6 November 2025
5 min read
What can I do at Kew when it rains?
Wet weather? No worries. From glasshouses to art galleries, there are plenty of indoor activities at Kew Gardens.
If a downpour threatens your day out, don’t panic. There are lots of ways to stay warm and dry at Kew Gardens while seeing the best of our collections.
Rain or shine, Kew is a London day out to remember.
.jpge3ee.webp?itok=oXk7xv7- "Bonsai Hall crabapple tree (Malus halliana), Emma Chandler © RBG Kew")
Stroll through our glasshouses
Kew's world-class glasshouses are filled with tropical, desert and Mediterranean plants. They’re warm, green and blooming all year round: the ultimate escape from a grey and drizzly London day. Take your pick: where in the world would you like to go?
- Palm House: a tropical jungle, home to lush palms, ferns, cycads and the world’s oldest pot plant. The closest glasshouse to Victoria Gate.
- Temperate House: The world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, with soaring glass ceilings, featuring rare and threatened plants from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australasia
- Princess of Wales Conservatory: With ten climatic zones, this glasshouse has everything from tropical orchids to towering cacti, as well as a pond where giant waterlilies grow in spring and summer.
- Davies Alpine House: Ideal for quick shelter from a downpour, this cooler glasshouse celebrates the tough and beautiful plants that thrive on mountainsides.
- Bonsai House: A hidden gem located behind the Kitchen Garden, displaying the best of our bonsai collection. Catch miniature blazing red maples in the autumn and tiny blossoming apple trees in spring.
Our glasshouses are open all year round* and entry is included with your ticket to the Gardens. They close one hour before Gardens closing time, or at 5pm in the summer.
*Some glasshouses may limit entry during events or close seasonally. Please check Planned closures before your visit.
See something new in our galleries
Come inside, dry off and take a look at something different.
Shirley Sherwood Gallery
Here you’ll find exhibitions from world-class artists as well as intricate works from the best and brightest botanical artists.
From 11 October 2025 until 12 April 2026, don’t miss THE SINGH TWINS and Flora Indica, two complementary exhibitions that explore the complex colonial history of botanical art through both historical and contemporary lenses.
Open all year round and included with entry.
Marianne North Gallery
This gallery is unique to Kew. It’s dedicated to the works of Marianne North, a remarkable 19th century artist who travelled the world solo, at a time when that was very unusual for women.
Commissioned by North, the gallery walls are covered with more than 800 of her paintings showing plants from around the world in their natural habitats. Some are so detailed that they’ve helped scientists to name new species. It’s easy to lose track of time in here as you follow her journeys.
Located next to the Shirley Sherwood Gallery. Open all year round and included with entry.
Grab a bite
A shower of rain is the perfect opportunity for a cup of tea and a sit-down. Or something more substantial, perhaps?
Choose from five cosy cafes and restaurants across the Gardens, all with seasonal, local produce and plant-based options.
- Victoria Plaza Café: a range of tea, coffee and sandwiches, conveniently located at Victoria Gate
- Orangery: Coffee, cakes and light meals in a light-filled conservatory with views of the Great Broad Walk
- Family Kitchen: The perfect lunch spot for all ages, with stone-baked pizza, salad and sandwich bar, hot food and ice cream, located next to the Children’s Garden
- Pavilion Bar and Grill: Burgers and Mediterranean-inspired dishes for a hearty lunch or an afternoon meal. Eat in only.
- Botanical Brasserie: A more formal dining experience, serving modern British cuisine for breakfast, lunch and an elegant afternoon tea. Eat in only.
Opening times and last orders may vary: please check Eating and drinking before your visit.
Go shopping
Escape the drizzle with a spot of retail therapy at our three gift shops, open all year round.
- Victoria Plaza shop: Our main shop, featuring gardening, plants, books, stationery, homewares, food and drink, beauty and fashion.
- Family Kitchen and Shop: Find the perfect gift for the little ones in your life with toys, games, books and gardening kits.
- Galleries gift shop: Based in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery, find prints, books and gifts inspired by the art collections at Kew.
- Pop-up shops: Featuring exclusive products and collaborations, keep your eyes peeled for these during Orchids and our autumn exhibition in the Temperate House.
Spot weird and wonderful fungi
If you don’t mind getting wet, rainy days are the best time to see fungi in the Gardens, especially in autumn or after a couple of damp days.
Head to the Natural Area or Woodland Garden and keep your eyes peeled for parasol mushrooms (pictured); tiny bird’s nest fungus on wood chips; bracket fungi growing on tree trunks; wood blewits, which can be a beautiful lilac colour; and stinkhorns (you’ll smell them before you see them).
Raincoats at the ready: it’s lovely weather for mushrooms.
Learn more about spotting fungi at Kew from our expert, Lee Davies
Experience a cosy badger's sett
Children can experience a badger’s-eye view of the world in our custom-made sett. At a metre high, it’s the perfect size for them to crawl inside out of the rain; the trouble will be getting them out again. It’s located in the Natural Area and open all year round.
Explore our Library and Archives
Our Library and Archives are usually available to visit by appointment only, but on certain days, you can explore historic letters, diaries, specimens and illustrations from our collections.
From 30 September 2025 to 21 January 2026, the Persia Reimagined Reading Room display takes a new look at our Persian collections, providing a deeper cultural and historical context on these predominantly British perspectives. Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, free, no Gardens ticket required.
You can also go behind the scenes on a Library and Archives: history and highlights tour, where our experts will show you the best of our collection spanning 2,000 years of plant knowledge and discovery. Monthly, free but booking is essential, no Gardens ticket required.
