Museum of Freemasonry

The Museum of Freemasonry sits on the first floor of Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street, London. The building, originally called the Masonic Peace Memorial, was designed in the 1930s by Ashley and Newman in Art Deco style. It is a Grade II* listed landmark on the edge of Covent Garden. The hall contains the Grand Temple, offices, lodge rooms and the museum itself. It has also served as a filming location for productions such as James Bond and The Crown.

The collection began in 1838 when the United Grand Lodge set aside money for books and objects of masonic interest. By 1841 a library and museum opened for members, and in 1933 a dedicated space was created in the new hall. The museum holds ceremonial objects, regalia, silverware, furniture and manuscripts from English freemasonry and overseas lodges. It also includes artefacts from other fraternal orders like the Oddfellows and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Visitors find guided tours that take in the Grand Temple and Shrine when available. The reference library holds over 1.7 million names in digital registers from 1751 to 1921. Temporary exhibitions have included displays on badges, English freemasonry across three centuries and masonic periodicals. The museum also offers talks, workshops and participates in national cultural events.