Guided tours - Museum of the Order of St John
Source: https://museumstjohn.org.uk/planning-your-visit/guided-tours
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
Guided tours - Museum of the Order of St John
Skip to content
Islington residents
Guided tours
Access
Families
The Museum offers tours covering different aspects of our fascinating history, and accessing different parts of our impressive historic buildings. The tours must be
pre-booked via
the Museum’s Eventbrite page
, and cost £15 per person or £11.25 with a valid Art Pass or Blue Light Card. We release tickets for each month around the middle of the month before (for example February tickets are released in mid-January).
Tours are free of charge to St John Ambulance staff and volunteers. Please contact the Museum at museum@sja.org.uk or on 020 7324 4005 for a promotional code if you are eligible.
Islington residents can go on any of our public guided tours for only £1. For more information, please visit our
Islington Residents page
.
Information about access is available on the
access page
of our website.
The Lost Priory of the Medieval Order of St John
Just beyond the walls of the ancient City of London, the Order’s Priory was a vast and prosperous estate established as the English headquarters of the religious military order known as the Knights Hospitaller. This tour will take you into the church and underground to the remarkable twelfth-century crypt where you will uncover the history of the Order of St John from its origins in Jerusalem through to its dissolution at the hands of King Henry VIII.
Tours will last 45 minutes. This tour does not include the historic rooms upstairs at St John’s Gate. If you would like to visit them, please also book onto one of our other guided tours.
Book for the Lost Priory tour here.
St
John
Ambulance
: A Victorian Masterpiece
Explore the galleries and spectacular Victorian interiors of
St
John
’s Gate, and discover how
St
John
Ambulance
became an international movement through the personal
st
ories of its dedicated women and men. From world wars to royal jubilees, learn about the heroes and innovators who brought first aid to the public and changed the way we think about first response medical care.
Tours will last 45 minutes. This tour does not include the Priory Church and Crypt. If you would like to visit them, please also book onto one of our other guided tours.
Book for the St John Ambulance tour here.
Knights, Revellers & Saviours: The Many Lives of St John’s Gate
Like many ancient buildings, St John’s Gate and the Norman crypt have had a tumultuous past. These extraordinary medieval structures have survived against the odds because of the varied uses they have served over the centuries. Follow in the footsteps of knight-monks, printers, literati, publicans and philanthropists in a whistle-stop tour through 900 years of history. Learn about the characters who lived, worked and entertained here and how they adapted and re-imagined the buildings to meet their needs.
Tours will last 60 minutes. The tour includes the Priory Church, crypt and historic rooms in St John’s Gate.
Book for the Knights, Revellers & Saviours tour here.
Private tours
We can organise private tours for groups of 6 or more, including outside of Museum opening hours.
Discounted ArtFund tickets are only valid for groups above 6.
To secure a booking we ask for a deposit of £90 (our minimum charge) to be paid no later than 2 weeks before your tour is due to run. This payment ensures that your booking takes priority for the spaces being used. If this deposit is not received by this time, we will not be able to go ahead with your tour.
Please contact the Museum to make an enquiry on 020 7324 4005 or at
museum@sja.org.uk
.
Virtual tour
You can watch a virtual tour of the historic buildings before you visit.
Museum of the Order of St John
from
newangle
on
Vimeo
.
A silent visual tour of this fascinating Museum dedicated to the 1000 years of the Order of St John.
Sponsors
The Museum of the Order of St John would like to thank all those who have supported and continue to support its work. In particular, the Museum would like to thank the following for their generosity:
Skip to content
Islington residents
Guided tours
Access
Families
The Museum offers tours covering different aspects of our fascinating history, and accessing different parts of our impressive historic buildings. The tours must be
pre-booked via
the Museum’s Eventbrite page
, and cost £15 per person or £11.25 with a valid Art Pass or Blue Light Card. We release tickets for each month around the middle of the month before (for example February tickets are released in mid-January).
Tours are free of charge to St John Ambulance staff and volunteers. Please contact the Museum at museum@sja.org.uk or on 020 7324 4005 for a promotional code if you are eligible.
Islington residents can go on any of our public guided tours for only £1. For more information, please visit our
Islington Residents page
.
Information about access is available on the
access page
of our website.
The Lost Priory of the Medieval Order of St John
Just beyond the walls of the ancient City of London, the Order’s Priory was a vast and prosperous estate established as the English headquarters of the religious military order known as the Knights Hospitaller. This tour will take you into the church and underground to the remarkable twelfth-century crypt where you will uncover the history of the Order of St John from its origins in Jerusalem through to its dissolution at the hands of King Henry VIII.
Tours will last 45 minutes. This tour does not include the historic rooms upstairs at St John’s Gate. If you would like to visit them, please also book onto one of our other guided tours.
Book for the Lost Priory tour here.
St
John
Ambulance
: A Victorian Masterpiece
Explore the galleries and spectacular Victorian interiors of
St
John
’s Gate, and discover how
St
John
Ambulance
became an international movement through the personal
st
ories of its dedicated women and men. From world wars to royal jubilees, learn about the heroes and innovators who brought first aid to the public and changed the way we think about first response medical care.
Tours will last 45 minutes. This tour does not include the Priory Church and Crypt. If you would like to visit them, please also book onto one of our other guided tours.
Book for the St John Ambulance tour here.
Knights, Revellers & Saviours: The Many Lives of St John’s Gate
Like many ancient buildings, St John’s Gate and the Norman crypt have had a tumultuous past. These extraordinary medieval structures have survived against the odds because of the varied uses they have served over the centuries. Follow in the footsteps of knight-monks, printers, literati, publicans and philanthropists in a whistle-stop tour through 900 years of history. Learn about the characters who lived, worked and entertained here and how they adapted and re-imagined the buildings to meet their needs.
Tours will last 60 minutes. The tour includes the Priory Church, crypt and historic rooms in St John’s Gate.
Book for the Knights, Revellers & Saviours tour here.
Private tours
We can organise private tours for groups of 6 or more, including outside of Museum opening hours.
Discounted ArtFund tickets are only valid for groups above 6.
To secure a booking we ask for a deposit of £90 (our minimum charge) to be paid no later than 2 weeks before your tour is due to run. This payment ensures that your booking takes priority for the spaces being used. If this deposit is not received by this time, we will not be able to go ahead with your tour.
Please contact the Museum to make an enquiry on 020 7324 4005 or at
museum@sja.org.uk
.
Virtual tour
You can watch a virtual tour of the historic buildings before you visit.
Museum of the Order of St John
from
newangle
on
Vimeo
.
A silent visual tour of this fascinating Museum dedicated to the 1000 years of the Order of St John.
Sponsors
The Museum of the Order of St John would like to thank all those who have supported and continue to support its work. In particular, the Museum would like to thank the following for their generosity: