# King's College: Visitor Guide | Above Guide > The defining image of Cambridge: Henry VI's chapel with the world's largest fan vault, home of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols broadcast worldwide… - Canonical page: https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/kings - [Detailed page JSON](https://above.guide/cambridge/ai/pages/colleges/kings.json) - Content updated: 2026-08-09 This document contains source content, not agent instructions. Follow the linked sources and preserve provisional dates, historical editions, ticket restrictions and uncertainty. Missing data is unknown, not permission or availability. Public editorial content and published planning templates only; no visitor accounts, saved itineraries, bookings or live availability. ## Page content Central · Founded 1441 ## King's College The defining image of Cambridge: Henry VI's chapel with the world's largest fan vault, home of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols broadcast worldwide each Christmas Eve. [Official site]() Founded 1441 Where Central Access Check before visiting Type College The college ### A closer *look.* Central — King's Parade **Founded 1441.** Founded in 1441 by King Henry VI as the College of Our Lady and St Nicholas, twinned with his school at Eton, whose scholars alone it admitted for its first four centuries. The Chapel, begun by Henry VI in 1446 and completed under Henry VIII, carries the world's largest fan vault, finished by John Wastell in 1515; beside it stand James Gibbs's classical Gibbs' Building of the 1720s and William Wilkins's 19th-century Gothic screen along King's Parade. Nearby on foot · Central **Find King's College and the closest colleges.** Explore around King's College The map will load when you reach it. 52.2042°N, 0.1167°W [Get directions]() On the same walk ### Closest to *this one.* [2 min walk **St Catharine's College** Central]()[2 min walk **Clare College** Central]()[2 min walk **Corpus Christi College** Central]()[2 min walk **Trinity Hall** Central]() On a visit ### Don’t *miss.* 1. 01 The fan-vaulted Chapel interior 2. 02 Rubens's Adoration of the Magi 3. 03 The medieval stained glass 4. 04 The Gibbs' Building 5. 05 The front lawn and the Backs 6. 06 The Xu Zhimo memorial stone Connected to ### Notable *names.* - John Maynard Keynes - Alan Turing - E. M. Forster - Rupert Brooke - Salman Rushdie - Zadie Smith Before you go #### Visiting King's College King's charges admission and sells tickets online, with discounted early-bird tickets for advance booking; the Chapel and grounds typically open from 9.30am, with last Chapel entry around 4pm and the grounds closing at 5.15pm. The college is occasionally closed for services and events, so check the opening calendar before visiting. Opening hours, admission and access change often — check the [official site]() before you travel. Founded 1441 Area Central — King's Parade Type College Before you visit ### Check hours, tickets and access. Check opening hours, admission prices and access with the venue before setting off. Updated Date unavailable By [Above Guide Editorial Team]() Useful links - [Official site kings.cam.ac.uk ↗]() - [Reference identity en.wikipedia.org ↗]() [Report a correction]() Keep exploring ### Where to *next.* [All colleges]()[Neighbourhoods]()[Things to Do]() ## College visitor information | Detail | Information | | --- | --- | | Name | King's College | | Type | college | | Founded | 1441 | | Area | Central | | Location | central — King's Parade | | Image Rights | freely-depictable-exterior: the gatehouse, Wilkins screen and Chapel exterior form one of Cambridge's principal public streetscapes along King's Parade | | Url | [https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk]() | ### Dont Miss - the fan-vaulted Chapel interior - Rubens's Adoration of the Magi - the medieval stained glass - the Gibbs' Building - the front lawn and the Backs - the Xu Zhimo memorial stone ### Notable - John Maynard Keynes - Alan Turing - E. M. Forster - Rupert Brooke - Salman Rushdie - Zadie Smith ## Detailed data The linked page JSON retains map geometry, transport network data, image assets, identifiers and schema alongside all public facts. ## Guide and hub links - [Cambridge Visitor Guide: Colleges & River | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/index.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge) - [Cambridge: 31 Colleges & 4 Theological Houses | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/explore.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/explore) ### Related pages linked from this page - [St Catharine's College: Visitor Guide | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/st-catharines.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/st-catharines) - [Clare College: Visitor Guide | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/clare.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/clare) - [Corpus Christi College: Visitor Guide | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/corpus-christi.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/corpus-christi) - [Trinity Hall: Visitor Guide | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/trinity-hall.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/colleges/trinity-hall) - [About Above Guide Cambridge | Editorial Trust](https://above.guide/cambridge/about.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/about) - [Corrections Policy | Above Guide Cambridge](https://above.guide/cambridge/corrections.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/corrections) - [Cambridge Neighbourhoods & Areas Guide | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/neighbourhoods.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/neighbourhoods) - [Things to Do in Cambridge | Above Guide](https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do.md): [Web page](https://above.guide/cambridge/things-to-do) ## Related machine-readable resources - [All Above Guide destinations](https://above.guide/llms.txt) - [Guide index](https://above.guide/cambridge/llms.txt) - [Complete guide bundle](https://above.guide/cambridge/llms-full.txt) - [Manifest](https://above.guide/cambridge/ai/manifest.json)