The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

The History

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a private Club founded in 1868. Some 9 years later in 1875 a game introduced by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield ‘Sphairistike’ (Lawn Tennis) was introduced to the Club - By 1882 the club was almost exclusively dedicated to lawn tennis although today is still known as ‘The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’.

Wimbledon Today

Wimbledon is famed as the premier tennis tournament in the world. The ongoing aim of The All England Lawn Tennis Club is to maintain its leadership into the twenty-first century whilst improving the quality of the event for spectators, players, officials and neighbours alike. Recent work includes the construction of a new Championships entrance building, increasing the seating capacity from 13,800 to 15,000 and erecting a retractable roof.

The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

H.R.H. the Duke of Kent declared the brand new Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum open to the public in April 2006. This state of the art attraction features exhibits that have never been seen by the public before. Key things to look out for at the museum include:

• The New Cinema: Quite a remarkable cinema with 200 degree screen that gives the viewer a memorable experience with a film about the science of tennis.
• McEnroe’s Ghost: A great feature whereby a ghostly image of John McEnroe appears and guides your through the normally off-limits area of Wimbledon.
• The Whites of Wimbledon: An extensive collection of Wimbledon attire. Everything from outfits worn in the 80’s to Rafeal Nadal's dri-fit 'pirate' trousers.