Royal Armouries

The Royal Armouries collection traces its origins back seven hundred years to the working arsenal of England’s medieval kings. While you stand near the Tower of London, you are at the site of a royal storehouse that began managing the nation's supply of weaponry and armor in the early fourteenth century. What started as a functional facility for manufacturing and storing equipment for the military eventually evolved into the United Kingdom's oldest public museum. By the late sixteenth century, selected items from this arsenal were being arranged for visitors to view, establishing a tradition of public access that continues to this day.