Alexandra Palace

A Palace for the People

Alexandra Palace was conceived as north London's answer to the Crystal Palace in the south — a grand venue for public entertainment, education and recreation. Designed by Alfred Meeson using materials salvaged from the 1862 International Exhibition building in Kensington, it opened on 24 May 1873. Just sixteen days later, a fire destroyed the entire structure. Undeterred, the organisers rebuilt it within two years, and the new palace opened in 1875 with a concert hall, theatre, museum, art galleries, library and banqueting hall.

The palace's most significant chapter began in 1935 when the BBC leased the southeast wing and converted the dining rooms into television studios. On 2 November 1936, the corporation launched the world's first regular high-definition television service from these rooms, broadcasting a 405-line signal to a handful of receivers across London. The palace remained the BBC's primary television base until 1956, cementing its place in broadcasting history.

What to See and Do

The restored Victorian theatre is the architectural jewel. Closed to the public for eighty years, it reopened in 2018 with its original stage machinery, fly tower and painted scenery flats still in place. The intimate auditorium hosts everything from comedy and opera to live music and immersive theatre throughout the year.

Summit, which opened in February 2026, is the UK's highest roof walk. The fully guided 60-minute adventure takes visitors along the palace rooftop, 130 metres above sea level, to the Angel of Plenty statue at the apex. Daytime climbs offer panoramic views stretching to the City, Canary Wharf and the Surrey Hills, while sunset and London Lights sessions provide a more atmospheric experience.

The ice rink is one of London's few permanent indoor rinks, with public sessions running year-round. Outside, the 196-acre park includes a boating lake with pedalos, a Go Ape adventure course, a pitch and putt, a skate park, a deer enclosure and formal gardens. The views from the hilltop terrace are among the finest in north London.

Nearby Attractions

Muswell Hill's high street is a ten-minute walk west, with independent cafes, bookshops and restaurants along the Broadway. Crouch End, another popular north London village, is a twenty-minute walk south through the park's lower slopes.

Highgate Wood and Queen's Wood lie within walking distance to the west, offering quiet woodland trails and ancient oak trees. Highgate Cemetery, the atmospheric Victorian burial ground where Karl Marx is interred, is roughly a mile and a half southwest.

For a longer excursion, Hampstead Heath is about three miles to the west, reachable on foot through Highgate or by bus. Its Parliament Hill viewpoint offers a complementary panorama of central London from the opposite side.