7am, three hours before the house
The detail that makes Kenwood a different proposition from every other house museum in London.
Checked on 6 October 2026, the three sets of hours run separately:
Grounds: 7am to 6pm.
House and shops: 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm.
Café: 9am to 5pm.
Three hours of the 112 acres before the house opens, and an hour of café before it too. For a dawn walk on the Heath that ends with coffee, Kenwood is open while everything else is shut.
26 October is the day the grounds shut two hours earlier
The seasonal change is not gradual here, it is a step, and English Heritage publish it week by week.
Up to Saturday 24 October 2026: grounds 7am to 6pm.
Sunday 25 October 2026: everything closes at 4pm, the day the clocks go back. The grounds, the house and the café all stop at 16:00.
From Monday 26 October to 20 December 2026: grounds 7am to 4pm.
So the grounds lose two hours in a single step, and from late October an after-work visit is impossible. The house keeps its 10am to 5pm, so the gap between them closes right up.
Worth checking the week you are going, because the published table changes every few weeks rather than seasonally.
Parking is charged, and your car has to fit the bay
An unusually specific restriction, and it rules out a lot of modern cars.
“Parking is available only for vehicles that can fit within a marked bay (4.6m x 2.3m).”
Four point six metres long. A large estate car or a long-wheelbase van will not qualify.
Parking charges apply, and it is free for English Heritage members.
For Blue Badge holders the arrangement is better than most: there are five designated Blue Badge spaces, but Blue Badge holders may park in any available space free of charge.
And the timing trap: “Parking is only available within opening hours and is closed every evening.” Combined with the grounds shutting at 4pm from late October, that is an early finish for anyone who drove.
Kenwood is a cashless site, so bring a card for parking, the cafés and the shops.
Dogs on lead everywhere except one meadow
Important, because people arrive across Hampstead Heath where dogs run free, and the rules change at the estate boundary.
“Kenwood’s by-laws require dogs to be on lead while in the Kenwood estate (dogs may be off leads in the West Meadow only).”
One meadow, off lead. Everywhere else on the estate, on lead. The by-laws are displayed by the service wing toilets.
What they provide: dog water bowls outside the cafés, refillable in the bathrooms, and dog bins around the site.
Assistance dogs are welcome inside the house, the shops and the cafés.
Kites welcome, drones not
Three rules on the grounds, stated together, and the last is charming.
The site is no cycling, with bike racks outside the Garden Shop.
“Drones are not permitted but kites are very welcome.”
On picnics: “You are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy in the grounds. There are no picnic tables, however there are many wooden benches spread around the site. No BBQs.”
So bring a blanket rather than expecting a table, and nothing that burns.
A second-hand bookshop that opens four days a week
Easy to miss, and worth building a visit around if you collect.
There are three shops open daily, plus a second-hand book shop open Thursday to Sunday, which “specialises in holding a well curated selection of art books and classic literature.”
Thursday to Sunday only. A Monday or Tuesday visit misses it entirely.
Eating: the Brew House Café does sandwiches, salads, cakes and pastries, and the Stewards Room is the grab-and-go counter.
What else is there
112 acres of parkland designed by Humphry Repton, taking in a large parkland area, historic pasture with a lake, ancient woodland and a kitchen garden.
The house is a Georgian neoclassical villa, remodelled by Robert Adam, and the collection is permanently displayed rather than rotated.
One of the stories the house now tells properly is that of Dido Belle, a former Kenwood resident, with a newly commissioned portrait of her and a free digital guide on Bloomberg Connects carrying audio tours from English Heritage curators, conservators and volunteers, plus the artist of the Belle portrait.
Programming runs through the year. In October 2026 that included a Lord Mansfield: Slavery and Justice guided tour on several mornings, choral and chamber concerts, and Father Christmas at Kenwood on weekends from 5 to 20 December 2026.
Family facilities: four high chairs, children’s lunches and meal packs, children’s cutlery, and baby changing in one of the accessible toilets in the Service Wing. Activities run in the Housekeeper’s Room.
Toilets are inside the house and in the Service Wing, with accessible toilets in the Service Wing beside the Brew House Café.
Where it is
Kenwood, Hampstead Lane, Hampstead, London NW3 7JR.
It sits on the northern edge of Hampstead Heath, which is the best way to arrive: walk up through the Heath and the house appears above the lawn.
English Heritage membership starts at £44, covering over 400 sites and up to six children free with every adult member, which is the calculation to make if you also want Apsley House or the castles.
How to plan it
Entry is free and needs no booking. Book only if you want guaranteed entry on a busy day.
Early walk: the grounds open at 7am.
After 26 October, the grounds close at 4pm. Plan accordingly.
House: 10am to 5pm, last entry 4.30pm.
Driving: your car must fit a 4.6m by 2.3m bay, parking is charged, and it closes every evening.
Blue Badge: park free in any space.
Bring a card. The site is cashless.
With a dog: on lead except the West Meadow.
Second-hand bookshop: Thursday to Sunday only.
Picnic yes, BBQ no, kite yes, drone no.
Group over 10: email ahead, or expect staggered entry.
Kenwood House
- Address
- Hampstead Lane, Hampstead, London NW3 7JR
- Nearest
- On the northern edge of Hampstead Heath, best reached on foot across the Heath. Parking on site is charged and limited to vehicles fitting a 4.6m by 2.3m bay
- Hours
- Grounds 7am to 6pm, dropping to 7am to 4pm from 26 October to 20 December 2026. House and shops 10am to 5pm with last entry 4.30pm. Cafe 9am to 5pm. Everything closed at 4pm on Sunday 25 October 2026
- Booking
- Not required, though booking online guarantees entry to the house. Groups over 10 must book by email or may have entry times staggered
- Price
- Free. Parking is charged and free for English Heritage members, who also park free as Blue Badge holders. English Heritage membership from 44 pounds
- Standing
- A Georgian neoclassical villa on the edge of Hampstead Heath holding a free world-class art collection including Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait with Two Circles, plus Vermeer, Gainsborough, Turner and Constable, in 112 acres of Humphry Repton parkland
How to get in
Entry to the house and the art collection is free with no booking needed. The grounds open at 7am, three hours before the house, and from 26 October 2026 they close at 4pm rather than 6pm, a two hour step change. Parking is charged, closes every evening and only takes vehicles that fit a 4.6 by 2.3 metre bay, though Blue Badge holders park free in any space. The site is cashless. Dogs must be on lead across the estate except in the West Meadow. Cycling and drones are banned but kites are welcomed, and picnics are allowed with no BBQs and no picnic tables. The second-hand bookshop opens Thursday to Sunday only.
Where to go next
Hampstead Heath surrounds it, and Hampstead covers the village below.
Free museums in London covers the other collections that charge nothing, and the parks page compares the green space.
Questions we get asked
Is Kenwood House free?
Yes, entirely. Entry to the house and its art collection, which includes Rembrandt's Self-Portrait with Two Circles along with Vermeer, Gainsborough, Turner and Constable, costs nothing and needs no booking. Booking online in advance is optional and simply guarantees entry to the house on busy days. Parking is the only charge, and it is free for English Heritage members.
What time does Kenwood House open?
The grounds open at 7am, three hours before the house, which runs 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4.30pm. The café opens at 9am. The grounds close at 6pm until 24 October 2026, then at 4pm from 26 October to 20 December, with everything closing at 4pm on Sunday 25 October when the clocks go back. The published table changes every few weeks, so check the week you are going.
What paintings are at Kenwood House?
The collection is world class and permanently displayed. The best known work is Rembrandt's Self-Portrait with Two Circles, alongside paintings by Vermeer, Gainsborough, Turner and Constable. A free digital guide on Bloomberg Connects carries audio tours from English Heritage curators and conservators, including on a newly commissioned portrait of Dido Belle, a former Kenwood resident.
Can you take dogs to Kenwood House?
Yes, but on a lead. Kenwood's by-laws require dogs to be on lead throughout the estate, with the West Meadow the only place they may be off lead, which catches people arriving across Hampstead Heath where dogs run free. Water bowls are outside the cafés and dog bins are around the site. Assistance dogs are welcome inside the house, shops and cafés.
Is there parking at Kenwood House?
Yes, but charged, and with conditions. Parking is free for English Heritage members, and Blue Badge holders park free in any available space, with five designated bays. Vehicles must fit within a marked bay of 4.6m by 2.3m, which rules out longer cars and vans. Parking is only available during opening hours and closes every evening, so from late October it shuts at 4pm with the grounds.
Can you picnic at Kenwood House?
Yes. Picnics are welcome in the grounds, though there are no picnic tables, only wooden benches spread around the site. BBQs are not allowed. Cycling is banned on site with racks outside the Garden Shop, drones are not permitted, and kites are explicitly welcomed.
Does Kenwood House have a bookshop?
Yes, a second-hand bookshop specialising in art books and classic literature, but it opens Thursday to Sunday only, so a Monday or Tuesday visit misses it. Three other shops open daily, and the site is cashless throughout.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 387 in the guide.
Last checked 6 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
