The Old House of Keys is the fascinating former home of the Manx Parliament and centre of 19th Century political life on the Isle of Man.

Things to see and do:

• Meet the costumed secretary of this historic building.
• Take a seat in the finely restored debating chamber.
• Watch as the talking head of Mr Speaker and animated portraits of Members of the House come to life.
• Discover how democracy developed on the Isle of Man.
• Listen carefully as Mr Speaker demands 'Order'.
• Shape this Island’s future and introduce motorcycle racing to the Island’s open roads.
• Decide whether women should get the vote.
• Shout ‘aye’ for those in favour and ‘no’ for those against!

Information for Disabled Visitors:

The site does not have its own car park. A convenient drop off point is located outside the main entrance. There is a convenient public car park nearby. The inside of the building is accessible to wheelchair users with assistance. Staff receive some disability awareness training. The nearest public toilets with disabled facilities are located on Malew Street near Castle Rushen. Large format information about the site can be provided. The Old House of Keys is a participatory audio-visual experience. It is the policy of Manx National Heritage to admit the assistant or carer of a disabled person free of charge. Registered assistance dogs are welcomed.

How to get there:

• By foot and road: situated in the town centre, signposted in Castletown.
• By bus: 1, 1C, 2, 2A, 8. Steam Railway:
• All stations to Castletown.
• Parking: public car parks and 2 hour disc zone parking nearby.

Opening times: Open Monday to Sunday. Easter to October (closed during the winter months). Sittings commence at 11am, 12 noon, 2.30pm and 3.30pm and last 45 minutes. Timed admission tickets are purchased from Castle Rushen and the Old Grammar School.

There are open door sessions at 10.30am until 11am and 2pm until 2.30pm when visitors can look around the House prior to the sitting.

Admission Charges: £2.00 Children (under 18 years) and Students, £4.00 Adults, £9.50 Family (2 adults and 2 children).

Group discounts are available for groups of 15 or more people, with the greatest savings available to pre-booked groups. For further information, please click here.

Free admission is available to holders of a valid 5 Site Pass, 10 Day Heritage Explorer Pass, ACE Card holders and reciprocal agreement members.

Heritage attractions nearby: Castle Rushen, the Nautical Museum and the Old Grammar School, Castletown Rushen Abbey, Ballasalla.

Further Information

The history of The Old House of Keys building is one chapter in the long, and often turbulent, history of Manx politics which stretches back to the 9th and 10th centuries when the Viking Kings ruled the Isle of Man. After it ceased to be used by the Members of the Keys, the Old House of Keys building led a chequered life.

It has been occupied by various banks, the Castletown Commissioners and the Rural Library, until finally lying empty for nearly twenty years from the 1980s. Manx National Heritage took over responsibility for the building in millennium year 2000 and commenced a careful conservation programme to restore the original features of the building.

The Old House of Keys has been restored to its appearance in 1866; a milestone in Manx history, when the old self-elected House of Keys took its first steps along the road to modern democracy by passing the 'House of Keys Election Bill' and thereby becoming a popularly elected body.

Inside The Old House of Keys debating chamber you can vote on various crucial issues which the Manx Parliament has faced in the past, and some it may have to face in the future. This provides an opportunity to see how democracy developed in the Island, sometimes years ahead of England, and the effect that political decisions have had and can continue to have on the Manx nation.

Manx National Heritage has restored The Old House of Keys to provide visitors with an insight into the political life and times of the Island. We hope that you enjoy this chapter of 'The Story of Mann' and will discover the other sites of political interest, past and present, around the Island.

Physical evidence of the Island's political history can be found throughout the Manx landscape from Tynwald Hill at St Johns through to the majestic castles at Peel and Castletown.