RHS Wisley's Old Laboratory opens its doors
If gardens are your thing, then head to Wisley in Surrey where among the many attractions is the Old Laboratory - open to the public for the first time in over a century
The Old Laboratory, a grade II listed building, has been restored thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It opened its doors on in March this year and you do need to book at slot to tour it.
RHS Garden Wisley, near Woking in Surrey, is world renowned and now visitors can step back in time and walk in the footsteps of RHS scientists and students from yesteryear.
Long considered the home of gardening science, the Old Laboratory has been restored and is bringing to life a rich history of horticultural experimentation and exploration with immersive displays and interactive exhibits. Explore a series of rooms, each set within a time in history, to discover how the work conducted here helped shape how we garden today.
Highlights include the Townsend Lecture Theatre, the Advisory Office from war-time Britain, the Wolfson Laboratory with hands-on experiments you can try, and a selection of Plant Collections each focusing on historic expeditions.
The first temporary exhibition in the Wisley Gallery is called Royal Roots and it celebrates the long association between the Royal Family and RHS. View a collection of watercolours signed by royal patrons over the past 200 years, including Queen Elizabeth II’s final royal signature.
The Old Laboratory is open from 10am-5pm daily.
