Armoury in Action Gallery

This new Armoury in Action gallery in the Royal Armouries enables visitors to ‘have a go’ with hands-on weapons and to delve deeper into the history of arms and armour.

From shooting arrows and brandishing swords to designing muskets and firing canons, the Armoury in Action gallery in the White Tower is an exciting hands-on experience. This permanent exhibition enables visitors to ‘have a go’ with hands-on weapons and to delve deeper into the history of arms and armour. Six distinct historical periods span from the Norman Conquest to the present day: with interpretation focusing on the unique roles, weapons or tools and skills of each historical character (including that of Master Mason, Archer, Armourer, Captain of Artillery, Cavalryman and Superintendent).

Freedom of movement was vital in allowing large numbers of visitors to explore the space in their own way and to help self-regulate the space during peak visiting hours. Due to the international nature of the White Tower’s audiences, we also worked closely with an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) editor to ensure that gallery text can be understood by as many visitors as possible.