Lord's Cricket Museum

This famous cricket ground is the home of cricket and England's premier ground for international and domestic matches.

Lord's and the Marylebone Cricket Club , the MCC, were created together in 1787 by wine merchant Thomas Lord and his sponsor, the 9th Earl of Winchilsea. However, this ground has only been here since 1813, when the construction of the Regent's Canal forced the club to move from nearby Lisson Grove.

Today Lord's is the headquarters of the MCC, the governing body of the sport, and the Middlesex County Cricket Club. The red-brick Pavilion, dating from 1890, has the famous weather vane depicting Old Father Time.

A new addition to the ground is the innovative NatWest Media Centre. Designed by Future Systems, this stunning aluminium structure, winner of the RIBA Sterling Prize in 1999, was built in a boatyard, using yacht technology. The centre, which can hold 140 reporters, gives commentators a good view of the pitch.

The Marylebone Cricket Club Museum is a place of pilgrimage for cricket fans, celebrating the 450-year history of game.

With memorabilia and caricatures, photographs and paintings of notable cricketers, as well as the 'Ashes' , the charred remains of one of the bails from the 1882/83 Test series, the object of competition between the English and Australia.

Features include a reconstruction, complete with a stuffed sparrow and ball, showing the notorious shot that killed a passing bird in 1936.

The guided tour shows the ground from the Mound stand, the Pavilion and the visitor's dressing room. When not in use the historic Long Room, with portraits of cricket luminaries such as W G Grace and Don Bradman, can also be viewed. All competing cricketers must walk through the room on their way to, and from, the field. The tour also includes the Real Tennis court, where club members still play this ancient game.

Visitors to the MCC Museum and grounds must take the 100 minute guided tour, but can be visited on matchdays by ticket-holding spectators.

There are no tours on major match days and preparation days. On other matchdays, only the 10:00 Tour goes into the Pavilion.