| ranked #10 out of 10 attractions | rated 1.56 out of 5 | total 294 votes |
Westminster Abbey
Why Westminster Abbey is one of the worst London tourist attractions
Don’t go to this tourist attraction, it’s a dead place! First of all, you will be waiting ages to get in – after half an hour in the queue, we had hardly moved at all. Secondly, the entrance fee is a hefty 8 pounds, and we’re sure you can think of a better way to spend that money.
When you finally manage to get in, the abbey itself is really dark and unpleasant…and it smells old. Besides, all you see are tombs, memorials and statues of dead people – not exactly our definition of thrilling viewing!
We strongly recommend you leave out this so-called tourist attraction and visit something more lively in London than Westminster Abbey.
Address
Broad Sanctuary,
London SW1P 3PA
Opening times/Cost
Monday to Friday 09.30am-15.45pm, Wednesday 09.30am-19.00pm,
Saturday 09.30am-13.45pm
Adults: £8, Concessions: £6 (Seniors 60 plus, children 11-16),
Children: under 11 FREE (maximum of 2 children per paying adult)
Related links
Official website of Westminster Abbey
January 25, 2005 @ 5:03 pm
Keksi said,
I can’t say how Westminster Abbey looks like inside, because I never got in! There were a huge queue of hundreds of tourists. After waiting 30min and moving of about 2m in the queue I gave up. In addition 8 British pounds to enter a church is far too expensive!
January 26, 2005 @ 12:51 pm
Lisa said,
I disagree completly! Westminster Abbey is sooo beautiful! The architecture is amazing. You learn about the British history! You nearly feel the spirits of all the famous people there. I really enjoyed spending my time there. And as Westminster Abbey is more a museum than a church I didn’t mind to spend the admission fee.
February 24, 2005 @ 1:09 am
Jenny Windham said,
I disagree. It has beautiful architecture and if you know anything about monarchs or love poetry it’s well worth the wait and time to visit their burial sites.
February 24, 2005 @ 8:16 pm
Mark said,
Who writes these stupid things about Westminster Abbey and St Pauls cathedral?! Obviously the abbey smells old – it is! If you don’t expect to see tombs of kings and queens would you rather put a burger bar with 3D movie screen in place of the alter to liven it up?! These places are part of the heritage of England. If you’re not interested then don’t bother going there in the first place so that those who do don’t have to queue up behind you!!
March 2, 2005 @ 10:21 pm
Chantale said,
Westminster Abbey was, without a doubt, the most INCREDIBLE thing I saw in all of London. The best 8 pounds I’ve ever spent. As a lover of history I was fascinated by every single square inch of the place. Standing in the final resting place of dozens of people who literally MADE history was awe inspiring. The art, the statues, the sheer grandeur of the tombs, it was just phenomenal. If you go to London, DO NOT MISS IT!
April 27, 2005 @ 2:38 pm
Jackie said,
I don’t know where the site owner comes from, but WOW! You really do enjoy trashing things in a big way, don’t you? The places you named are probably the most visited and appreciated places in the city. I got the impression you kind of liked the big wheel thing though. Compared with all the beautiful old buildings, teeming with wonderful and fascinating things, the London Eye is an eye SIGHT. You obviously have a 0% sense of history. But hey, you are to be congratulated on the standard of the web site. You must have put a lot of time and effort into it. What a shame it’s only to put London down.
May 2, 2005 @ 11:55 pm
Lester said,
Of all the negative comments directed at the sites in London by the webmaster, I agree with only 1. Madame Tussaud’s isn’t everything it’s advertised to be. You seen one wax museum, you seen ‘em all. Everything else has it’s own qualities worth seeing. There was no one speaking at speaker’s corner when we passed by, so I have no comment on that. Being in London was a lot of fun.
June 21, 2005 @ 5:49 am
Barbara Futch said,
My family and I were lucky enough to be in London during Remembrance Sunday. In between services at the Abbey, we tourists were allowed to look about. I saw the monuments to my own personal heroes, Winston Churchill and Robert Peel. I would definitely go again.
July 2, 2005 @ 5:15 am
Margaret Brown said,
I enjoyed every moment of it despite the crowds. My only regret is that photos were not allowed, especially after the admission fee. I was told it was considered irreverent to take pictures in the house of God, surely this is no worse than charging admission. I expect they just want you to purchase their books. I would have bought the book as well as taking my own photos anyway.
July 9, 2005 @ 12:20 am
Ellen said,
I agree heartily with the other positive reviews above! Other than my visit to the National Portrait Gallery in London, I have never before seen so many remembrances of so many hugely important people in Western civilization in my life! Westminster Abbey brings real history to life! Totally amazing! Breath-taking, beautiful grandeur, and somehow it is imbued with the spiritual nobility of some of the greatest heroes of mankind… Yes, I came away thinking that it was worth far more than I paid for admission. London is HISTORY! And it is truly one of the world’s greatest places!
July 13, 2005 @ 3:22 am
Vikki said,
I walked past it. Had a picture of my friends taken under it, but I didn’t want to enter it. I’m british and I’m living. I don’t want to see tombs of dead people – London is a lively place!! If you want history go to Bath! London is about fun, fun, fun! And I’m sorry, but I refuse to PAY to go into ‘the House of God.’ God is FREE to everyone, so his buildings should be! I understand religious restrictions, but PAYMENT. uh-uh. BIG mistake (didn’t Jesus Christ over throw the temple keepers because they were charging money??)
Puts me right off.
August 4, 2005 @ 12:13 am
Kate said,
Westminster Abbey is definitely worth a visit but only if you can appreciate what the people buired their have achieved through out their lives and if you are interested in the history of this country. I expect the �£8 charge goes towards the maintenance of the building!
October 10, 2005 @ 11:55 am
Sarah said,
I completely disagree with the comment that the Westminster Abbey is not a tourist attraction worth seeing. In fact, from my trip to England, I must say that visiting the Westminster Abbey was indeed the highlight.
I was overwhelmed by all of those figures who have so greatly influenced British history, as well as shaped our own. Seeing the tombs and memorials of Darwin, Newton, Robert Browning, Charles Dickens was thrilling and exciting. Not only is it intellectually impressive but it is visually one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen in my life.
October 16, 2005 @ 8:43 pm
John said,
The whole point of these buildings is the worship of God so go to a service for free and experience the wonderful music. Afterwards look at osme of the memorials and remember those who have gone before us.
November 12, 2005 @ 6:47 am
Barbara F., Tampa, FL said,
I visited Westminster Abbey and was thrilled to see monuments to some of my favorite heroes of British history. I still wear a medal I purchased there 2 years ago.
December 11, 2005 @ 9:43 am
chris said,
Wow that’s sad
March 30, 2006 @ 1:01 pm
Deborah d. said,
OMG! Westminster Abbey is totally awesome! Yes, it’s crowded during the summer, at midday. But the building itself is fabulous and attending evensong and sitting in the historic and beautiful quire is the most incredible experience. It was one of the best hours of my life!
April 7, 2006 @ 4:32 pm
Vince said,
Different strokes I guess. I travel from the US West Coast every year to spend a week aboard HMS Belfast, and always have a great time. From your list and comments I’d guess you have no sense of history and a rather shallow mind to boot. To bad, you can go back to your really dull video game now.
April 14, 2006 @ 4:18 pm
Sandy Bennett said,
Your voting is a joke! The scale is set at 0 to 5 with the 0 at the must see end, and 5 at the waste…any vote for “must see” skews the results in your favor. Very creative.
Westminster Abbey is absolutley wonderful! It was one of the best tourist sites of our 2 week visit to London. The architecture is breathtaking – and the smell? That’s history -what do you expect after more than 500 years? It was well worth the 8 pound entrance fee (that’s $16.00 to me). Broad hint: visit in the spring – no queues! Thank you, London!
May 1, 2006 @ 3:45 pm
Amanda said,
I most definitely disagree! the Westminster Abbey had to have been the most beautiful and amazing thing I have ever seen. nothing can compare!! it is a wonderful and amazing feeling to walk in there and just think about how old everything inside is and how many knights and kings are buried there. I think seeing Sir Issac Newtons tomb had to have been the best part of my whole trip to europe because right there 20 ft away from you is the man that discovered GRAVITY! hello!! if you have the opportunity to visit the westminster abbey then do so because it is an experience that will be with you forever!
May 25, 2006 @ 12:06 pm
chris burns said,
Reading all the negative comments about so many amazing sites really makes me wonder what some of you people consider a worthwhile tourist site–Hardrock Cafe???
June 2, 2006 @ 2:23 pm
leslie said,
What would you consider worthwhile? Getting hammered in one of the (also very old) English pubs? An architectural masterpiece isn’t good enough for you? You don’t believe those “dead people” inside warrant your respect and maybe even a little awe at the contributions they’ve made to this world?
June 26, 2006 @ 3:04 pm
oly said,
Westminster Abbey and St. Pauls are both WONDERFUL places, although if you don’t know shit about history, then you might be a bit put out (still, climb to the top of St. Pauls, it is worth the effort – superb view!).
oly
July 15, 2006 @ 12:37 am
Chris said,
OK, I get it now – this website’s a joke.
EVERYTHING in London is boring to this guy.
“The place is dead” – well, duh – lots of famous people buried there dude. “Smells old” … er, yeah … ancient in fact.
Next time stay home and get stoned.
August 11, 2006 @ 10:28 am
Ellen said,
For gods sake, who the hell has written these mind numbingly STUPID comments about London! If you had the brains to read about the places you are visiting, you would find that these places are not created for tourists! Ceremonies and traditions have continued unchanged for centuries in these “old boring” places. The kings and queens of England are crowned in Westminster abbey, don’t you know. They are also buried there, hence the “boring tombs and statues”. The changing of the guard takes place every day, and has done for centuries, NOT just during the tourist season! You need a degree of intelligence and imagination to appreciate them.
August 15, 2006 @ 3:06 pm
machi heng said,
poh nia boh…..Who writes these stupid things about Westminster Abbey and St Pauls cathedral?! Obviously the abbey smells old …?come talk to me…..!!
August 15, 2006 @ 3:13 pm
David lai heng choon said,
kan ne nie….i love this place so much….i plan to build 1 for my wife…..
January 25, 2007 @ 11:28 am
bobby boogie said,
This is one of the most historic places on earth.
Its one hell of a cabinet full of great global history.
It is a location in an odd popular book and lousy movie so it gets one stop sign, but what where you expecting?
( they speak english so thats a good thing).
Its not a walk in the park.
Its not a rollercoaster ride.
but few places compare when you accept…
it is what it is
April 26, 2007 @ 4:30 am
Ibrahim said,
i think london dungeon is sick
May 21, 2007 @ 5:12 am
cool said,
rubbish
June 4, 2007 @ 11:08 am
Hazera said,
Westminister Abbey is the best trip I’ve gone to.
Hazera wee face
August 25, 2007 @ 11:50 am
CARMEN said,
My daughter and I went was well worth the money. Go as soon as it opens in the morning. Only drawback it is very crowded. If you love history it has hundreds of years worth.
February 1, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
Jesse James said,
For those wanting to go, forget what this web site says! The comments are obviously written by someone who is from London and has gone too many times, which of course would make one yawn. Many people from England have NEVER even been to Stonehenge! Shame, Shame… The architecture is amazing, but the thought of those whom have once walked in the same footsteps as mine (and had such power, grace and thought) is just unforgetable. If you have the opportunity to attend a service, you MUST. Also, try St. Etheldreda’s, at Ely’s place in Holburn, which still holds Latin Masses, is the second oldest Catholic church in England and the stained glass will make you want to cry! All this from someone who comes from Wisconsin, USA. Cheers Everyone!!!
March 22, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
Purre said,
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is said. If your are British and you do not appreciate what you have, it is sad. You have no love, no pride in what your country (and what your countrymen have done for your country). I am not from London; I was there ten years ago and until now I surf London images to refresh my mind of the greatness of humankind.What I would give to go back to London and see all the sights again.
April 27, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
Stevo said,
We just returned from London. The highlight of our trip was attending two services at Westminster Abbey. We had both been to Westminster Abbey before, as tourists. This time we went to participate in worship. What a great experience!!! We really enjoyed the boy’s choir and organ music. We felt very welcome; even though we are Baptists, rather than Anglican. I will never forget this experience.
July 12, 2008 @ 6:08 am
matt said,
You wouldn’t know beauty, class, high culture and heritage if they smashed up your games console with a baseball bat just before you got your personal high score.
April 15, 2009 @ 5:11 am
Diane said,
Considering the fact that it is an old church, dating from 1245, one wonders quite what you expected to find inside? It smells old perhaps because it is old. Extremely old, and steeped in history. This is why one pays £8 to get in. This is not just your local parish church. They say travel broadens the mind but clearly not in your case, although I expect it helps to have a mind to begin with.
May 10, 2009 @ 5:55 am
vidya said,
i completely agree with whoever wrote this article i mean as if u bought a medal n wear it ever since.
at this point you might be wondering why i have abreviated some words and yes you are correct i am a teenager you might think she hasnt been in this world long enough to realise whats going on but i do know 1 thing i learnt … WESTMINISTER ABBEY = BORING [YAWN YAWN]
September 3, 2009 @ 9:48 pm
Robert said,
I just got back from London and really enjoyed Westminster Abbey. I thought it was so beautiful. I just don’t understand why Charles Darwin is buried in a church. Of all people to be buried in a church. I would go back again if I ever get back to London.
October 3, 2009 @ 1:06 am
Julian said,
What are you – 16 years old? Reading this website is like taking a petulant and bored teenager on holiday. I am with you on some of these (Mme Tussauds, Dungeon etc.) but many of the others are really great if you have a little background information or a little interest in history. Do tell us what we SHOULD be looking at. Or perhaps you have everything you need in your IPhone.
December 10, 2009 @ 7:32 am
Unimpressed said,
What a spammy little site you’ve coughed up.
I like a good, sarcastic piss-take, but yours isn’t slickly written or funny. Also – Greenwich Village? You noddy – wrong continent.
Put up some places that you do like. Anywhere – it doesn’t have to be London. Then I can entertain myself as I dissect your complete lack of taste.
December 15, 2009 @ 12:42 am
shahab said,
woul u send me some photos from the autumn starts.
April 2, 2010 @ 4:58 am
Esmé said,
Your voting system is messed up! It makes everything seem bad because most people think “5″ is the best and “0″ is the worst..
June 19, 2010 @ 1:58 pm
phil5486 said,
Why does the author not do some research and find some tourist traps to list here ? Westminster Abbey is real history. Queen Elibeth `the first` is buried there along with many great people from history. If your main interest is computer games, drinking beer and watching football then maybe this amazing historical Abbey is not for you. If you have any sense of history then it is a great place to go.
July 10, 2010 @ 10:27 am
d newman said,
I’ve been to London five times and going a sixth. So this will be my sixth visit to Westminster Abbey. All I can say about this review is this writer must have a weak background in history, art, architecture, engineering, etc. I’m in awe of something so magnificent and the fact that it is handmade, no power tools, no dremels, just hand skill. It’s an amazing experience.
July 25, 2010 @ 9:00 am
JP Paymill said,
oy! you’re a dick
August 16, 2010 @ 11:33 am
Gail said,
Its an ancient monument thicky what do you expect of course its going to be old (doh it is old) and smell old (doh it is old) bet your not english
August 27, 2010 @ 3:57 am
james carne said,
worst museum in london is the london film museum a rag and bone man attraction rip off for 10 quid this should be in the top 3 at least waist of space
August 27, 2010 @ 4:02 am
bill williamson said,
Worst than that is fright club or death trap as it keeps changing it name so people dont know its the same con , £15 for less than 5mins walking though some crap dark rooms getting touched up by silly wannabe actors with face paint on this should be in the top 5 at least what a con someone should make it close down it was terrible
September 13, 2010 @ 6:44 pm
Mike said,
I love how he slags off everything london is famous for! quite unreal really! Definitely needs to lighten up and appreciate the variety of cultural landmarks we have here in London or FUCK OFF!
December 14, 2010 @ 1:12 pm
mik said,
Well I don’t agree at all what he said, to enjoy the building you have to have some love for cathedrals. You have to know that this building was started a over 800 years ago, and how it still stands today. Its just amazing how they made such a grand building without technologie.
December 22, 2010 @ 1:59 am
sandra said,
How could you say that Mr. writer. Westminster abbey is one of the great attraction in London. Really a magnificent building full of amusing history and with the breathtaking architecture, I am glad I visited such a impressive place.
January 25, 2011 @ 7:02 pm
Mary Kirk said,
Went through years ago. Absolutely marvellous — wish I could go through again and again. Such a lot of history – love it to bits.
From Australia — we don’t have much history down here. Mary Kirk
April 11, 2011 @ 6:38 am
Hazel said,
Well, that was entertaining if not a bit confusing!
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April 26, 2011 @ 6:27 am
joan said,
what a bitchy little page, why don’t you do something positive with your day and go and find some of the delightful but unknown area’s around London. There are some lovely and unusual tiles in a small place just off the 2nd church [can't think of it's name] in the middle of the the strand. they date from the early 20′s and are a nice find.x
May 2, 2011 @ 10:25 am
james said,
what a ridiculous voting system.Westminster Abbey is THE must see in London.Just fantastic.
May 18, 2011 @ 11:26 pm
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May 26, 2011 @ 1:11 am
Westminster Abbey said,
Westminster Abbey is considered one of the world’s most famous examples of Gothic architecture. It is a famous attraction for tourist.. The recently held royal wedding was the prime example of medieval Gothic architecture.
July 11, 2011 @ 1:10 am
Westminster Heating Engineers said,
Westminster Abbey is truly a beautiful building which people love to see due to the history behind it.
October 12, 2011 @ 8:08 am
Ratings are skewed said,
According to the rating system, 0 means “must see”, so a rating of 1.55 for Westminster Abbey is quite good! (Obviously the ratings are messed up because some people will think “5″ means good and others will read that “5″ means bad. Just look at the people above who say they love Westminster but gave it a 5=waste to time/money.)
November 10, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
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