Tours and talks in Osterley House

Museums at Night: The Women of Osterley

This exclusive, after-hours tour explores the lives of the women who lived, loved, and led at Osterley. We’ll Begin with Anne Gresham, the wife of Thomas Gresham, who was by all accounts formidable. She was known for feuding with her neighbours and was prosecuted for blocking the highway at Osterley. We’ll then explore the story of Sarah Anne, beloved only child of Robert Child, who eloped against her father’s wishes with the rakish Earl of Westmoreland. The talk will end with the story of Sarah Sophia, the daughter of Sarah Anne, who inherited Osterley House and became senior partner in the Child bank, a position she held until her death. Led by our house team, with a welcome glass of fizz and canapés in the Brewhouse, this is the perfect way to experience Osterley House in style.

Book your place on the Museums at Night: The Women of Osterley tour

Adam’s Apprentices

Have you ever wondered what it took to be a Georgian designer? Become an apprentice to Robert Adam in our family trail and discover the classical columns and mythical monsters that give his designs their distinctive appearance.  Find and sketch the patterns and flowers in Adam's designs, all in your notebook. When you've completed your apprenticeship, put into practice all you have learned in your own designs and take your own official architect's portrait.

Child Suite Tours

The top floor of the house contains a suite of rooms which were used by the Child Family. Our top floor tours allow you access to these sensitive spaces, and share the story of Osterley. From its beginnings as a Tudor manor, through its transformation into a Georgian party palace before passing to the National Trust in 1949, Osterley is full of fascinating stories.

The tour runs four times a day subject to volunteer availability and has limited spaces, so be sure to visit the entrance hall when you arrive to reserve your ticket.