Apsley House Reviews Summary

Audio Guide

Pros:

• "The audio guide was very informative and I recommend taking it when visiting."
• "Entry includes an excellent multi media audio guide."
• "The audio guide is very interesting and easy to use."
• "A brilliantly produced free audio guide leads you from room to room describing the collections."
• "Make sure that you make use of the free audio guide to make the most of your visit."
• "Offered the complimentary headphone guided tour which I strongly advise you to use."
• "The audio presentations bring it all to life."

Cons:

• "I found the new audio-guide quite annoying. The touch screen was very 'unresponsive' and slow to react."
• "Stunning and unique but, and a big but, I gave up with the audio guide because I found it distracted me."
• "There's an audio guide which is a bit 'dry' yet quite informative."
• "And how do two people with an audio tour each end up getting different audio tours?"
• "Also some paintings mentioned in my audio were completely missing, not even a gap where they might have once been."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Very helpful staff telling you many stories if you desire."
• "Staff were very nice and made sure we knew how to operate the audio guide before exploring the house."
• "Staff are so lovely and helpful!"
• "The staff were very kind and helpful which was demonstrated by their willingness to answer any question I had."
• "Helpful and friendly staff."
• "The staff are very welcoming and friendly and keen to share information about the house."
• "The staff clearly love what they do and are very friendly and welcoming."

Cons:

• "Only had one staff member being rude and unwelcoming but she was probably just having a bad day."
• "Nice place to visit but ruined by overzealous bored staff."
• "While the staff is polite, they may need better training."
• "Far too many staff attendants there with nothing to do but be petty."
• "Moreover, it is very unpleasant when a crowd of museum workers follows you around."

Art Collection

Pros:

• "The most impressive room in my opinion is the Waterloo Gallery where paintings of Napoleon and Napoleonic battle from Waterloo sit along other master paintings."
• "I was taken aback to find a range of works by Velazquez and Carvaggio!"
• "It’s lush with paintings and lots of new information about the waterloo war that wouldn’t be found on google, you’ll enjoy it!"
• "Interesting place to see the life of Wellington and his fascination with all things French with many pictures of Napoleon on the walls."
• "Has a fantastic art collection with some really fine silver and porcelain."
• "Art lovers will be in heaven!"
• "Amazing collection of art. I was looking at a painting, thinking 'that looks like a Caravaggio'. Looked at the label and it actually was a Caravaggio."

Cons:

• "The museum is small and dark (apparently for the safety of the paintings)."
• "Many of the paintings are also poorly lit and the folder of collection information has poor accessibility."
• "The house is almost totally about the paintings of which there are dozens. There's not much else to see."

Facilities and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Toilet available in basement for customers only."
• "One great thing is that there are several seats to use to study everything."
• "The museum is rich in artistic treasures, beautiful portraits of those times, a rich collection of table gold and silver, a very pleasant interior."
• "The interactive headset guide helped with this as it is has various functions according to age and interest."
• "Welcoming staff and reasonably priced plus right on Hyde Park."
• "No café, but right on Hyde park which does have cafes."
• "Free audio guide once inside."

Cons:

• "Lovely collection but quite disappointed in the no photos rule."
• "I had just come from Kensington Palace where there is no restriction on photography so was a bit disappointed that no photographs are allowed inside."
• "No photography allowed."
• "No photos allowed, so you'll want to buy the £5 guidebook as a souvenir."
• "Although there are toilets there is no cafe otherwise this would be 5 stars."
• "Shame we couldn’t take pictures inside."
• "The visit was slightly unpleasant due to the fact that it is forbidden to photograph anything in the house."

Value and Experience

Pros:

• "Lovely place to be it's a bit expensive but otherwise wonderful and delightful staff that can help you all the time if you need to sit down mobile is available."
• "Hidden gem that doesn’t get the 'must do' treatment in London but I will highly recommend from now on."
• "Amazing piece of history. From the outside an ordinary historic house. Inside an amazing high quality piece of history of the Duke of Wellingtons home."
• "English Heritage have kept this important house in great condition."
• "Apsley House is a gem hidden in plain sight."
• "A fantastic museum with a great history which is well worth a good couple of hours diversion."
• "Highly underrated. One of the best museums in London. Wonderfully curated, includes a free audio guide."

Cons:

• "It's not that big, and you can really see one floor and a small portion of the ground floor so it's a bit expensive if you don't have an English Heritage membership."
• "Pricing for entry tickets is on the higher side considering how much time you can spend here/no of rooms."
• "A little expensive if you’re not a member."
• "It was okay. Too humid/hot inside - poor ventilation and nothing out of ordinary."
• "Visit by appointment only."
• "Apsley House is not open every day so be sure to check the English Heritage website for which days it is open."
• "For me a disappointing English Heritage property. Very interesting seeing the rooms, furniture, paintings, table settings, etc. However I would have liked more background to Wellington's military and political careers."