Opening hours
The Cathedral is open daily from Morning Prayer until the end of Evensong or Evening Prayer. Please check the weekly service schedule for times and details of services.
Charges apply between 10am and 4pm Monday to Saturday, and 11.30am (or when the morning service finishes) and 2.30pm on Sunday.
From Monday to Saturday, admission includes a complimentary floor tour and access to the Exhibition Gallery and Discovery Centre.
No tours are available on Sundays. For the best experience, we recommend visiting between 10am and 4pm Monday to Saturday.
Please note Lincoln Cathedral is primarily a place of worship and on some days it may open for reduced hours to visitors. Please check before travelling.
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Visitor centre, shop and café opening times
Mon to Sat   9am-5pm
Sunday          10am-4pm
The café’s full menu is served until 3pm daily (3.30pm on Saturdays), with coffee and cake available until 4.30pm (3.30pm on Sundays).
Admission charges
Adults: Monday to Saturday £12.50*
Sunday £10.50*
Children: Free of charge (0 – 16 years)**
UK Students: Free of charge (with a valid, photographic ID with a validity date)
For pre-booked groups of 10 or more adults: Please contact visitors@lincolncathedral.com or 01522 561600
Access for services and for prayer and to light candles will always be free of charge.
* Gift Aid your admission to receive an annual pass, and visit the Cathedral free for 12 months. Please ask a member of the welcome team for more details.
** Free child admissions apply to families only, up to 4 children per adult. For schools, education and community groups, please contact sally.bleasdale@lincolncathedral.com or 01522 565560.
All students enjoy free admission. Please show your student ID at the welcome desk on arrival.
If you are a companion or carer for a visitor with a disability, please let our team know and they will provide complimentary admission.
Advanced booking is not required, simply arrive on the day and make your way to the welcome desk where one of our friendly staff will greet you.
A chapel is also available during opening hours should you wish for a quiet place to pray, reflect or light a candle. There is no charge to access the Morning Chapel for private prayer.
Restricted access
From time to time, it is necessary for us to restrict access to certain areas of the Cathedral; this can be due to a number of reasons including services, event or maintenance.
Details of any current restrictions can be found below.
Ongoing – Wren Library
Due to essential maintenance work the Wren Library is closed until further notice.
Thank you for your patience as we work to re-open the library as soon as possible.
Wednesday 2 April
Access to the Nave will be restricted from 1.30pm until 3.30pm as the Lincoln Minster School End of Term Service takes place. Entry to the Cathedral will be via our Visitor Centre during this time.
Saturday 5 April
From 1pm to 4pm there will be rehearsals for our performance of Bach’s St John Passion. There will be no closures while this takes place but please note it will be louder than usual in the Nave.
Monday 7 April
Access into St Hugh’s Choir will be restricted as scaffolding is set up to allow for the cleaning of our chandelier.
Wednesday 9 April
Access to St Hugh’s Shrine will be restricted while a funeral takes place from 2pm to 3pm.
Thursday 10 April
Access into St Hugh’s Choir will be restricted as scaffolding is taken down.
Friday 11 April
Access to St Hugh’s Choir will be restricted while a funeral takes place from 11am to 12noon. Access to the Chapter House will then be restricted after the service for the funeral reception.
Tuesday 15 April
Access to the Nave will be restricted until 12.30pm to allow our Chrism Eucharist service to take place. During this time, entry to the Cathedral will be via our Visitors Centre.
Friday 18 April
The Cathedral will be open for services for Good Friday. Our Visitor Centre will be open from 10am until 4.30pm.
Tuesday 22 April
Services that normally take place in St Hugh’s Shrine will be moved while maintenance work takes place. Morning Prayer and our morning Holy Communion services will take place in the Morning Chapel and the lunchtime Holy Communion service will take place at the Tomb of Robert Grosseteste.
Monday 28 April
Access to the Nave will be restricted as we set up the Nave for the University of Lincoln graduations. During this time, entry to the Cathedral will be via our Visitors Centre.
Tuesday 29 April to Thursday 1 May
Access to the Nave will be restricted as University of Lincoln graduations take place. Access to the Chapter House is will also be restricted for graduation gowning. During this time, entry to the Cathedral will be via our Visitors Centre.
Organ tuning
Our Father Willis organ is one of the finest organs in the world. It us used every day for our services as well as special events. To ensure it always sounds its best it is tuned regularly; usually once a month.
If you visit us on organ tuning day, expect to hear long, continuous notes played as each note is checked and tuned. It’s not the most beautiful sound you’ll hear from the organ, but it is necessary. If this is something which you might struggle with, or which you think might spoil your visit, please call ahead on 01522 561600 to check whether it is an organ tuning day, or speak to our team on the welcome desk when you arrive.
Organ tuning dates
The following dates are when we currently expect organ tuning to take place in 2025, but these dates are subject to change, so do please check before visiting the Cathedral.
Wednesday 16 April
Thursday 8 May
Thursday 12 June
Thursday 10 July
Friday 1 August
Wednesday 3 September
Friday 10 October
Tuesday 18 November
Thursday 18 December
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Getting here
Located in the city centre as part of the Lincoln Cathedral Quarter, Lincoln Cathedral stands proudly above the city of Lincoln and can be seen for miles around.
East Midlands Railway run trains to Lincoln. You can find their dedicated journey page here which contains full travel details and useful information
You can also plan journeys to Lincoln from across the UK and Europe via train or coach using Trainline
Lincoln Cathedral parking is facilitated via car parks located across the city, with several close to the Cathedral. Click here to visit the City Council website to find out more about parking in the city.
The Walk & Ride ‘Steep Hill Shuttle’ bus is the easy way to get around Lincoln and the quickest way up the hill, with 13 stops across the city.
Near our neighbour Lincoln Castle, the Cathedral Quarter is home to an abundance of independent retailers, a tempting selection of places to eat and drink in and luxurious, independent hotels and guest houses.