Tour: Royal National Institute of Blind People’s historic Head Office
Grimaldi Building, 154A Pentonville Road, London, Greater London, N1 9JE
Founded in 1868 the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has a long history changing of the world.
Today our UK Head Office is the Grimaldi Building in Islington, London. It is a landmark of inclusive design and accessibility, and beyond that has a long history that we would love to share!
Join us for a tour of the building and the immediate surroundings. You’ll have the chance to hear more about:
- Joseph Grimaldi, the Victorian clown whose grave lies in Joseph Grimaldi Park next to our building. Grimaldi was a celebrity in his time and his memoir was edited by Charles Dickens. Every year on his birthday clowns from all over the world gather at this site to commemorate his legacy.
- The building itself, which stands on the site of the St James Chapel, designed by architects Allies and Morrison, with the façade of the building being a close replica of the old church
- How RNIB worked with architects Kay Elliott and global practice organisation Buro Happold to update the interior of the building to make it the award-winning beacon of accessibility and inclusion it is today.
- A chance to view aids and adaptations designed for blind and partially sighted people to support independent living.
Free one hour tours are available on
Friday 12th September 11am and 3pm
Saturday 13 September 2pm
To book please email [email protected]
Timings & Tours
- Friday 12 September:
- Tours available at 1100 & 1500
- Saturday 13 September:
- Tour available at 1400
Location & directions
Grimaldi Building, 154A Pentonville Road, London, Greater London, N1 9JE
- Directions:
- what3words: ///pest.half.tower The outside of the building can be accessSpeed with NaviLens: https://www.navilens.com/en/
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking required
- Booking conditions:
- Participants are asked to only attend if booking in advance, and ideally let us know if any access requests.
- Booking email:
- [email protected]
- Booking opens:
- 02 Sep 2025 12:00 AM
- Booking closes:
- 11 Sep 2025 12:00 AM
Additional information
- Max no of people per tour:
- 15
- Est. tour duration:
- 1 hour(s) 0 minute(s)
