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From the big-hitters to the small, specialist sites, London's crammed full of museums, most of which are free to all. Interactive displays, tours and, in particular, events for children and families are de rigeur for most of the larger museums and it's easy to spend a whole day just rummaging around.
 Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane, EC2R 8AH Housed within the Bank of England, this museum traces the history of the bank from its foundation by Royal Charter in 1694 to its role today as the nation's central bank. There are gold bars dating from ancient times to the modern market bar, coins, and a unique collection of banknotes. There are also many items you might not expect to find - pikes and muskets used to defend the bank, Roman pottery and mosaics uncovered when it was rebuilt in 1930, and documents relating to famous customers such as Horatio Nelson, George Washington and the Duchess of Marlborough. Address: Bartholomew Lane, EC2R 8AH Phone: 020 7601 5545 Timing: Mon to Fri 10am-5pm Nearest Station: Chancery Lane Tube Bank of England Museum - Information   British Library96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB With over 150 million items, a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland, artwork by artists such as Antony Gormley and Eduardo Paolozzi, and a host of historically momentous works - including the Magna Carta, the Gutenberg Bible, Shakespeare's First Folio and the Lindisfarne Gospels - a guided tour around the British Library is essential if you only have time for one visit. This is, after all, the largest public building constructed in the United Kingdom in the 20th century and, as such, warrants a guided tour around its cavernous spaces. While the library has a lot to offer the casual visitor - exhibition galleries (mostly free) special exhibitions, events, films, musical performances and poetry readings - if it's your first visit it's a good idea to let an experienced guide navigate you through the main treasures that call this place home. These guides also really know their stuff and will open your eyes to this gargantuan repository. Of particular interest is the Diamond Sutra, the world's earliest dated printed book, and the only surviving copy of 'Beowulf'. The King's Library - a three-storey glass tower - forms the centre-piece of the building both architecturally and in terms of its historic acquisitions. With 65,000 printed volumes, The King's Library refers to King George III, whose personal collection is on display here. Some of the tours include access to the reading rooms, access to which is usually limited to those with passes. While it is free to explore this iconic building, paying for a tour is more than worth it if you only have a few hours to take everything in. Address: 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB Phone: 020 7412 7332 Timing: Mon, Wed,Thu and Fri 9.30am-6pm, Tue 9.30am-8pm, Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun and Public Holidays 11am-5pm. Tours: Mon, Wed & Fri 3pm, Sat 10.30am & 3pm, Sun 11.30am & 5pm Nearest Station: Euston Tube / Rail British Library - Information  British MuseumGreat Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Over seven millions objects from all over the world are housed in this impressive museum of human history and culture (many of the artifacts are stored underneath the museum due to lack of space). Founded in 1753, displays ranging from prehistoric to modern times were primarily based on the collections of physician and scientist, Sir Hans Sloane. Notable objects include the Parthenon Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, the Sutton Hoo and Mildenhall treasures, and the Portland Vase. The hieroglyphics and classical sculptures are instantly recognisable and world famous, but more surprising is the workmanship and beauty of the Saxon jewellery collection. The treasures assembled here, from Britain's Dark Ages, reveal a period of original and brilliant artistry. The museum's Great Court with its magnificent glass and steel roof by Sir Norman Foster is an exhibition piece in itself. Regular free events include talks, films, performances and demonstrations. Address: Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Phone: 020 7323 8000 Timing: Sat to Wed 10am-5.30pm, Thu & Fri 10am-8.30pm Nearest Station: Holborn Tube British Museum - Information  Imperial War MuseumLambeth Road, SE1 6HZ Occupying the former Bethlehem Hospital for the Insane ('Bedlam'), the Imperial War Museum is the national museum of 20th-century conflict. Founded in 1917, the it not only contains a fascinating display of the vehicles and weapons of war, but also makes an in-depth study of the social effects of conflict. From the M4 Sherman tank, the V2 rocket and Polaris missile, to the walk-through recreation of a front line trench from the Somme, the Imperial War Museum represents all facets of fighting and its aftermath. Both World Wars are chronicled with thought-provoking displays of painting and poetry from Sassoon to Wilfred Owen, and a reconstructed air raid shelter and Blitzed street from 1940. The sights, sounds and smells have been carefully recreated to really bring the experience to life. Over 15,000 paintings, 120 million feet of cine film and 30,000 posters make this a unique collection. Address: Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ Phone: 020 7416 5320 Timing: Daily 10am-6pm Nearest Station: Elephant & Castle Tube / Rail Imperial War Museum - Information  Museum of London150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Experience the real flavour of London life from the prehistoric to present day at this modern museum boasting over 1.1 million objects - many rescued from archaeological digs or discovered during building works in the City. A chain of chronological galleries guide visitors through the history of this ancient city; 47,000 objects from Roman London pave the way to buckles, brooches and belt-fittings of the medieval period, 17th-century glassware leads onto vivid Victorian street scenes, interiors and shop fronts. From the skulls of those thought to have been massacred by Queen Boudica to boots worn by the Duke of Wellington, Queen Victoria's Parliamentary robes and paraphernalia from the Suffragettes' Movement, the history of London and its inhabitants is brought back to life with startling intensity. Don't miss fragments of the old London Wall located just outside the museum. Address: 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Phone: 0870 444 3852 Timing: Mon to Sat 10:00-17:50, Sun 12:00-17:50. Pricing: Free Nearest Station: Barbican Tube Museum of London - Information  National Maritime Museum | Queen's House | Royal ObservatoryRomney Road Greenwich, SE10 9NF National Maritime Museum Located in the heart of historic Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum houses the most important collection of objects relating to the history of Britain at sea. The collection dates back to 1823 when a National Gallery of Naval Art was established, featuring some 300 portraits, paintings and artefacts. The museum occupies a former asylum and hospital school, and enjoys fantastic views of the Thames from its elevated position. With the addition of the covered Neptune Court, the museum now boasts galleries dealing with topics ranging from navigation, naval exploits and Nelson, to exploration, the ecology of the sea and emigration. Visitors can try their hand at signalling and gunnery, explore the expansion of the Empire or just revel at the power, majesty and romance of the sea through poetry, painting and photography. National Maritime Museum - Information Queen's House As far as royal residences go this is a modest palace - an appealing, but simple, bright white, classical, Palladian villa flanked by colonnades. Its understated appearance, however, belies its immense historical significance. Built in 1616 by Inigo Jones for Anne of Denmark - the wife of James I - Queen's House was the first neo-classical building seen in England. Originally conceived as a hunting lodge and addition to the Palace of Greenwich, it also acted as a bridge spanning the public road to Deptford, which divided the park in two. Despite revolutionising Jacobean architecture the house, itself, didn't get finished until 1635 when it became home to Charles I and his Queen, Henrietta Maria. The house went on to survive tumultuous times. Queen Anne died before it was completed, shortly after Civil War broke out and Oliver Cromwell stripped the Stuarts of the residence and its many treasures. It is now used by the National Maritime Museum to exhibit paintings of illustrious seafarers and historic Greenwich. The Stuart 'Tulip Staircase', purported as the first spiral staircase in Britain, has been reinstated and takes its name from the beautiful floral patterning on the wrought-iron balustrade. Some faded painted panels remain on the ceiling of the royal bedchamber while the cuboid Great Hall is swathed in impressive computer-enhanced copies of Gentileschi frescos. For the valiant among you, Queen's House is notoriously haunted and photos of shrouded figures ascending the spiral stairs are thought to be legitimate. National Maritime Museum: Queen's House - Information Royal Observatory This museum of time and space was built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1675. It marks the site of the Greenwich Meridian - the base point for World Time and the site of Longitude 0. If you time it right, you can watch the timeball drop at 13:00 each day. The National Maritime Museum, at this site since 1937, and Royal Observatory have accumulated over 2 million objects about the sea, ships, astronomy and time. Visitors can also see the Astronomer Royal's apartments, the famous Harrison timekeepers (1735-60) with computer simulations, intricate instruments, Wren's Octagon Room and the largest refracting telescope in Britain. In 2007 the £15 million Peter Harrison Planetarium opened, a beautiful cone-shaped addition to the Royal Observatory designed by architects Allies and Morrison. This 120-seat, state-of-the-art facility replaces the small and out of date planetarium in the dome of the South Building. National Maritime Museum: Royal Observatory Greenwich - Information Address: Greenwich Park, SE10 9NF Phone: 020 8312 6565 | 020 8858 4422 Timing: Daily from 10am Nearest Station: North Greenwich Tube  Natural History MuseumCromwell Road, SW7 5BD An 8-metre long giant squid, a walrus from Hudson Bay overstuffed by a London taxidermist in the 1880s, the skeleton of a Triceratops, a life-size Blue Whale and a sea cow are just a few of the 70 million items to call this exciting, interactive, life and earth science museum home. Highlights include: Dinosaurs - the ultimate prehistoric exhibition, Creepy-Crawlies - guaranteed to have you scratching in seconds, Human Biology - the must-see exhibition about the evolution of the species, The Power Within - a sensational earthquake experience, and Ecology and Mammals. The Vault - a permanent exhibition of gems and rare meteorites - contains some famous, historic and priceless jewels. Investigate - a hands-on science centre - is especially great for children. Rhythms of Life and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibitions also demand attention. For those wanting to explore further a visit to The Darwin Centre is recommended. Regular lectures and demonstrations combined with interactive exhibitions aim to bring to life the millions of preserved specimens on show. There is also a tranquil wildlife garden containing native fauna and flora. Address: Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD Phone: 020 7942 5000 Timing: Mon to Sat 10am-5.50pm, Sun 11am-5.50pm Nearest Station: South Kensington Tube Natural History Museum - Information  Science MuseumExhibition Road, SW7 2DD Home to one of the world's most magnificent collections of science, industry, technology and medicine, the Science Museum is one of London's most hands-on and interactive museums. Funded by the profits of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it started life in the 19th century as part of Prince Albert's grand scheme to promote industrial technology. Today, it occupies a purpose-built gallery and contains some 300,000 objects, covering the entire history of Western science, technology and medicine. Visitors are invited to learn about forces and motion in Launch Pad and discover how aircraft are built in Flight Lab. The Wellcome Wing allows visitors to morph their faces to look older or younger, manipulate their voices and create digital music, or be sucked into the 3D world of the stunning IMAX cinema. The scientific questions of the day are hotly debated in Antenna. Address: Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD Phone: 0870 870 4868 Timing: Daily 10am-5.45pm Nearest Station: South Kensington Tube Science Museum - Information  Sir John Soane's Museum13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP An appealingly higgledy-piggledy treasure trove of artefacts, this extraordinary house elegantly located on Lincoln's Inn Fields is well worth an exploratory rummage. Lurking in nooks and crannies within the sprawling rooms and halls of neo-classical architect Sir John Soane's former residence are over 30,000 architectural drawings and antiquities. Works by Turner, Canaletto and Piranesi feature in the painting collection, with William Hogarth's eight canvasses of 'A Rake's Progress' forming the centre-piece. Each of the many spaces in this museum has its own strong identity and appeal. From the domed ceiling of the Breakfast Room and the Gothic library, to the study with its Roman architectural fragments and the two courtyards crammed with ancient stonework, this is a house of diversity and architectural merit. One of the most intriguing rooms is the Picture Gallery. Here, walls made up of large folding panels unravel to reveal a host of pictures that would not normally have been accommodated in the small room space. Panels are opened on request to groups. Look out for the alabaster Egyptian Sarcophagus of Seti I dated 1370bc appropriately located in the basement 'Sepulchral Chamber'. Museum tours take place every Saturday at 2.30pm. Address: 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP Phone: 020 7405 2107 Timing: Tue to Sat 10am-5pm Nearest Station: Holborn Tube Sir John Soane's Museum - Information  Victoria and Albert (V & A) MuseumCromwell Road, SW7 2RL With over 145 galleries to explore and over 4 million items, the V & A is one of the most influential museums of decorative and applied arts in the world. It was originally founded in 1852, with the aim of enthusing and educating British manufacturers and designers. It is now home to a stunning collection of European, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Islamic artefacts ranging from ceramics, glass, metalwork and sculpture to costume, armour, weaponry and furniture. The gallery also houses the national collection of photography. Visitors can delve into the fascinating dress collection that features samples from historical dress to 21st-century haute-couture or examine the celebrated Arts and Crafts interiors of the Morris and Gamble Rooms. The gallery is often cited as housing the greatest collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture outside Italy, while the British Galleries - which opened to great acclaim in November 2001 - are unique in their exploration of British design from Chippendale to Morris, Adam to Mackintosh. Highlights include the Great Bed of Ward as mentioned in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', and James II's wedding suit. In recent years the trend at the V&A has been towards style retrospectives of entire periods like Art Deco, Art Nouveau and shows focusing on individual designers like Armani and Ossie Clarke. The museum is second-to-none in this regard. The building itself - a mix of Victorian and Edwardian design - also presents a truly formidable display. The two halls (Cast Courts), in particular, form a major focal point for the gallery - with their high glass roof, elevated corridors and walkways. Address: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL Phone: 020 7942 2000 Timing: Thu to Tue 10am-5.45pm, Wed and last Fri of every month 10am-10pm Nearest Station: South Kensington Tube Victoria and Albert (V & A) Museum - Information |
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