All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a private members’ club in Wimbledon, southwest London, best known as the venue for the annual Wimbledon Championships. The club was founded in 1868 and has hosted lawn tennis events since the 19th century.

The site is centred on the famous grass courts, most notably Centre Court with its retractable roof (installed in 2009) and No. 1 Court, both used for the two-week Grand Slam tournament each summer. The club also contains the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and offers guided tours of the grounds outside tournament periods.

The organisation began as a croquet and lawn tennis club in the late 19th century and established the Wimbledon Championships in 1877, which grew into one of the four Grand Slam events. The venue has evolved with modern facilities while retaining traditional grass-court play and strict dress and tournament traditions.

Located in the SW19 area of Wimbledon in southwest London, the club is in the suburban district of Wimbledon, with public transport links from central London.

• Foundation and championships: Club founded in 1868 and organiser of the Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, first held in 1877.
• Visitor access: Tickets for The Championships are available by public ballot and by queuing on match days; the grounds and museum are open to visitors outside the fortnight of the tournament.

What to See #

• Centre Court: The grass-centrepiece court of the club, used for the Wimbledon Championships; features a retractable roof installed in 2009 and a seating capacity of around 15,000.
• No. 1 Court: Secondary show court with new roof and enhanced seating that hosts high-profile matches during the Championships and other events.
• Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and tours: Permanent public museum and exhibition tracing the history of tennis and the Wimbledon Championships, plus guided grounds tours outside tournament weeks.