Museum lovers will be delighted by the abundance of museums in London. Whether your interest is in history, art or science, there is a museum for you, and many of the museums are free, an excellent feature for budget-conscious travelers and those traveling with kids. History museums in particular offer a wide range of topics. Some museums focus on the development of London, such as the National Maritime Museum, while others take an interesting look at recent history like the Museum of Brands. Art museums range from portraiture and modernism to exploration of British painters and more. Science enthusiasts should visit the London Natural History Museum to learn about prehistoric animals, geology and other topics. Be sure to visit some of the best museums in London, not only are they entertaining and educational, they are a great indoor activity.
Free Museums in London
At the best free museums in London, you'll find a range of exhibits about history, science and art — even a house museum made the list. These free museums are a fun way to experience culture in London on a budget and are some of the top things to do in London.
1. British Museum
The collection at the British Museum is wide and varied, if controversial due to Britain's history of imperialism and colonialism, but it is undeniably on of the top free museums in London. On three floors, you can see art and artifacts including textiles, paintings and pottery, to contemporary art from many different countries and regions. While here, you can see items from Egypt including sculptures from temples and tombs and even the Rosetta Stone, a slab which helped to translate Egyptian hieroglyphs. There are also galleries about Europe from the Middle Ages to the Age of Enlightenment and into the 20th century.
The British Museum is free to enter, except for some special exhibitions. You should book your tickets ahead of time to ensure entry to this busy museum. You can tour the museum on your own, download their app to purchase an audio guide or plan ahead for a tour with a guide. Some guided tours cost like the 90-minute Around the World Tour, while others are free, like the 70-minute Desire, Love and Identity Tour that explores LGBTQ history.
2. London Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum in London resembles a cathedral, and within the beautiful building, you can tour the many galleries, which are a delight for adults and children who love learning about creatures from different eras. There are dinosaur skeletons including a Tyrannosaurus rex and the skull of a triceratops. You can also see models and fossils of prehistoric sea animals, the skeleton of a giant ground sloth and a mastodon skeleton. In addition to all the animals, you can also see a meteorite, learn how volcanoes and earthquakes have shaped our planet, and visit a gallery about minerals, gems and rocks.
The London Natural History Museum is free to enter but book your tickets ahead of time to help save time at the door. Special exhibitions may cost to enter.
3. National Gallery
Located at Trafalgar Square (one of London's famous landmarks), the National Gallery, founded in 1824, is the best art museum in London to see paintings by Western European artists from the late 13th century to the 20th century. On a visit to the museum, you can see works by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Titian, Élisabeth Louise Vigée and many more.
The museum is free to enter, except for some special exhibitions, although it's recommended that visitors book their tickets ahead of time whether visiting the free galleries or the paid exhibits. Audio tours are available for a fee and require the use of your smartphone and headphones. The museum also offers an app that helps children learn about and engage with art.
4. National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum looks into the history of Britain's and Europe's seafaring history. On display are portraits and photographs, gear, tools, ship models and uniforms. The exhibits delve into the history of European encounters with peoples of Pacific Island nations as well as Arctic and Antarctic exploration. You can also learn about Horatio Nelson, the British Naval officer whom the giant column in Trafalgar Square is named after. Then, learn more about the East India Company, a trading company that became so powerful that it had a navy of its own. Fun fact: In the 2003 "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," the military force of the East India Trading Company — pursuing Jack Sparrow — was based on the real company.
Admission to the museum is free, but some exhibitions cost to enter. The museum also offers audio tours via a smartphone app; there is both a free tour and tour for a fee available. Check the museum calendar in advance if you are interested in taking a guided tour.
5. National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery is an interesting art museum that displays portraiture ranging from paintings that are hundreds of years old to contemporary photographs and paintings. You'll see images of royalty, historical figures and British celebrities. It's an interesting collection that offers a view into history through art.
The museum is free to enter, but some special exhibitions cost a fee. The National Portrait Gallery is open late each Friday and Saturday. Free tickets and tickets to special exhibitions can be booked online ahead of your visit.
6. Sir John Soane's Museum
If you enjoy house museums, consider adding Sir John Soane's Museum to your London itinerary. Sir John Soane lived from 1753 to 1837, and during his life, he became a renowned architect in the Regency Era. The museum is housed in three buildings that Soane designed and later filled with his collection of sculptures, paintings and his architectural models. Also in the house, you can see the original furnishings, now antiques.
The museum is free to enter, but it's an additional fee if you want a guided tour, which must be booked ahead of time. For an audio tour, download the Bloomberg Connects app, which has information about the museum. Remember to pack your own headphones if you take the audio tour.
7. Tate Britain
The Tate Britain houses 500 years of art created by British artists. The displays explore historic and early modern art as well as modernism and contemporary art. They also have a display of art by JWM Turner, the "father of modern art." On a visit to the museum, you can see works by many notable artists including Francis Bacon, Joan Carlile and Gwen John.
The Tate Britain is open daily and free to enter. Special exhibitions have an entrance fee and tickets should be booked ahead of time to guarantee entry.
8. Tate Modern
The Tate Modern, one of the best art museums in London, houses modern and contemporary art from around the world. Here, you can visit the galleries to view paintings, multimedia displays and installations that are examples of abstract, geometrical, pop and surrealist art. In addition to the galleries, there are special exhibits that feature works by well-known artists, such as Yoko Ono and Yayoi Kusama.
The Tate Modern is free to enter. Some special exhibits have a cost, and the museum recommends booking tickets ahead of your visit to ensure entry.
Museums in London that cost
We've talked about the best free museums in London, so now let's look at the best museums that have an entrance fee. These tend to have a more narrow focus featuring exhibits on a single person, like Charles Dickens, or single element of city, like public transport or the postal service.
9. Charles Dickens Museum
In London, Charles Dickens lived in a house on Doughty Street from 1837 to 1839 with his wife and eldest son. While living here, he partially or fully wrote "The Pickwick Papers," "Nicholas Nickleby" and "Oliver Twist." The house has been restored with Victorian furnishings to appear as it would have appeared when Dickens was a resident. It also features changing exhibits that delve into aspects of Dickens's life and work.
The museum typically is open Wednesday through Sunday. It costs to enter, and tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
10. London Canal Museum
Appropriately located on Regent's Canal next to the Battlebridge Basin is the London Canal Museum. During the 19th century, the canal played a vital role during the industrial revolution with boats and barges transporting goods and raw materials. At the museum, you can see examples of the boats used on the canals, including ones where traders lived with their entire family in the boat's tiny living quarters. You'll also learn about the ice industry — how ice was imported, stored and transported to be used by dairies, fishmongers, hospitals and aristocrats.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday most weeks. During the summer, the museum offers canal tours, where you can tour aboard while your guide tells you about the history of the canals and how people utilized them. Tickets to the museum can only be purchased in person, but it is recommended to book tickets online in advance for the canal tours.
11. London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum explores the history of transportation in London starting with horse drawn carts and carriages. From the beginning of a taxi service with horse-drawn carriages that can be hailed to the present electric rail in the Underground, the museum has exhibits that explain both how transportation has evolved and how it has been a vital part of London's development. There are exhibits that delve into engineering, the workforce that has made public transportation possible, and even a colorful display of posters that have served as public notices in the Underground and at transportation stops and stations.
The museum, open daily, recommends booking tickets ahead of time to ensure entry. The museum offers tours of London both above ground and of abandoned Underground stations. Check ahead of for dates and prices of tours.
12. Museum of Brands
The Museum of Brands displays a variety of household products and marketing material from the last 150 years. It is an exploration of history through the lens of products design and consumerism. Some people may experience nostalgia when they recognize products from their childhood or enjoy seeing the difference in design between similar products sold in their home country versus United Kingdom. You'll also have the opportunity to listen to audio from past BBC broadcasts, oral histories and recordings of historic events.
The Museum of Brands is open daily, and tickets can be purchased online or at the entrance.
13. The Postal Museum
Get a look into how the postal system in London was created and works. You'll start your journey across the street from The Postal Museum at Mail Rail. There you'll see exhibits about the underground rail used in London to facilitate the sorting, transportation and delivery of mail. The main attraction is a trip aboard that small train, where your journey will take you into the maze of tunnels and sorting stations. After your train ride, inside the museum, you'll see displays about London's postal service, from stamps to uniforms and more.
The Postal Museum is typically open Tuesday through Sunday, and the museum recommends booking tickets online to ensure entry. An audio guide is available for purchase and requires use of your personal smart phone.
14. Sherlock Holmes Museum
Don your deerstalker cap and head to 221B Baker Street to see the Sherlock Holmes Museum. This house museum is different than others you may have visited because it is real-life representation of the apartment of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes. It is a delight for fans of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous stories. See "artifacts" from Holmes's cases and the sitting area where he would have spoken to clients. The three-story Georgian town house is decorated in Victorian furnishings, perfect for the period that the stories are set.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum is open daily. Visitors who purchase tickets ahead of time will receive priority entry over those who purchase tickets in person.
15. Twist Museum
Challenge your perception of reality at Twist Museum in central London. The interactive exhibits offer demonstrations of illusions and explanation of how they work, showing how our sense of color and perspective can be manipulated. There are displays on the walls as well as ones large enough to enter, making this a photogenic destination and popular spot for visitors in London.
The museum is open daily. You can tour the museum on your own, but guided tours are offered and must be booked when you purchase your tickets online.
FAQs About Museums in London
Visiting the best museums in London might require extra planning, especially during holiday and peak periods. Here are things to know as you plan your London itinerary, including budget considerations and schedules.
Are London museums free?
Many museums in London are free — but not all. When you are planning your trip, even if a museum is free, check to see if you can book tickets ahead of time. Even when it is not a requirement, it can be helpful to avoid lines or even gain entry if visiting during peak hours or peak travel seasons.
Are London museums open on holidays?
Many museums in London are open on "bank holidays," though most are closed over the Christmas holidays. You should check the museum's schedule when planning your trip. Museums might choose to close for repairs, renovations and private events during these periods.
Are London museums open on Sunday and Monday?
Many museums in London are open on Sunday and Monday.