Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is the largest tennis museum in the world. The museum was inaugurated at The Championships centenary event in 1977. On 12 April 2006, The Duke of Kent declared the brand new Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum open to the public inside the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. This museum has exhibits and artefacts dating back to 1555 as well as touch screen computer consoles for visitors to interact with. Memorabilia from many famous players from Victorian times up to present day are included in exhibits which change seasonally. The museum allows Museum guests to sample the atmosphere of Centre Court, except for the period around The Championships. Guided tours are also available which take visitors behind the scenes of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and includes admission into the museum. Audio guides are available in eight languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Croatian and Brazilian. WLTM is open year-round to the public except during The Championships week where entry is possible for tournament ticket holders only.
Highlights
VR Experience: The museum features a VR experience. The Experience will: - Take you on a fun and informative journey through the history of The Championships at Wimbledon - Shrink you down to the size of an ant to learn more about the science behind the famous grass - Sit you in the umpire’s chair to watch some magic moments from your favourite players unfold. - Be voiced by former Wimbledon semi-finalist and British No.1 Tim Henman. Using the very latest in 360˚ camera technology we gained exclusive access to The Championships, 2016. John McEnroe's Ghost: Through projection and filming technology, the museum has created a ghost-like-image to take visitors on a tour of the normally off-limits area. John McEnroe reminisces about the dressing room, including how he first met Jimmy Connors and how he would emotionally prepare himself for matches. The Whites of Wimbledon: There is an extensive collection of past and present fashions of Wimbledon attire. Everything from outfits worn in the 1880s to Rafael Nadal's dri-fit 'pirate' trousers are on display. There is also an interactive exhibit where one can feel the weight difference between male and female clothing in 1884. Technology: Interactive touch screen consoles are evenly distributed throughout the museum hallways. Other features include the 'Get a Grip' rotating wheel of rackets; 'The Reactor' game and an archive of great past Championship matches. A wall sized touch interactive scoreboard.
Guided tour
Led by London's Blue Badge Guides, Guided Tours take visitors around the Grounds of The All England Lawn Tennis Club. Tours include access to areas such as Centre Court, the Main Interview Room, the players' Entrance and A Broadcast studio. Tours last about 90 minutes and include the price of museum admissions, areas on the Tour are subject to availability.
The Kenneth Ritchie Wimbledon Library
Available to visitors by appointment, the Kenneth Ritchie Wimbledon Library is home to a collection of books, periodicals, videos, and DVDs relating to tennis. It is the largest tennis library in the world.
Wimbledon Shop at the Museum
The Wimbledon Shop is at the entrance of the Museum and is free to enter. Items for sale include tennis and casual clothing, towelling goods, sport bags, DVDs, books, jewellery, rackets, souvenirs, and tennis accessories. An online Wimbledon shop also has a wide range of merchandise.
Location
The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is inside the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. To access The Museum, guests must enter through Gate 4 of the club on Church Road, SW19 5AG.
