collection room tour

Homeschool Room Tour and Setup Ideas [Video]

We moved into our new home earlier this year and one of my dreams has come to life – a fully dedicated homeschool room. Over the years I have homeschooled in small spaces, doing lessons at our kitchen table, and storing our homeschool supplies around the house wherever we can tuck them away. 

I am so excited to share a tour of our homeschool room with you, including how I set it up and how the space functions. I hope this tour of our homeschool space gives you ideas and inspiration for how to setup and organize your school area.

Related: Homeschooling Setup and Organization for Small Spaces

In this blog post:

Homeschool room tour [Video]

Bulletin board display and daily storage cabinet.

• Built-in cabinets and closet storage

Display wall

In our new home, we are so grateful to have a homeschool area set up in the heart of our home. Our homeschool room is off the main entryway, with access to the kitchen, living room, and outdoors.

Many of the items in my homeschool space were sourced from Facebook Marketplace, from antique stores, or were custom-built by my husband. I have included links to items in my homeschool space (or similar) below.

At the center of our homeschool room is a school table with enough chairs for me and my children. This is where we come together for Morning Time or our daily lessons. I found the table in our homeschool room from Facebook Marketplace for $5.00 and we love it! See the rest of the details in the walkthrough of our homeschool room in the video below:

If you're curious, here are some design choices we made when building our homeschool room:

• Wallpaper:  Forest Friends from Wallpaper Direct
• Trim and door paint color: Benjamin Moore Vintage Vogue
• Wall color: Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
• Cabinets color: Benjamin Moore Baby Fawn

I love using a large bulletin board as a landing place when we are in the middle of a project. This is a place where we can set aside our projects, like our weekly notebooking pages, and easily access them when we are ready to get to work.

Related: Notebooking in Your Homeschool: Why and How?

I also have a cabinet where I keep a bin for each of my older children. These bins host everything they use for their independent work. This includes their pencil boxes , headphones , laptops , computer chargers, grammar workbooks , and current reads from Mom’s Library. I like to keep everything in a lightweight, portable bin so that when it’s time for their independent work, they can grab their bin and go outside or wherever they want to sit to work on their studies. I also like having a magazine holder to keep their workbooks from getting bent or damaged.

Related: Favorite Homeschool Curriculum for 4th Grade and Favorite Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 6th Grade

In this area, I also keep go-to items like dry-erase markers for our weekly chore charts , and our Bluetooth speaker for playing music or audiobooks. I also have a sign where I display our daily rhythm cards . They are attached with velcro strips so we can easily move them around as our days shift.

Built-ins and closet storage

My husband recently completed built-in cabinets for our homeschool space and I could not be more excited. This is where I store our curriculum, reference books, school books, learning tools for my younger children, and so much more!

Admittedly, I am not a naturally organized person. This is an area that I work hard to maintain in a clean and organized way so that I can easily find what we need as we homeschool. I like using a label maker to designate a space for everything we use and help keep me on track.

Here are some categories of things I keep in our built-in cabinets: 

Early reading books and activities

I have a shelf where I keep the early reading books for my 6-year-old son. Some of my favorites are Explode the Code , early readers from Dash into Learning , and the Wonder of Nature Early Years Alphabet Cards .

I also keep hands-on tools like a Montessori movable alphabet , sight word flashcards , word family flashcards , and these wooden letter builders from Handwriting Without Tears.

Related: Homeschool Kindergarten Daily Rhythm , Favorite Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 1st Grade , Hands-On Alphabet Recognition and Formation Activities

Daily items and reference books

Each morning we all start our day sitting at the table for Morning Time. During this time we connect over a read-aloud, nature study, or other learning activity we can explore as a family. During this time I always read for our Morning Time Menus, which I use with dry-erase markers and a restaurant menu cover .

Related: Our Homeschool Morning Time

I also like to keep dictionaries on hand so my children can look up the meanings of words as we study, and my picks for “Mom’s Library.” “Mom’s Library” is a rotating collection of books I set up for my older children that they can choose from for their independent reading.

Related: Best Sources for Preschool & Elementary Living Book Lists

In our cabinet, I also have a shelf for all of our Bible study items. Each of my children has a Bible they read from and a 3-ring binder where I keep their Bible notebooking pages from Rooted Family Bible Curriculum or other Bible studies we work through.

I keep a section of supplies we use for Mail Monday , a practice we do each week. I keep these supplies in a large caddy , including pens , wax and a wax seal , stationery , and letters my children have received.

Related: Mail Monday: Language Arts through Penpalling

Mama area and lesson prep supplies

Much of our storage is dedicated to items I use to prepare our homeschool lessons. This includes office supplies like paper clips , push pins , my laptop, a 3-hole punch , paper cutter , clipboards , and other office supplies. I also have my computer printer tucked away for printing worksheets and curriculum. I also store other supplies like glue , printer paper , card stock , watercolor paper for notebooking, and more.

On display, I have a world globe and our most used items – pencils and thin Sharpie markers . I also keep my “Mama Book Basket,” which holds my homeschool planner , teacher’s guides, and read-aloud selections from Treehouse Book Club . 

On my bookshelf, I also have books we use regularly, like Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman, and the Smithsonian Natural History book.

Related: Homeschool Planning 101

I also have a notebooking basket where I store everything we use for notebooking. This includes lined stencils , sketching pencils , paint brushes , rulers , watercolor paint , paint palettes , and 8.5 x 11 watercolor paper . I like simply pulling out a basket when we are ready to work on our notebooking pages which has all the items we use in one place.

I like keeping colored pencils in a silverware organizer , and I use decorative baskets I buy second-hand for all sorts of things.

Related: Homeschooling Supplies List by Subject

Storage closet

I keep a lot of items tucked away in my storage closet. Many of these items are organized in storage bins, and some are stored on lower shelves so my children can choose what they want and pull it out independently.

In the bins my younger children can reach, I have items like stacker toys , Brain Flakes , and pattern blocks . These are things my youngest daughter will reach for when her siblings are doing their schoolwork, or while we are having read-aloud time. She knows to get out just one bin at a time and put the bin back in place when she is ready for something new.

She also enjoys activities like magnetic puzzles , counting bears , Plus Plus toys , Water Wow! (we use water and a paintbrush instead of the pens), foam alphabet , letter writing puzzles , addition and subtraction puzzles, magnetic cars board , and her busy book . Sometimes I rotate these items out so she has new activities every so often as we do school. As some of these items are bigger, I love being able to tuck them away in the closet, out of sight, when we aren’t using them.

Related: 40+ Ideas to Engage Children During Read Alouds

On the higher shelves (and out of reach) I keep other tactile items my children love, but are more involved. This includes trays for Play-Doh , polymer clay , wax sticks , Kinetic Sand , and foam geography puzzles . I also keep bins for their projects and handcrafts they are working on, like a crochet kit, their lapbooks, and other drawing and coloring materials.

Related: The Best Handcrafts for Kids (+ Tips to Teach Them)

Finally, a big part of our homeschool room is dedicated to a display wall where we have a Samsung Frame TV we use almost every day! We use it to pull up drawing tutorials on YouTube or other videos that add value to our homeschool lessons. We also have open bookshelves for displaying picture books and other items, and another shelf where we can pin up notebooking pages we are working on or display sheets from our curriculum. 

Related: How We Use Technology in Our Homeschool

Just as a reminder, I believe you do not need a beautifully decorated space to have an efficient homeschool day. I have homeschooled in many small spaces over the years ( including an RV! ). My homeschool space is mostly a space to store everything, and I wanted to share in hopes that you find some inspiration for your homeschool. Let me know any questions in the comments below.

Related: Homeschooling 101: 7 Tips to Get Started

How to Homeschool in Small Groups: Co-ops, Social Groups, and More

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• Thorne Miniature Rooms

Mrs. James Ward Thorne. French Salon of the Louis XVI Period , about 1780, about 1937. Gift of Mrs. James Ward Thorne

Let your imagination take over on this journey through the Thorne Rooms—miniature and, as generations of Art Institute visitors have found, wonderfully transporting.

Narcissa Niblack Thorne, the creator of the Thorne Rooms, herself had a vivid imagination. In the 1930s, she assembled a group of skilled artisans in Chicago to create a series of intricate rooms on the minute scale of 1:12. With these interiors, she wanted to present a visual history of interior design that was both accurate and inspiring. The result is two parts fantasy, one part history—each room a shoe box–sized stage set awaiting viewers’ characters and plots. 

The highlights below offer just a glimpse of the fascinating stories behind the much-loved Thorne Rooms—so unleash your imagination and step into these astonishingly tiny spaces.

Of the 68 rooms created by Thorne and her craftsmen, this is the only miniature of a sacred space. The Gothic-style church is built on an even smaller scale than the models of domestic spaces, emphasizing the grandeur of the space. Thorne did not set out to create a “typical” church space but rather one with specific character and exquisite details. She lavished attention on even the smallest elements of the space, specially commissioning the elaborate altarpiece, grille work, and crucifix from artists who generally worked in full scale. The Gothic style of the church would have been familiar to her Chicago viewers—after the Great Fire of 1871, the city embraced the Gothic Revival style for churches, universities, apartment buildings, hotels, and private clubs.

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: E-29: English Roman Catholic church in the Gothic style, late 13th century.

Mrs. Thorne’s Gothic church is the only room that is not one inch to one foot. It was reduced further in size because of the grand scale of the Gothic church. Things of note in the room are the triptych at the back of the church; this was designed by a famous artist, Hildreth Meière. She is mostly known for very large-scale pieces, so it’s quite charming to see her work in such a small scale. Another artist of note that Mrs. Thorne hired is Marie Zimmerman. She did the family crypt gates that are here in Chicago for the Thorne family, and Mrs. Thorne was so taken by her work she asked her to do the ironwork that can be seen here to the left by the anteroom. Miniaturist, Hank Kupjack:

HANK KUPJACK: Mrs. Thorne had a fascination for miniature, and she was on the board of the Art Institute during the time when full size period rooms were all the fashion in museums, and she realized that to have a comprehensive example you would need a building three times the size of the institute, and that was their original purpose: to educate and to give the public an idea of what full size period interiors look like.

RM WOLFF: The relationship of one inch to one foot, that was her work that resulted in that being the now accepted way that miniatures are built.

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: Doctoral candidate and graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, RM Wolff.

RM WOLFF: Part of the reason that Mrs. Thorne’s rooms were able to be so successful is because they come on the heel of a larger interest in period rooms, a nostalgia that gets manifested as preservation.

Archive: "In the process of turning back the pages of history to colonial days, 458 structures were demolished and all evidence of modern life removed…"

RM WOLFF: Colonial Williamsburg, that restoration has begun in the 1920s led by the Rockefellers with this feeling of sort of making sure to preserve American history.

Archive: "Even the signs are in keeping with the restored city."

RM Wolff: So her project fits squarely within this moment of threat to these original spaces. Partially because of the war these objects are now available on the market, and absolutely this nostalgia for a simpler time, a less threatened time, is completely part of the period room trend on the whole and the Thorne Rooms in particular.

Thorne, like many of her generation, was generally not an admirer of Modernism, but she wanted her survey to at least touch on contemporary taste. She called this room a “modern art gallery,” and the focus is on striking (and tiny) paintings and sculptures, all commissioned from well-established artists including Fernand Léger , Amédée Ozenfant , and Léopold Survage . The Cubist painter Léger created the work hanging over the bright red sofa. Thorne strongly disliked what she called “packing box furniture,” adding “I shall never feel the urge to own chairs made of tortured plumbers’ pipe camouflaged with a wash of chromium and upholstered with slippery leather.”

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: A37. California hallway, circa 1940.

Set in Mrs. Thorne’s own time period. If you look out the balcony window you can see the skyline of San Francisco at nighttime all lit up.

Glancing around the room, you can’t but notice all the artwork and there’s something pretty significant about the artwork within this room. These were not made as duplicates of existing artworks; they were actually made specifically to go in this room.

Looking at the far back wall over the fireplace is an original work by the cubist painter Ozenfant. Then, if you look to the right, over the red sofa, there is an original work by Léger. And the pair of bronze sculptures are by John Storrs.

Mrs. Thorne supposedly wanted to commission Pablo Picasso for an original piece for this room, so she sent her sister over to Europe.

HANK KUPJACK: Her sister, Lydia Swift, was in Paris and had the job of trying to contact Picasso. This is before the war. So she went over to his studio four or five times and knocked on the door. And, finally, the last time she went over— Picasso’s studio was on the top floor and he opened the window and shouted out, “What?!” Mrs. Swift said, “I have a commission for you.” So she trotted up five floors and she showed Picasso what paintings Ozenfant, the rest of them, had done for Mrs. Thorne and he took one look at it and said, “That’s silly,” and slammed the door. Wouldn’t do it. But she tried. She tried.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: So that’s the story. I think it’s pretty hilarious. Luckily, there were many artists who did not think it was silly and they’re just stunning pieces and specifically done to go in a miniature room.

RM WOLFF: The Thorne rooms are so compelling because they’re historical objects and artistic creations. They are both. They tell us history and they tell us history in very real ways that we have lots of evidence for. We know that these are how chairs and Marie-Antoinette’s anteroom looked. And we know that this is how dining rooms in Pennsylvania looked. We know that they’re telling us a very real history through their objects. And at the same time we know that they are creations of this woman in this particular moment.

MARIANNE MALONE: There’s her hand involved in these, her imagination, her desires, her wants, her direction.

ANNE THORNE WEAVER: I cannot emphasize what an incredible woman she was. A friend of a friend’s, a wonderful grandmother, she was just really— I don’t mean the “one of a kind,” but she was an exceptional woman.

Thorne particularly admired the refined classical style of 18th-century French and English interior, and the people of Chicago, many of whom were struggling to survive the devastating Depression of the 1930s, would have found the imagined perfection of this room especially captivating.

Thorne’s inspiration for this room was the Petit Trianon, a small but richly furnished classical retreat set in the gardens of the French royal palace of Versailles. She noted Marie Antoinette as a particular inspiration, infusing the room with mystery and drama by associating it with the doomed French queen who, before her execution, had been a leading patron of the arts. The room’s miniature furniture was purchased in Paris and is especially fine: the marquetry commode and marble-topped secretary can be actually opened and locked with tiny keys!

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: E-24: French Salon of the Louis XVI period c. 1780. Everything about the room screams of Marie Antoinette.

Mrs. Thorne wrote: "Nothing could be more chaste, more restrained; this was Marie Antoinette’s favorite retreat and it is here that I always feel her shadow." And I’m not sure I would describe this as restrained, a lot of gold up in this room. Marie Antoinette was a teenager given a royal coffer and she was irresponsible as most teenagers would be, and it has such lovely sensibilities. These are also the sensibilities that got Marie Antoinette beheaded.

RM WOLFF: When we look at this miniature room the detail is just amazing. We get completely caught up in the idea that we know Marie Antoinette loved music and nature, and there’s a chair that has a harp-shaped back and there are roses everywhere, even on the small vases, and the tiny secretary desk that’s included in the room can actually be locked and unlocked with a very tiny set of keys. We’re delighted by these details, and don’t totally remember their context. This was a queen that just years after this room depicts suffered at the hands of a revolution that would see her as representative of taking advantage of this beauty and this wealth and pulling it all in for herself. So miniatures do this very funny thing where they pull us into their spaces, but sometimes we don’t always take our context with us, or their context with us. They depict moments in time. They do tell those other stories too. They do give us insight into those more complex historical moments also.

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: Almost all of these rooms are depicting households that indeed would have a staff, that’s because that’s stylistically of what’s note. If that’s who had the money to hire architects and have something put together in a way that was historically of note then that’s completely part of who she is and part of the reasoning of the rooms.

Thorne was entranced by the romantic idea that America’s colonial past was a simpler time, uncomplicated by industry, immigration, or urbanism. She wanted this interior, which she found warm and intimate, to evoke the lifestyle of seafaring families who, she thought “might occupy a one-story cottage, small and [as] compactly planned as the boats built by the same craftsmen.” It was Thorne’s genius to leave out human figures from all of her rooms, since they would inevitably be taken for dolls. Instead she wanted the viewer’s imagination to take over. Here, the child’s toys on a diminutive chair and a table set for tea suggest that the occupants might have just stepped out of the room.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: A12. Cape Cod living room, circa 1750 to 1850.

HANK KUPJACK: Part of the joy of this art form is re-creating things that no longer exist. But by making a miniature of it you can experience the way it actually was, that you no longer can.

RM WOLFF: My favorite room is the Cape Cod living room. It’s sort of selfish. I used to go there when I was a kid and there’s just something about the light in that room that Mrs. Thorne gets so right. It feels like the ocean is right there. It feels like the afternoon sunlight is streaming in and that’s the magic of being with the rooms is that they take you back to moments and memories in your own life that mean something to you. I could stare at the sunlight from that room all day.

HANK KUPJACK: This is actually a saw that was used during the construction of the Thorne rooms because it was bought by my father in 1934. And we still use it. My name is Henry Kupjack and I’ve been doing miniature for my entire lifetime. My father, Eugene Kupjack, started working for Mrs. Thorne in 1934 when he was 23 years old. He worked for her on the American series of rooms that are presently housed in the Art Institute. Well, you didn’t really want to tell the kids on the playground that your father made dollhouses. So I never really talked about it with other kids. It was just sort of the thing we did. First of all, you have to know what to copy. If something full size is crap and you shrink it down, it’s still gonna look like crap no matter what you do. You have to have a reasonable amount of hand-eye coordination. You have to have a cinematographer’s sense because you have to light them without seeing the lights. There are a lot of people who do this and for the most part they look like what they are. What we try and do here— what Mrs. Thorne tried to do is make them look real. And that’s not so easy.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: In Mrs. Thorne’s Cape Cod living room if you look by the little children’s chair there is a miniature doll tea set and it is placed atop a copper serving tray. This copper serving tray is actually a hand-hammered penny. If you flip the tray upside down, you can actually see the head of Lincoln.

HANK KUPJACK: The materials we use and the materials that you see are not what they actually are. We don’t use stone for marble. It’s painted wood. These are like the movies: It’s all illusion.

Thorne traveled widely in England and France and learned much about the history of interior design from those cultural journeys, as well as from books and publications supplied by antique dealers for collectors and designers. She wanted her rooms to serve as useful tools for teaching design history—as miniature versions of the full-sized “period rooms” which were popular across American and European museums at the time. She also hoped they would be inspiring examples of sophisticated taste, which she may have felt was lacking in Chicago at the time.

The furnishings in this room were made in England and inspired by designs published in 1791 by the successful cabinetmaker Thomas Sheraton. Thorne intended this drawing room to bring to mind 18th-century English country villages, “which were peopled with the hypersensitive women and overindulged and overestimated men whom Jane Austen immortalized.”

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: E-12: English Drawing Room of the Georgian period c.1800.

MARIANNE MALONE: I was an art teacher in an all girls middle school and we would always bring our students up to the Art Institute of Chicago and we always popped down to the Thorne Rooms to see them and I saw over and over again jaws drop and eyes pop. So I created Ruthie and Jack, who are best friends and they’re sixth graders who find a magical way to shrink and enter the room. My name is Marianne Malone. I’m the author of the book series "The Sixty-Eight Rooms", a series of books which is based on the Thorne Miniature Rooms. So the English Drawing Room of the Georgian period is a beautiful, very simple room compared to many of the other rooms, and there’s a little violin that sits in its case on the loveseat of a bay window that looks out onto a garden, and in the story it’s one of the very first rooms that Ruthie visits. Mrs. Thorne was very smart in that she set her rooms in complete settings, that is there are dioramas outside of the windows and doors as well as extra little rooms, so you have the sense that the rooms aren’t just simple boxes that are perfectly executed, and I think that that makes people want to peer out all the doors and windows and see into the little side rooms and hallways, and you can imagine somebody going in and out of those doors.

<reads> "The room appeared smaller with a lower ceiling and the walls were painted white. Straight ahead of Ruthie was a bay window with a gold silk covered window seat that looked out into a sunny spring garden. On her left was a marble fireplace with tiny blue and white china pieces on the mantel. Just past the fire place was a harpsichord, and on the window seat a delicate violin sat in its case. Ruthie was about to take another step when she heard voices. She quickly ducked out of the room and waited again. ‘This would be so much better if the museum were empty’ she thought. At last the viewers passed by. This time she made a beeline for the harpsichord. She placed a finger on one of the keys softly. The key was stiff, but she managed to push it down all the way. It played. It sounded tinny and out of tune, but it was a real harpsichord all right. She tried a chord, ‘Wow, who could possibly have built this so small?’ She had to work fast; more people would be coming by. She took two steps over to the window seat and picked up the violin. She made a pass. It squeaked! She made it two more – not bad, but then she heard voices coming again, ‘Not enough time to put this back. Run!’ She sped across the room and out of the door, just as two elderly women came into view. ‘Mary, did you hear something?" one of the women asked, ‘Sounded like a mouse’ the other answered.

Now wasn’t that fun?

In the 1920s and ’30s, American museums were committed to displaying their collections in inspiring architectural settings. Many, including the Art Institute of Chicago, purchased the wall paneling of rooms that had been removed from their original sites in Europe and Asia. Thorne chose to represent one Chinese and one Japanese interior in her suite of 68 vignettes, a reflection of the broad influence of non-Western design on American Modernism. Though she had a group of highly skilled artisans contributing to the making of the rooms, she recognized the need to engage specialist skills for this room and commissioned Chinese carvers to produce the screens and fretwork.

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: E30. Chinese interior traditional.

TAO WANG: Traditional Chinese households there was little sound. Something we don’t see here is bird cages, because in Northern China, particularly older people like to keep birds. So you can hear the birds in the morning. But here we don’t see the bird cage.

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: This is one of the few interiors that Mrs. Thorne never visited the location, but she did go to the extent of having a craftsman from Hong Kong carve all of the fretwork within this scene. Lindsay Mican Morgan: Pritzker Chair of Asian Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, Tao Wang.

TAO WANG: When you look at this room you can imagine yourself standing in the middle of the courtyard. It’s usually walled. Usually would have the bamboos and the sometimes with the plum tree. Clearly, it’s not for ordinary people. It is for a very rich family. So if you look at the design, it’s actually have three levels, the front, the middle and the back. On your left it’s reception and on the right hand it’s the bedroom. Usually that bedroom is reserved for the eldest member of the family— should be the grandpa or grandma.

TAO WANG: Most important thing you can see here is that room at the end, you can see ancestral portrait is hanging on the wall. At the front of the portrait there are incense burner, there are candlestick; for many families they have to come together every morning to pay their respects to the ancestor.

LINDSEY MICAN MORGAN: It’s of note that Mrs. Thorne felt that Chinese and Japanese design needed to be represented within her collection of interior depictions. If you view any number of the Thorne miniature rooms, you will be able to spot the influence of Asian design on the rooms. You can see jade carvings, wall papers with paintings done in the style of Asian artwork.

TAO WANG: But, to me, I think it’s very much kind of feel at home— I do kind of recognize all the elements in this design. In that way I think it’s— it is quite accurate and it’s so balanced, it’s so perfect, I think here it does kind of represent this idealized China in the mind of a society lady.

This interior complete with a large fireplace and a charming braided rug is meant to represent a cozy Massachusetts room from the late 17th century, about 50 years after the Pilgrims had established themselves at Plymouth. The tiny miniature ship on the mantel over the fireplace is a model of the Mayflower—a reminder of the Pilgrims’ journey. In the 80 years since this room was made, however, our notion of the settlers’ life and the impact they had on the Indigenous people and their way of life has shifted. We can readily see that the brightly waxed floors and uniform display of pewter on the cupboard more accurately reflect a Depression-era longing for an idealized American past. Like the Cape Cod Living Room, it is a perfect example of Colonial Revival taste.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: A1. Massachusetts living room and kitchen. Circa 1675 to 1700.

Most rooms have to be cleaned about every three to four months. There are some rooms that are mysterious and love to be dusty almost immediately. So I’m going to clean the Massachusetts living room and I’m going to open it up now. And here’s one of our magical keys.

One of the main parts that gets a bit of dust is actually where the keyhole is. So <laughs> we have people gratefully coming in by the masses right off the street, so they bring in a fair amount of dust from the outside. We’ll start removing the objects from the room. Now I’m going to pick up this largest piece of furniture, this cabinet from the back of the room. This has quite a few pieces of pewter. I try never to be in any kind of a rush. And I won’t deal with the fireplace, because Mrs. Thorne would actually gather the ash trays from her workers and save the ashes to put in the fireplaces. Of course, I’ll clean off the dust on the stones and everything, but we don’t want to dust in the fireplace really all that much, ‘cause we don’t want to lose the little ashy bits in there.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: You know, some people love to joke about— if they see me during the day, they’re like, “Oh, where’s your mini-vacuum?” And we actually do have vacuums, but they’re not miniature at all.

The major tools that I use are a couple of different brushes. The fun part is getting your— you can actually get your whole head inside a room to be able to see around a corner or something.

Now let’s go ahead and get back in here. Okay. This chair goes over here and that one goes in the back.

MALE VISITOR: You’re setting up a room.

CHILD VISITOR: You’re setting up a room.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: Yeah, we’re just inspecting everything and making sure everything is—

MALE VISITOR: I bet you they dusted it just like we dust our room at home.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: We just did!

All right. And there we go. I’ll probably go back over that way, because I was a little rushed.

MALE VISITOR: Okay, should we keep looking?

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: Have fun, guys!

MALE VISITOR: Well, when you’re five this is cool.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: This is cool when you’re fif—

I was like, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” This is pretty cool at <inaudible>

I have to be very careful every time I’m within these rooms that these are such precious objects. It’s pretty— you know, quite an honor to be able to work with them.

Thorne drew inspiration for this lavish parlor from the elaborate antebellum plantation interiors depicted in the popular 1939 film Gone with the Wind , as well as from a study of furnishings from the period. She acknowledged that in representing these spaces, she was not interested in “wars and famines” but instead focused on style and taste. Here, like others of her generation, she celebrated the grandeur and prosperity of a Southern estate, but chose not to address cotton plantations and the uncomfortable source of that wealth.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: A30. Georgia double parlor, circa 1850.

The Georgian double parlor is one of the few rooms that’s partially based on fiction, but it’s a fiction that was also based on some fact. A “Gone with the Wind” room.

RM WOLFF: In Mrs. Thorne’s personal effects, there was a copy of “House and Garden,” which is still a magazine that exists, but an American magazine about interior decorating that had still images from the film in it, including still images of the parlor, that were in Mrs. Thorne’s folder on the Georgie double parlor. So we know that this is what she was looking at while she was building the rooms.

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: There’s exact replicas, you know, of some of the objects seen within the movie that then Mrs. Thorne added to her Georgian double parlor. The most easily identifiable objects are the large gold, ornate mirror over the fireplace mantel as well as the detailing over the windows above the drapery.

RM WOLFF: Why she would chose, in this one instance, to go to something that had been in such a popular way depicted— yeah, it is a little bit of a curiosity. I mean, imagine the delight at visiting the Thorne rooms. You know, “Gone with the Wind” has just won Best Director, Best Picture and Best Actress— to go to the Thorne rooms, which have finally arrived in your town and to see Scarlet O’Hara’s parlor. That’s being very invested in your audience at the time.

SCARLET: I’ll go home. And I’ll think of some way to get in there. After all, tomorrow is another day!

LINDSAY MICAN MORGAN: Mrs. Thorne re-created such a scene as Scarlet O’Hara would be comfortable in.

Explore Further

• E-10: English Dining Room of the Georgian Period, 1770-90, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• A31: Tennessee Entrance Hall, 1835, c. 1940 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• A18: Shaker Living Room, c. 1800, c. 1940 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• A37: California Hallway, c. 1940, c. 1940 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• E-9: English Drawing Room of the Georgian period, 1770-1800, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• A10: Massachusetts Dining Room, 1795, c. 1940 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• E-1: English Great Room of the Late Tudor Period, 1550-1603, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• E-31: Japanese Traditional Interior, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• A35: California Living Room, c. 1935-1940, c. 1940 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• E-15: English Drawing Room of the Modern Period, 1930s, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• E-21: French Boudoir of the Louis XV Period, 1740-60, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• E-25: French Bathroom and Boudoir of the Revolutionary Period, 1793-1804, c. 1937 Narcissa Niblack Thorne
• A11: Rhode Island Parlor, c. 1820, c. 1940 Narcissa Niblack Thorne

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Diplomatic Reception Rooms, U.S. Department of State

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For more than half a century, the art of diplomacy has thrived in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms against a magnificent backdrop of art and architecture that illustrates the best of America through its history, its artistic accomplishments, and the inspiring values on which our nation was founded.

The Entrance Hall

The thomas jefferson state reception room, the benjamin franklin state dining room, the john quincy adams state drawing room, the dolley madison powder room, the edward vason jones memorial hall, the gallery, the henry clay state dining room, the james madison state dining room, the james monroe state reception room, the martha washington ladies lounge, the passageway, the secretaries of state terrace, available now.

Museum Perspectives

 In Museum Perspectives , The Office of Fine Arts shares their work, initiatives, research, and discoveries as custodians of one of the great American collections.

  Recent Articles  

Making our mark: establishing a new logo for the diplomatic reception rooms, materials spotlight: porcelain, painting with light: gilding the benjamin franklin state dining room, materials spotlight: silver & other metals, drr collection.

Chinese Export Porcelain Sauce Tureen and Cover

Chinese Export Porcelain Trembleuse Saucer from Martha Washington's States Service

Ten Chinese Export Porcelain Orange Fitzhugh Eagle-Decorated Dinner Wares

Chinese Export Porcelain Armorial Berry Dish

Chinese Export Porcelain Hexafoil Teapot Stand Bearing Arms of New York State

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Chinese Export Porcelain Famille-Rose Christening Bowl Made for the British Market

Chinese Export Porcelain Side Plate Commemorating Rev. George Forbes

One from a Pair of Chinese Export Porcelain Berry Dishes from James M. Watson's Service

• Australian Age of Dinosaurs | Tours

TOURS 

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History offers world-class, interactive guided tours for the whole family to enjoy. Tours are split between three sites : the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, the Reception Centre with its Collection Room and the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition at Dinosaur Canyon. See Museum Map   for the location of each tour. 

AT A GLANCE: TOUR PACKAGES

1 Attraction: The Ultimate Dinosaur tour: The Ultimate Dinosaur tour includes a guided tour of the Collection Room, Fossil Preparation Laboratory, the  March of the Titanosaurs  exhibition and a self-guided walk of Dinosaur Canyon. Duration: 3 to 4 hours.  See   Plan A Visit

2 Attractions: The WDCOA VIP Pass: This combination pass includes admission and guided tour of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum (Ultimate Dinosaur tour) and Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park. Duration: Recommended over two days. See   Plan A Visit

WHAT'S INCLUDED

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FOSSIL PREPARATION LABORATORY (30 MINUTES)

During this part of the tour you are guided behind-the-scenes through the most productive Fossil Preparation Laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere. Discover how dinosaurs are found and recovered, and see the remnants of an ancient world with huge sea shells and plant fossils on display. Everyone has the chance to touch a real dinosaur fossil and watch as fossil technicians prepare dinosaur bones for research and display. If you would like to get involved check out our Prep-A-Dino and Dig-A-Dino experiences now.  

Powered by Cincopa Slideshow HTML for Business solution. Laboratory Fossil Preparation Laboratory focallength 7.9 flash 16 cameramake CASIO COMPUTER CO.,L height 1200 fnumber 8 exposuretime 0.004 orientation 1 camerasoftware 1.00 originaldate 7/17/2012 8:52:01 AM width 1600 cameramodel EX-Z1050 The wall of fossils focallength 7.9 flash 9 cameramake CASIO COMPUTER CO.,L height 1200 fnumber 2.8 exposuretime 0.0166666675 orientation 1 camerasoftware 1.00 originaldate 7/20/2012 2:55:56 PM width 1600 cameramodel EX-Z1050 Prep-A-Dino program focallength 21 flash 89 cameramake Canon height 3059 fnumber 4 exposuretime 0.0166666675 orientation 1 camerasoftware Microsoft Windows Ph originaldate 9/29/2010 10:11:57 PM width 2592 cameramodel Canon EOS 400D DIGIT Fossil being prepared focallength 85 flash 16 cameramake NIKON CORPORATION height 854 fnumber 4.5 exposuretime 0.008 orientation 1 camerasoftware Ver.1.00 originaldate 9/8/2014 4:31:25 PM width 1280 cameramodel NIKON D610

The Collection Room houses the only known specimens of Australia's largest, and most complete carnivorous dinosaur -   Australovenator wintonensis , nicknamed "Banjo", as well as Australia's most complete sauropod   Diamantinasaurus matildae , nicknamed "Matilda" and Savannasaurus elliottorum "Wade".

Our passionate guides tell the story of "Banjo" and "Matilda" and how they are inextricably linked for eternity. Sit back and enjoy parts of the documentary "Monsters in the Outback" and watch as the fossils are put together and the dinosaurs are brought back to life. 

THE MARCH OF THE TITANOSAURS EXHIBITION AT DINOSAUR CANYON TOUR (90 MINUTES) 

Dinosaur Canyon is located 2km beyond the current Reception Centre and includes:

• a return trip on the Noble Express shuttle, departing from the Reception Centre 
• an interpretation of Australian natural history including biodiversity and dinosaurs
• a guided tour of the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition featuring a recently discovered 54-metre-long sauropod tracksite
• four galleries containing life-sized dinosaur exhibits
• pathways and lookouts that are wheelchair accessible and
• the Dinosaur Canyon Outpost shelter building with seating, toilets and drinking water.

The exhibits at Dinosaur Canyon include:

• the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition 
• the Dinosaur Stampede exhibit representing the Lark Quarry stampede 
• the Pterodactylus Family exhibit
• the Kunbarrasaurus exhibit - all three exhibits featuring life-sized dinosaurs cast in bronze
• the Death in the Billabong exhibit and
• the beginnings of a Cretaceous Garden, the Valley of the Cycads.

Next - Family Visits

Visitor’s Guide To London’s Stunning Wallace Collection

If you’re looking for an off the beaten path museum in London, let me recommend The Wallace Collection.

I’ve been to London many times, but somehow overlooked this brilliant hidden gem museum on my prior visit. It really shouldn’t even be a hidden gem.

The Wallace Collection is one of the world’s best small museums , a treasure trove of art. But it’s somewhat pleasantly lost (except for locals) in London’s sea of amazing museums.

The Wallace Collection is housed in a palatial mansion. It’s a perfectly preserved in situ collaboration of art and period settings.

The museum has a fine collection of old Masters paintings and French furniture from the Louis XIV era. It’s word renowned for its 18th century French paintings, European paintings, and medieval armor.

The museum lacks the standard white or gray walls you’re used to seeing in a museum. Instead, the colorful wallpaper, gilded frames, and porcelain compete for your attention.

There are even signs telling you not to sit on the “art.” It all makes for an unforgettable atmosphere and museum experience.

As you browse, you’ll find works by Rembrandt, Franz Hals, Diego Velazquez, Titian, and Canaletto. Plus, there’s a slew of works by Rococo-era artists like Watteau, Lancret, Boucher, and Fragonard.

The Wallace Collection is set out in 24 rooms. It’s a “closed” collection.

That means nothing can be added to or subtracted from the museum. It must remain as is, untouched. This is similar to the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston .

In this guide, I give you an overview of the Wallace Collection, tell you about the must see masterpieces, and give you tips for visiting.

History Of The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection was founded by a family that were descendants of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. It was put together by the first four marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace.

Wallace was the illegitimate son of the fourth marquess. His wife, Lady Wallace, bequeathed the collection to the nation upon her death.

The first and second marquesses began the collection. They acquired some important paintings by Canaletto, Thomas Gainsborough, and Joshua Reynolds.

But it was the third marquess who was the first to show a real interest in art. He acquired the important 17th century Dutch paintings and much of the French furniture and Sevres porcelain.

The fourth marquess, however, was the greatest art collector in the family. His purchases defined what you see at the Wallace Collection today.

Growing up in France, he collected both French and English art, with almost no restraint. With a full pocketbook, he was famous for outbidding others at auction.

The fourth marquess was a bit of a rake who never married. But he did recognize his illegitimate son, Richard Wallace.

In 1870, Wallace inherited his father’s collection of art and his taste for collecting art. He renovated Hertford House to accommodate his own growing collection.

Wallace’s wife inherited his collection upon his death in 1890. Consistent with his wishes, she bequeathed it to the state.

However, she insisted on the caveat that nothing could be taken away from or added to the collection, making the collection an idiosyncratic time capsule.

Layout Of The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection is displayed in 24 rooms over 2 floors. The entrance hall has busts of the principal founders of the collection. The ground floor houses fine arts, medieval treasures, and armor.

When you’re done on that floor, head up red carpeted grand staircase to the upper floor. The second floor has an even finer painting collection. Turn left to begin a clockwise spin around the rooms.

At the far end of the second floor is the Great Gallery. It’s the highlight of the museum. With stunning aesthetics, it displays masterpieces by artists from all over Europe.

Tickets And Tours For The Wallace Collection

As a national museum, the Wallace Collection is entirely free to visit, with a suggested five pound donation. If you plan to go on Friday through Sunday, you may want to reserve a spot online.

You can take a free 30 minute tour of the Grand Gallery on the second floor at 3:00 pm with a museum expert. You need to make a reservation for this tour at the front desk. You’ll be given a sticker to wear.

But the Wallace Collection is so vast, with so many masterpieces, that you may want to book a proper 3 hour guided tour .

You can also book an 8 hour guided tour of the Wallace Collection and other hidden gems museums. This fantastic tour takes you to other amazing museums of your choice, like the Courtauld Gallery.

Guide To The Wallace Collection: What To See

The Wallace Collection is full of masterpieces. Here are some of the must see highlights you should make a point to see.

1. Fragonard, The Swing

The Swing is the most famous painting in the Wallace Collection and the most famous painting by Fragonard. It’s found in the beautiful Oval Drawing Room on the second floor.

Fragonard was an 18th century painter whose reputation rests on his charming love scenes. He was renowned for his use of light and color and expressive brushstrokes.

The Swing is classic Fragonard — a saucy subject executed with grace. It features a tantalizing woman decked out in a frothy pink gown. The painting is set in a fantastical park landscape.

The woman is being pulled on a swing by her husband, hidden in the shadows on the right. The poor man is unaware that she is having an affair with the man on the left.

The woman throws up her leg and flirtatiously kicks off a slipper, a sign of sexual abandon. Her gesture allows her love interest to peep up her swinging skirt.

2. Franz Hals, The Laughing Cavalie r

The Laughing Cavalier is the second most famous painting in the Wallace Collection. It was painted by Franz Hals, a preeminent Dutch Golden Age painter.

It’s an exuberant half length portrait of a young man, executed in a bravura style. Art historians don’t know who the painting depicts. The subject is dressed in rich and flamboyant clothing, suggesting he is a rich merchant or prominent citizen.

The clothes provide some clues.They are embroidered with symbols of courtship. This suggests the painting may have been a betrothal portrait.

The title claims the man is laughing. And the arrogant pose in the portrait certainly conveys a sense of jocularity and swagger.

But that may just be the image created by the shape of his distinctive mustache. In reality, he is neither laughing nor a cavalier.

In the painting, you can see Hals’ trademark use of various shades of black. His sumptuous and fluid textures give the painting a photographic quality.

3. Titian, Perseus and Andromeda

This painting is one of a series of six paintings that were commissioned by the King of Spain. He stipulated that Titian must paint mythological scenes.

But he gave Titian free reign to chose the subject matter. Titian’s paintings, with themes of love and death, rank among the most significant paintings of the 16th century.

This Wallace Collection painting is from Ovid’s Metamorphoses . In a moment of high drama, you see Perseus swooping down to rescue Andromeda from a sea dragon.

Originally, Perseus was on the right, not the left. In its day, it was considered an avant grade way of painting nudes.

The king kept the painting in his bathroom. Unfortunately, this caused water damage. When the king died, the painting was sold off at auction and purchased by Richard Wallace.

4. Velazquez, Lady With The Fan

Velazquez is the most famous painter of the 18th century Spanish Golden Age. The king liked him so much he was appointed the first court painter.

The Lady With The Fan is Velazquez’ most famous painting after Les Meninas , which is in the Prado Museum in Madrid .

The painting captures a beautiful young woman in a dark outfit. Her hair is covered and she wears a black necklace.

We don’t know who she is. Art historians have debated whether she is French of Spanish. The lady is outfitted with rich accessories, including a turtle shell fan and jewels.

The background is stark, as was typical for Velazquez portraits.

5. Boucher, Madame de Pompadour

This beautiful Boucher painting depicts Madame de Pompadour, who was the official mistress of Louis XV. It was the last of 7 paintings Boucher made of her.

Because of her great political intelligence, Madame de Pompadour successfully built and defended a highly influential position at the French court to a degree that was unusual for a mistress. 

In the painting, Madame de Pompadour stands in an idealized garden. She is accompanied by her spaniel, who symbolizes fidelity.

The parkland setting stresses the natural and honest character of her relationship to the king. At that point, her relationship with the king was platonic.

She chose Boucher to paint her and became a generous patron to him. The artist epitomized the inimitable style of mid 18th century French art.

6. Ruben’s Rainbow Landscape

This is an important Rubens painting because he almost never painted landscapes. When he did, he kept them in his personal collection.

The Rainbow Landscape shows Ruben’s personal estate on a late summer afternoon. It’s depicted in an idealized way. It’s a happy painting, with the rainbow as a sign of protection.

The fourth marquess acquired the painting in 1856, outbidding the National Gallery of Art . You can still visit Ruben’s estate in Antwerp.

7. Rembrandt Paintings

There are two Rembrandt paintings in the East Galleries on the second floor. They hang opposite one another. One is a self portrait of Rembrandt and one is a portrait of the artist’s son.

The self portrait was recently attributed to Rembrandt. It’s set in an usual semi- circular shape, probably due to being cut to fit a particular location.

Titus the Artis’s Son depicts the artist’s 15 year old teenage son. He’s portrayed in historical robes and gold chains, recalling 16th century Venetian portraits. The young man has a serious gaze.

8. Ary Scheffer, Francesca di Rimini

The artist Ary Scheffer enjoyed enormous success with sentimental and religious scenes. Francesca da Rimini was one of his most admired works. His friend, the novelist George Eliot, claimed that she could “look at it for hours.”

The subject is from Dante’s Inferno . The unique painting shows Dante and his guide, the Roman poet Virgil, during their passage through Hell. They look on the tragic figures of Paolo and Francesca, condemned to Hell’s second circle.

Francesca was forced to marry the hideous Gianciotto da Rimini. But she fell in love with his handsome younger brother, Paolo, instead. Gianciotto murdered them after he saw Paolo kiss Francesca.

The painting has a remarkable frame that complements its subject. It was likely designed by Félicie de Fauveau.

9. Gainsborough, Mrs. Robinson

This painting is by the English artist Thomas Gainsborough. He was the best known English artist of the 18th century. He was famed for his outstanding innovations and techniques in both pastoral landscapes and portraiture.

In this painting, Gainsborough depicts the actress Mary Robinson. She’s sits in an atmospheric landscape with her dog.

The Prince of Wales (later George IV) became infatuated with Robinson when he saw her paying Perdita in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale . The prince sent her a miniature of himself with a paper heart declaring his love. She had it set in diamonds and holds it in her hand in the painting.

Gainsborough’s fluid brushwork and loose composition are notable in the portrait. The sitter appears to melt into the landscape, imparting a poetic dimension to the picture.

The portrait is recognized today as one of the artist’s masterpieces. But Gainsborough withdrew it from the Royal Academy exhibition in 1782 after it was criticized for not conveying an exact physical likeness of the sitter.

10. Joshua Reynolds, Nelly O’ Brien

Reynolds was the leading portraitist of the 18th century. He invigorated the genre and raised its status to that of religious and historical works.

In this painting, Reynolds depicts Nelly O’Brien. She was a well known beauty and courtesan. She was also a friend of Reynolds and modeled for him frequently.

There is no evidence that the portrait was painted on commission. Reynolds departed somewhat from his typical Old Masters style. He used a more experimental style of image.

Reynolds shows O’Brien clad in a wide brimmed hat directly gazing at the viewer. You can see the soft and luminous quality of light on the sitters upper torso.

The portrait was recently conserved. It’s one of Reynolds’ most popular paintings.

11. Jan Steen, Celebrating The Birth

Jan Steen was the humorist among Dutch Gold Age painters. He created nearly 800 paintings, most with a moral beneath the wit. 

In 17th century Holland, the birth of a child was celebrated with a party. Intended to be a sober affair, the celebration often turned raucous.

In the painting, the mother lies in bed. The apparent father holds the baby wrapped in a red blanket.

Behind the baby, another man makes the sign of cuckold’s horns behind the baby’s head. This may be a self portrait of Steen.

The cuckold is further emasculated with an apron and purse string around his waist.

12. Thomas Lawrence, George IV

This gigantic portrait of George IV is at the east end of the Great Gallery. It’s almost as if the king is presiding over the grand room. It was painted by the king’s principal painter, Thomas Lawrence.

Like Richard Wallace, George IV was also an art collector. Many of his acquisitions are in Blenheim Palace and Windsor Palace.

George commissioned this portrait for his mistress. It’s not really an accurate depiction. George was enormously obese and he’s wearing a brown wig.

13. Canaletto Paintings

The Wallace Collection has a bevy of Canaletto paintings. They’re mostly in the West Gallery I. But there are several in the Great Gallery as well.

Canalleto was an outstanding Venetian painter of the 18th century. He was renowned for his carefully staged scenes of Venice. Many of his works were painted for tourists who had visited the city.

READ : 2 Day Itinerary For Venice

The Canaletto paintings were among the earliest pieces added to The Wallace Collection.

14. Oriental and European Armories

If you are interested in military history, you will be enamored with the Wallace Collection’s princely collection of arms and armor. It’s one of the best in the world.

The Oriental Armory has a collection of Ottoman, Middle Eastern, and Asian arms, amor, and other works of art. It was largely assembled by the fourth marquess. You’ll see swords, daggers, helmets, armor, and other objects.

The European Armory houses Medieval and Renaissance artifacts from the 10th to the 16th centuries. Richard Wallace acquired these works from the Minister of Fine Arts to Napoleon.

The Renaissance armor is especially spectacular. In that era, powerful noblemen commissioned elaborately decorated arms. They were just in war, but also in jousts and festivals.

One of the most famous pieces is a complete 15th century set of equestrian armor, one of only three in the world. Aside from armor, you’ll find an array of pistols, canons, swords, and tools.

15. Marie Antoinette Study

The Wallace Collection also boasts beautiful examples of the French decorative arts. Many of them were purchased from the Palace of Versailles after the French Revolution.

One particular highlight is a boudoir-like suite of furniture once owned by Marie Antoinette. It comes from her pleasure palace, the Petit Trianon. You’ll find it in the Study.

The Study was Richard Wallace’s private reading room. The furniture is surrounded by Sevres porcelain and other French decorative arts from the second half of the 18th century.

There’s also a lovely portrait by Elizabeth-Louise Vige Le Brun. She was Marie Antoinette’s official portraitist. And a beautiful Fragonard painting called The Souvenir .

Practical Information and Tips For Visiting The Wallace Collection

Address : Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN. The museum is just a couple blocks from Oxford Street.

Entry fee : free

Hours : Open daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

How Long To Spend : I would give yourself at least 90 minutes. I was there for 3 hours because there is just so much to see.

There’s no audio guide or explanatory signage at The Wallace Collection. But you can download the Bloomberg Connects app with a QR code. That will give you information on specific paintings.

Tube Stations :

The nearest tube stations are Bond Street (Central Line), Baker Street (Bakerloo Line, Jubilee Line, and Circle Line), and Oxford Circus (Bakerloo Line, Central Line & Victoria Line). All are about 10 to 15 minutes away from the museum on foot.

Museum Cafe : The museum has a lovely secluded cafe, set under a skylight. It’s the perfect spot for brunch or lunch. Or to take a break midway through visiting the collection.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to The Wallace Collection. You may enjoy these other London travel guides:

• 5 Days in London Itinerary
• Guide To Free Museums in London
• Guide To the National Gallery of Art
• Guide To the Churchill War Rooms
• Tourist Traps To Avoid in London
• Guide To the Tower of London
• Guide To Hampton Court Palace
• Guide To Hatfield House
• Guide To The Henry VII Chapel

If you need a guide to the The Wallace Collection for your London visit, pin it for later.

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Last Updated on July 9, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

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Sofi stadium tours.

SoFi Stadium, home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, is nestled in the heart of the sports and entertainment capital of the world. Here you can experience what it’s like to be a LA fan, game viewer, broadcaster, player and more, on and off the field. Tours feature a behind-the-scenes experience of SoFi Stadium's most exclusive spaces including premium suites, team locker rooms, the player tunnel and more. We invite you to explore the transformation of the 300-acre Hollywood Park in Inglewood, CA, with tours available for purchase.

Buy Tour Tickets  

Tour tickets include complimentary parking at SoFi Stadium.

For more information or for personalized assistance, please email our Support Team .

Tour Experiences

Gear up for game day with Rally Days at SoFi Stadium! Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour the day before a home game and experience the excitement before the teams take the field the next day.

Rally Day Tickets  

Group Tours

SoFi Stadium tours offer a variety of private guided tours for your group of 20 or more guests. From birthday parties to corporate meetings and dining events, we have the tour to fit your needs!

Field Trips

SoFi Stadium offers educational tours for students to learn the ins and outs of creating a state-of-the-art venue. Students will embark on an informative tour of the stadium followed by a chance to see team locker rooms, participate in field activities and more!

Learn More Before Your Tour

Player Tunnel

Feel like a pro as you take the field through the player tunnel! Once on the turf, you will be able to visit locker rooms, compete in on-field challenges and experience the post-game interview room!

Premium Guest Experience

Once in our impressive private suites, take in the luxuries of the premium guest experience with the unobstructed views, premier catering, and the luxurious décor, which in some suites includes a chandelier. Imagine the game day or event day atmosphere from a unique vantage point.

Exclusive Photo Opportunities

Bring the memories home with exclusive photo opportunities to commemorate your experience. Take photos right on the field!

The Equipment Room

On your way out, there’s no better way to commemorate a trip to SoFi Stadium than through the official team shop, where you can find stadium exclusive merchandise and gear. Don’t forget to sport your favorite team jersey 24/7.

Plan Before Your Tour

Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time. 

Parking & Entry

Enter at Prairie Ave and Arbor Vitae and follow signage to park in Lot N and enter SoFi Stadium at American Airlines VIP Entry 7.

For tours between July 28 - August 9, please follow signs to park in Lot E/F located off Pincay Dr and Varus Dr and enter SoFi Stadium through Entry 10.  

Permitted bags should be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and cannot be bigger than 12" x 6" x 12”. Other permitted bags include one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag or similar) and small clutch bags, which cannot exceed 4" x 6" in size, with or without a handle or strap.

Photos & Videos

Guests are welcome to use still cameras for personal use at SoFi Stadium. Tripods, monopods, “selfie sticks” and cameras with a lens longer than 6” are not permitted. 

For additional information, please see our FAQ’s below, or contact our team at  sofistadiumtours@ experiencesofsofistadium.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Are tour locations and times guaranteed?

No, all tour dates, times, tour stops, field access, and field activities are subject to change at any time without notice.

Are there any prohibited items?

Please review our list of prohibited items before attending a tour.

Are there any camera restrictions?

Guests are welcome to use still cameras for personal use at SoFi Stadium. Tripods, monopods, “selfie sticks” and cameras with a lens longer than 6” (detachable or non-detachable) will NOT be permitted into the stadium. Video cameras and video recording of events with other devices at SoFi Stadium are prohibited. 

Can I take videos during the tour?

No, video cameras and video recording of events with other devices at SoFi Stadium are prohibited.

Are there purse, bag or footwear restrictions?

• Yes. You may review SoFi Stadium’s Bag Policy :
• SoFi Stadium Tours strongly encourages Guests to not bring any type of bags to the stadium, but Guests will be able to carry the following style and size bag, package or container on tour.
• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” (or one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags.
• Small clutch bags that are 4” x 6” with or without a handle or strap, may be carried into the stadium along with one of the clear bag options.
• Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a small clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, seat cushions, computer bags, camera bags, diaper bags, or any bag larger than the permissible size.
• An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at a gate designated for this purpose.
• All bags that exceed the stadium’s bag policy must be either taken back to your vehicle or disposed of.
• Shoes with spikes, sharp heels, or other attributes that may damage the playing surface will not be permitted on the playing field.
• We HIGHLY SUGGEST comfortable, closed toed, athletic type shoes to be worn.
• Participating in Tours barefoot or without shoes is prohibited.

How long does a tour typically last?

The total experience will last approximately 2 hours. For tours NOT including field access, the tour length is approximately 60-75 minutes. A portion of the tour may involve physical activities (optional). Due to this, we HIGHLY SUGGEST comfortable, closed toed, athletic type shoes be worn. Participating barefoot or without shoes is prohibited.

Do you offer tours in other languages?

No, tours consist of both live person and video presentations that at this time are only available in English. All video presentations do have closed captioning.

Do you offer group tours?

Yes. Group tours must be booked at least one week in advance. Please fill out a group tours form and our group tours team will be in contact shortly.

How can I purchase tickets?

Tickets can be  purchased online via Ticketmaster . Please also note that SoFi Stadium is a cashless stadium and cash is not accepted for any concessions or merchandise purchases on site.

Are children allowed to take the tour?

Yes. Children 4 and under are free.

Do you have any discounts?

Yes, we offer Senior, Armed Forces Personnel, and Inglewood Resident discounts with proper identification. Please call our Tours Support Team at (424) 541-9650 for assistance with discounts.

Are strollers permitted on tour?

Yes, strollers are permitted on the tour however they must remain on the sidelines during the field experience portion of your tour. Strollers will NOT be allowed on the playing surface or field turf. We are not responsible for any lost, missing, or stolen strollers.

Are wheelchairs/ECVs permitted on tour?

Yes, all tours are accessible for wheelchairs and Electric Conveyance Vehicles (ECVs).

During the field experience portion of the tour, personal wheelchairs or ECVs that may cause damage to the playing surface or field turf must remain in areas of the field protected by matrax protective surfaces. Guest using ECVs or wheelchairs will be offered the opportunity to participate in the Football Throw, Photo Opportunity, and/or Field Goal elements of the field experience, but will not be able to use ECVs or wheelchairs during other elements of the field experience, such as the Vertical Leap or 40 Yard Dash. Mobility devices that will cause damage to the field even in areas protected by matrax may not be permitted on the field during the field experience portion of the tour.

Guests with limited mobility who require additional accommodations to participate in the tour are encouraged to make advance arrangements for wheelchair-accessible alternate experiences or other accommodations by contacting our Tours department  at least twenty-four hours before the tour date. It may not be possible to arrange for accommodations on the day of the tour.

Personal wheelchairs/ECVs must remain on the sidelines while Guests with limited mobility participate in the field experience. SoFi Stadium does not accept responsibility for lost, missing, or stolen wheelchairs/ECVs.

Are service animals allowed?

Trained service animals are welcome in most locations at SoFi Stadium. Guests who use service animals must retain control of their animals at all times and keep them on a leash or harness while visiting.

At SoFi Stadium, a service animal is defined as a dog or a miniature horse that has been trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.

Guests with service animals may be asked to leave if the Guests do not retain control over their service animal, if the service animal displays aggressive or disruptive behavior, or if the service animal is not house broken.

The care and supervision of the animal is solely the responsibility of the owner. Service animals are not required to wear a vest.

Please ask any of our Tour Staff for the animal relief area. A service animal is welcome to use the relief area as long as the owner picks up after the animal and leaves the area clean.

How do I get to SoFi Stadium? Where do I park? Can I use a ride share service?

After your ticket purchase you will receive a confirmation email that will include specific entry and parking information for your visit. Please make sure to review the sent information in its entirety in order to ensure you have a seamless experience.

Is there an opportunity to purchase souvenirs?

The Equipment Room (Team Store) will be open on most tour days. You can purchase a variety of memorabilia before or after your tour. We offer pre-orders on Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers jerseys for IN STORE pick up on the day of your tour if purchased at least 24-hours prior to your scheduled tour. You may place your jersey pre-order . We recommend that you purchase it at the conclusion of your visit. There are no lockers available inside the stadium to store your items, so anything that you purchase must stay with you for the duration of your visit.

I want to throw a football while on the field, do I need to bring my own?

We provide footballs that can be used at each activity, or in the free play zone. Outside footballs will not be permitted within the building.

What does “No Field Access” mean?

"No Field Access" means that due to other events happening inside the building, our tours will not be permitted to step onto the field or partake in any on field activities. Other aspects of the tour route (i.e. locker rooms) MAY be part of the tour route but are subject to availability. Tours during this time will be approx. 75 minutes in length and the best available tour route will be established daily to maximize tour stops. Tour schedule, route, stops and field activities are subject to change without notice.

How can I access or view the photos that were taken during our tour?

Please visit our Mobile Experience website .

I haven’t received an email with specifics about my upcoming tour and the date is approaching. What information do I need to know?

You should receive an email to the email address on your Ticketmaster account within 24-48 hours PRIOR to your booked tour date. Please make sure to check your spam folder as messages often end up being filtered.

When arriving at the stadium for your tour, please use the stadium entrance located at the intersections of Prairie Avenue & Arbor Vitae. Parking is typically located in Lot N however is subject to change at any time so please follow electronic signage directing you to available parking. Once parked, you will follow signs for the American Airlines VIP Entry 7 which is where tour registration is located.

If you are unable to locate your tickets prior to arriving at the stadium, tour staff will be able to assist upon check in. Please make sure to arrive approximately 20 minutes prior to your scheduled tour to allow for ample time to get checked in.

If you are unfamiliar with the Los Angeles Metro area, traffic is a normal, everyday occurrence for us at all times of the day. Please make sure to review current traffic conditions and plan your arrival accordingly. Due to the nature of our tours, tours leave promptly at their scheduled time and late arrivals may not be able to be accommodated. If you have missed your tour, please reach out to our support team below for assistance with rescheduling. Refunds are not available for any missed tours.

Should you have any other questions, please contact our support team .

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