The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The museum is a non-departmental public body. It is usually open to the public from 10:00 to 17:30, except on 25–26 December and 1 January. Admission is free.
The main entrance of the National Army Museum from Royal Hospital Road
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is an Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse, the ancient sense of the word "hospital", it is a 66-acre (27 ha) site located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea, London. It is an independent charity and relies partly upon donations to cover day-to-day running costs to provide care and accommodation for veterans.
Figure Court of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
An inscription on the statue of a Pensioner outside the hospital
Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716), the inspiration behind the founding of the hospital, and a generous benefactor. Portrait by John James Baker, collection of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Sergeant William Hiseland, [1620–1732] an English Civil War cavalier and one of the first pensioners to be admitted to the Royal Hospital in London
![Sergeant William Hiseland, [1620–1732] an English Civil War cavalier and one of the first pensioners to be admitted to the Royal Hospital in London](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/William_Hiseland.jpg/502px-William_Hiseland.jpg)