http://www.wimbledon.com
by AELTC
Part of the All England Club's Centenary celebrations, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museumand the associated Kenneth Ritchie Library, was officially opened on 20 May 1977 by HRH The Duke of Kent, and over the years has become a major London tourist attraction in its own right.
Determined to cover all aspects of tennis from its origins, not just those associated with Wimbledon and The Championships, the Museum touches on every aspect of the historical and modern game and its evolution from a garden party pastime to the globally popular professional sport it is today.
Designed by Robin Wade, many of the initial exhibits in the Museum came from the private collection of Tom Todd who acted as historical advisor, and the canvassing efforts of Tony Cooper, the former Assistant Secretary of the Club and the Museum's first curator. The collection has grown over the years, thanks largely to the donations of equipment and outfits from former champions.
Current highlights include:
- The glittering Championship Trophies
- A 'ghost' of John McEnroe which appears in the very changing room he once used! Watch as he speaks about the game and his legendary opponents
- 200° Cinema with special effects capturing the science of tennis
- Film and video footage which take visitors right into the action of some of the most memorable and exciting tournament matches
- An extensive, unsurpassed collection of tennis memorabilia dating back to 1555
- Museum gallery with fascinating displays drawn from our vast collection
- CentreCourt360 - the new viewing experience of Centre Court, located right by the grass, with touch screen interpretation and two fun interactive galleries
Visitors to the Museum are also able to go on a tour of the grounds, taking in all of SW19's most important areas.
The museum's latest exhibit features the history of the queue, one of Wimbledon's most unique and interesting characteristics. The special display conjures the queue 'experience' so vividly that visitors who have turned the long, slow shuffle to the turnstiles into an annual party will feel, 'Yes! This is exactly what it's like.'
"I have always wanted to do an exhibition on the queue and it seemed a tremendous 'popular' subject for the Club's 125th anniversary," said museum curator Honor Godfrey. For the last 10 years, Honor has made a concerted effort to document all aspects of queue life. Her collection aims to examine the 'British' phenomenon of orderly queueing and to celebrate the ever-evolving range of Wimbledon queue paraphernalia - from tennis ball spectacles to hats, witty signage to wristbands, quirky fliers to stickers, snack packets and badges.
If anything sums up the extraordinary appeal of Wimbledon it is the fact that tennis fans come from all over the world, often tucking up for the night in tents, often returning year after year, often meeting friends made the year before, and spend the day happily inching towards the holy grail of the ticket office.
To find out more about the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, or to book onto a tour, visit the Wimbledon year-round site