Join The Friends
Enjoy free unlimited access to our historic houses and join a community of like-minded art lovers.
Membership Levels & Benefits
Choose the membership that best suits you and receive a variety of exclusive benefits, while providing the museums with invaluable support:
Friend : Individual - £55 , or Joint * with a named person or guest - £90
- Unlimited free entry to Leighton House & Sambourne House
- 10% discount in shops & Leighton House garden café
- Regular Museums E-Newsletter with the latest updates
- Invitations to private views of exhibitions at Leighton House
- Special offers and occasional discounts on public events
- Invitations to private events , including visits to art galleries and museums in London and beyond
Under 30’s - £30
- All the benefits of the individual Friends membership.
- 25% discount on Public Programme learning workshops and courses
Curator’s Circle* - £200
- All the benefits of Friends membership plus 2 guests.
- Priority booking on all member events, including trips, the Garden Party and the Golden Hours Dinner.
- Complimentary copy of each exhibition catalogue
3 Months Free Membership Offer
Join by Sunday 6 April 2025 and refer a Friend to get an extra 3 months free membership!
To claim your extra 3 months of free membership, contact [email protected] with the name of your friend who has now joined and we’ll extend your membership for 3 additional months for free.
Join Online Today
Gift Membership
*Joint and Curator’s Circle memberships include a voluntary donation to The Friends – see membership form below for further details.
Joining by Post or Email:
If you prefer to subscribe by post or email please complete our Membership Form below and send it for the attention of The Friends Administrator. Please note any accompanying cheques should be made out to The Friends of Leighton House.
The Friends Administrator
Leighton House, 12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)20 20 7361 3788
'Victorians at the Seaside', Leighton House Garden Party 2024. Image Courtesy of Kevin Moran.
About The Friends
The organisation has its origins in the group of supporters formed after Leighton’s death, in 1896, led by local resident and close friend of Leighton himself, Emilie Barrington. They sought to preserve Leighton’s legacy and make it available to the broader public, and this spirit continues today. In 1969 the association was formalised as The Friends of Leighton House and Sir John Betjeman was invited to become its first president.
Today The Friends has become a thriving membership community and has been established as a registered charity, and has extended its reach to support not only Leighton House, but also its sister museum, Sambourne House, the home of Punch cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne. The Friends provide financial support to the museums in five key areas of work: acquiring new artworks, delivering an inspiring education programme, holding ambitious exhibitions, conservation and restoration of the collections, and taking on major capital projects, such as Hidden Gem to National Treasure at Leighton House.
Led by a dedicated board of Trustees , The Friends organise regular events for their members, which have included in the past trips to art galleries and museums in London and beyond, concerts and exhibition previews at the houses themselves and lately, exclusive online talks led by museum experts. The Friends also hold two special annual events at Leighton House, the Golden Hours Dinner in the studio and the spectacular Summer Garden Party.
Programme highlights in 2024 included a private tour of Apsley House, curator-led visits to the Colour Revolution Exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum and Sargent and Fashion at Tate Britain, a guided tour of the Heritage Collections in the Houses of Parliament and VIP invitations to Collect Art Fair, Frieze and Frieze Masters.
“Not only have The Friends enabled exhibitions and acquisitions, conservation work and important learning and outreach activity; above all they have brought with them an enthusiasm and affection for the houses and their interiors. This spirit is true to that of the original association formed shortly after Leighton’s death. I also believe that it sets The Friends apart from many other membership groups”
Members at a private tour of 'Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers' at the National Gallery.
Members at a guided visit of Two Temple Place.
Golden Hours Dinner 2024, with guest speaker Will Gompertz.
Members at a curator tour of 'Sargent and Fashion' at Tate Britain.
'A Venetian Soiree', Garden Party 2023, Leighton House. Courtesy of Kevin Moran.