Grosvenor Square, London, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in Mayfair, London, laid out in the 1720s as one of the city's grandest residential addresses. It later became closely tied to the United States, with a memorial to the Eagle Squadron pilots, a statue of Franklin Roosevelt and a 9/11 memorial garden. It is a calm green space in one of the busiest parts of the West End.

The story behind it

The square was built as part of the Grosvenor family's Mayfair estate, with building starting in the early 1720s. Its wide streets, large garden and substantial houses made it a fashionable choice for aristocrats who wanted more space than older districts offered. It is often described as the second largest garden square in London.

The American connection runs deep. John Adams, later the second president of the United States, lived at number 9 while serving as American minister in London. During the Second World War, General Dwight Eisenhower set up a military headquarters at number 20. The US embassy stood on the square for decades until it moved to Nine Elms in 2018, and the garden still carries memorials that reflect that long link.

What to look for

• The Eagle Squadron memorial honours the American volunteer pilots who flew with the RAF before the United States entered the war.
• The statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt stands in the garden and is a good spot to pause and look back over the lawns.
• The 9/11 memorial garden is a quiet corner set aside for reflection.
• The surrounding townhouses show the scale of the original Georgian layout, even though many buildings around the square have been rebuilt over the years.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to walk around the garden and find the memorials, longer if you want to sit and rest.
• The garden is a public space, but check current opening hours before you go.
• Morning and late afternoon are usually the calmest times, when the square feels far from the shopping crowds.
• Bond Street, Oxford Street and the rest of Mayfair are a short walk away, so the square pairs easily with a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

Scandal & Glamour: The Mayfair Scoop is a good way to see the square as part of the wider neighbourhood. You reach it on foot as one stop on a longer route through Mayfair, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

London's lights: Explore Monopoly - Oxford Circus to Trafalgar Square takes a Monopoly-themed route through central London that passes the square. You walk from stop to stop at your own pace, hear the story of each place as you get there, and work out a puzzle in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.