London’s Roman amphitheatre

Between 1997 and 2001 the Museum of London Archaeology Service cooperated with the Corporation of London in a remarkable project to display the remains of London’s Roman amphitheatre, which survives beneath the Corporation’s brand new Guildhall Art Gallery.

The Roman amphitheatre today. The excavated walls are dramatically lit to create the look and feel of the original arena. © Museum of London

Archaeologists uncovered the 1800 year old remains between 1992 and 1997. Engineers had the hard job of constructing the new Art Gallery while the old walls were preserved at Roman ground level. Finally, a lengthy process of conservation work was carried out before opening the amphitheatre to the public.

Now, Guildhall is one of the few places in the City of London where you can walk amongst visible Roman remains. The display is a bold and imaginative one that gives people a real  idea of the scale of the amphitheatre.

Visiting the amphitheatre

• Location
  Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London EC2P 2EJ
• Opening hours
  Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm
  Sunday 12 to 4pm
  Last admission half an hour before closing
• Cost of entry to Guildhall Art Gallery
  £2.50 (adults), free after 3.30pm, £1.00 (concs)
  Children free and free to all on Fridays
  No extra charge for entry to the amphitheatre
• Group bookings

Contact the Museum of London: 020 7814 5777