Guildford House Gallery

Guildford House is a fascinating 17th century Grade 1 Listed town house in the High Street.

The house is home to Guildford House Gallery. It is a changing exhibition space offering a varied programme of art and craft shows. It is holds events and activities.

Also within Guildford House is a craft gift shop and the Tourist Information Centre.

 

Opening times

Guildford House Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm (last entry to galleries 4pm).

Guildford Tourist Information Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm.

The Craft Shop is open from 10am until 4.30pm Tuesday to Saturday. The shop is located in the Brew House and sells a range of unique gifts and crafts.

During exhibition changeovers there may be times when some rooms are not open to the public. You can check if any rooms are closed. Call our Tourist Information team on 01483 444333, during opening hours.

Admission 

Free entry

Getting here 

155 High Street
Guildford
GU1 3AJ

We are located opposite Sainsbury's on the High Street. 

For information on planning your journey by bus, coach or train visit the National Traveline website. (opens new window)

Access information 

Guildford House Access Guide (PDF, 18 KB)

 

Built in 1660, Guildford House is an important building and currently home to the Borough's Art Collection. The building is also a venue for a variety of temporary exhibitions.

Originally owned by the Childe family. Guildford House was later home to the Martyr family from 1736 to the 1840s. The building was once used as a shop and restaurant and became the venue for a gallery in 1959.

Watch the virtual tour video of Guildford House to find out more.

Enjoy our art collection, programme of displays by local and regional artists as well as touring exhibitions. We also have a programme of events and activities for all ages. We're open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am to 4.30pm (last entry to the galleries 4pm). 

There are times when we're working hard to changeover our exhibitions, and this might mean that some spaces or displays may be closed. If you're visiting to see a specific display, you can call us on 01483 444333 to check that it's open.

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Our Guildford House Display

During open hours

Find out more about Guildford House, a feature of the High Street for hundreds of years.

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Finds Identification Sessions

Have you come across an interesting archaeological object while out walking or using a metal detector? Bring your find to our Finds Identification Sessions, and find out more about it. Our Surrey Finds Liaison Officer, Simon Maslin will take a look.

Dates: bimonthly on the second Saturday of the month, from October 2025
Times: 10am - 12pm
Free entry

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People Watching by Rebecca Holton

Winner of the 2025 Guildford House Open, award-winning artist Rebecca Holton presents 'People Watching', a solo exhibition featuring 25 original works.
Through keen observation and a distinctive artistic style, Rebecca captures the small, often overlooked moments of everyday life. Her paintings explore chance encounters, familiar routines, and the people who pass through our shared spaces, encouraging viewers to pause and consider the stories unfolding around us.

Dates: Saturday 4 July until Saturday 3 October 2026
Times: 10am until 4:30pm (last entry 4pm)
Admission: Free

You can view and purchase works via the Guildford House Open (opens new window)

Credit to Elaine Potter and description: 'Miss Bennet was an excellent walker' and 'Austen & Airpods', hanging in Guildford House Gallery, July 2026

You can view our online record of the Borough Art Collection, with information on the artists and the artworks.

We will be adding to the database, and would like to hear from anyone who has information on any of the artists or works in our collection.

In some cases, we have additional information on the artists, which is not included in this database, and we welcome research enquiries.

We are only able to include images of work if we have the permission of the copyright holder and so some of the images are not featured if we have been unable to trace them.