Two new learning centres and a green classroom are among the facilities planned for a major transformation programme expected to boost learning capacity by 250%.
Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, has announced the largest ever investment in learning & community engagement at the 1,000 year old UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of its long-term vision, Tomorrow’s Tower.
Over £20 million has already been pledged to transform the learning and community spaces at the historic site, supported by donors and partners including The Julia Rausing Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the Clore Duffield Foundation with fundraising ongoing.
“The Tower of London should be a place of learning, discovery and connection for everyone, and Tomorrow’s Tower is our long‑term commitment to making that happen.”
John Barnes, chief executive of Historic Royal Palaces
New facilities will be fully accessible and designed modern education and multi-sensory learning. Plans will include two learning centres, an Archive Study Centre, and a green classroom in the Moat. It is hoped that by expanding the learning facilities, school visits will increase from 125,000 to 200,000 annually. Works are due to begin in 2027 with some preparations already underway, and the project is expected to be complete by 2030.
The transformation
Developments will start with the new Weston Learning & Community Centre, located on the Wharf. It will feature flexible hands-on learning spaces, including the Clore Learning Studio, the Charles and Nicky Manby Courtyard, a dedicated community room and a calming sensory zone.
These spaces will host workshops led by costumed presenters and creative, hands-on nature-based activities for learners and communities of all ages.
The historic Waterloo Block will be carefully reimagined to create the three‑floor Julia Rausing Learning Centre which is hoped to significantly expand provision for education and engagement, with flexible education spaces supporting curriculum-linked learning and exploration of the Tower’s history. It will also support teacher professional development, live digital learning, archive exploration and youth and community projects.
On the ground floor there will be a fully accessible space for community and school groups, while the first floor will feature studios and lunchrooms to support year-round visits. The second floor will house further learning studios, a new Interactive Broadcast Studio to connect the Tower to learners across the UK and a new Archive Study Centre.
The new Archive Study Centre will bring together more than 25,000 architectural drawings on display in a dedicated space for the first time, showing over 200 years of design, building and conservation work across the Tower and other palaces cared for by Historic Royal Palaces. These historic materials will be readily available to students, teachers, researchers and local communities.
John Barnes, chief executive of Historic Royal Palaces, said: “The Tower of London should be a place of learning, discovery and connection for everyone, and Tomorrow’s Tower is our long‑term commitment to making that happen.
“This investment in schools and learning is an important first step, within a wider programme that also addresses sustainability, visitor experience, conservation and access. Thanks to the generosity of our funders, we are opening the Tower up more widely, so future generations can understand why its stories still matter.”
Learning in nature
As part of Tomorrow’s Tower, the Tower’s historic Moat will be transformed into a biodiverse and climate-resilient landscape designed for learning.
A new “green classroom” will invite school and community groups to learn about biodiversity, climate, and history, and explore how nature and heritage are connected. It will offer hands-on opportunities for outdoor learning and aim to enhance curiosity, wellbeing, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
Brigadier Andrew Jackson, governor of the Tower of London, said: “For over 1,000 years, the Tower has been many things - fortress, palace, prison and garrison - but throughout its history it has always brought people together - first as a place to live and work, and today also to experience and enjoy all it has to offer.
“Tomorrow’s Tower builds on that legacy. By opening up new spaces for learning, community and discovery, we are ensuring the Tower’s stories continue to resonate, reaching more classrooms, more communities and the millions of people from around the world who visit each year, while carefully protecting what makes this extraordinary place so special.”
The phases of Tomorrow’s Tower will be implemented gradually over the coming years, during which time there may be occasions when areas of the Tower will be closed or restricted.
While the plans get under way, schools can book visits to the Tower of London and have access to interactive sessions for all key stages and activity trails tailored to the National Curriculum.
Find out more about school visits at: hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/schools.
