House Tour

Days

Thursdays and Saturdays

Times

9.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm

Running time

1 hour 30 minutes

Cost

£14.50 (£16 with donation) per person

Booking

from 1 to 6 people per tour

Led by a trained guide, you will enter an ordinary terraced house with an extraordinary hand-painted interior. Home to the Victorian working-class artist, David Parr and his family, the house is an example of Arts and Crafts workmanship layered with 20th-century social history.

As a workman for the Cambridge firm of artworkers, F R Leach & Sons, David Parr painted houses and churches by hand in schemes created by some of the best architects and designers in the country.

In 1886, he bought 186 Gwydir Street and over the next 40 years, decorated his terraced home by lamps and candlelight in the style of the grand interiors he worked on every day. Following his death in 1927, the home was preserved by his granddaughter, Elsie Palmer for over 85 years.

Want to plan a visit for a group of 7 people or more? See our Group Visits.

• Please arrive on time for your tour. If you arrive early (more than 10 minutes before your booked time), the previous tour will not yet have finished.  
• On arrival, please ring the bell of the Visitor Centre at 184 Gwydir Street, which is next door to David Parr House, and one of our guides will welcome you inside. 
• All guests must be at least 12 years of age. Guests aged 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. 
• All tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to come on your booked tour, we suggest you give your tickets to friends or family and ask that you e-mail their names to us at info@davidparrhouse.org. 
• Your visit will last approximately 1.5 hours. There will be a short introduction before the tour and time to browse our shop at the end. 
• All bags must be left in the locked drawers in the Visitor Centre.  
• Mobile phones must be switched to silent for the duration of the tour and photography is not allowed in the house. 
• Stiletto heels and bulky coats cannot be worn in the house. In the winter, the house is cold so please dress accordingly.  
• All tours involve walking around the House and climbing stairs. 
• Because of the nature of the building, its Grade II* listing and the different floor levels, there is no wheelchair access. Only our Visitor Centre is wheelchair accessible. 
• The House is a historic building, with delicate surfaces and objects. Please do not touch the surfaces and objects in the House other than staircase handrails.
• Due to the age and character of the building, the House has dim lighting, uneven floors and steep stairs and other hazards. You must follow safety instructions from the staff at all times. 

Special requirements? Access information is available here.

Please read our full terms and conditions here.