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Restoration and Conservation Tours at Britain's Greatest Palace

Name: Restoration and Conservation Tours
Start: 2026-01-07
End: 2026-02-14
Location: Blenheim Palace

Go behind the scenes and discover how we conserve 300 years of history

Hear from the experts on the methods

Go behind the scenes on one of our Restoration and Conservation tours

Visit Blenheim Palace and learn about the work we do on the magnificent rooms and extensive collection of artefacts, hear from experts on the methods we use to restore and repair the building and collections within it. Our restoration and conservation tours will run daily between Wednesday 7th January - Saturday 14th February 2026.

Our complimentary tours go behind the scenes of our annual deep clean and give an in-depth look into what is being done in each of the Palace State Rooms. From silverware and sculptures to tables and tapestries, learn about how these priceless pieces of history are cleaned and preserved with specialist techniques.

Complimentary with an Annual Pass

Tours are free and all funds that we raise through admission charges are invested back into these ongoing restoration and conservation projects that keep the Palace, its contents and its surroundings as glorious today as they have always been.

Tours are running once a day from Wednesday 7th January - Saturday 14th February and last around 45 minutes.

Join us at 14.00 at the bottom of the Palace steps where the tours will commence.

What to expect on your tour

· Find out how the collection is cared for in the Palace,

· See conservation cleaning in progress (subject to schedules)

· Find out how tapestries, paintings, clocks, and the actual structure of the building are brought back to their original condition

· Learn how we achieve all of the above with the limitations of budgets and constant visitor flow

Giving spring cleaning new meaning, one State Room at a time

At the start of every year, our dedicated Collections Team carries out an extensive programme of deep cleaning and conservation in order to maintain the Palace and its collections. This painstaking procedure has been taking place each year since Blenheim Palace first opened its doors to visitors in 1950. Each room is carefully stripped of its furniture and artefacts and vacuumed from floor to ceiling before the floors are cleaned and polished. Every item from the room is inspected, assessed and often cleaned in a particular way that is tailored to the type of object. Finally, the items are returned to their rightful place.

Working at height in hoists also allows the team to clean and dust the many chandeliers and intricate frames for paintings and portraits as well as carry out checks on the walls and ceiling, ensuring the building remains safe for future generations. With the ongoing roof restoration, this year’s clean brings extra challenges, but caring for the collection remains essential to keeping Blenheim at its best.

Did you know that during this time period, our Conservation Team clean...