The Free Museums London Offers to Visitors
A Selection of Museums in London with Free Entrance
Oct 9, 2009
The London museums are famous for their variety and their wealth of content. Many of them have offered free entrance to generations to school children and tourists. If you are looking for free museums to visit on a wet afternoon in the world's most cosmopolitan city, you are spoilt for choice.
London Museums in South Kensington
This corner of London is home to a cluster of world-famous museums. The Natural History Museum is packed with exhibits of flora and fauna from across the globe. The dinosaur exhibition is hugely popular and there are always long queues during school holidays. The display of insects both fascinates and repulses children and adults alike. The mammal hall, with its life-size model of Blue Whale, is another sight not to be missed. The latest exhibit is the futuristic Cocoon in the new Darwin Centre.
On the other side of the busy Exhibition Road stands the august Victoria and Albert Museum, or the V&A as it is usually known. This free museum houses a vast collection of art and design from across the globe. Collections include ceramics, jewellery, furniture, glass and photography, to name but a few. Everything is designed to be as engaging and informative as possible. There is far too much to take in on a single day.
Further along Exhibition Road is the London Science Museum, celebrating its centenary in 2009. As you might expect, this free museum offers plenty of hands-on activities for children. There a countless buttons to press and wheels to turn. Exhibits include the famous early locomotive Stevenson's Rocket, the Apollo 10 command module that circled the moon in 1969, and the third-oldest clock in the world.
Other Major London Museums
The British Museum contains thousands of years of human history from across the world. Rows of cabinets contain mummified Egyptians, Saxon treasure from Sutton Hoo, turquoise Aztec mosaics and medieval armour. This is another free museum that is probably too big for a single visit and is best enjoyed by making shorter return trips.
The Museum of London is, as the name suggests, all about the history of the great city. It traces London's development from pre-history to today. Here you can glimpse Roman London, Medieval London and Victorian London - along with plenty of other insights. Visitors should be aware that several galleries are closed until spring 2010, when a spectacular series of new exhibitions will be on display.
Other Free Museums in London
The Museum of the Bank of England contains armour and exhibits from the rich history of this venerable institution. You can (almost) get your hands on a bar of solid gold.
The British Dental Association Museum has restricted opening hours but it delivers a fascinating insight into the history of this branch of medicine.
The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill is a little off the beaten track but it is a interesting and eclectic collection of artefacts from all over the world.
London is a city of immense cultural and educational wealth. These free museums do more than entertain, they also feed the imagination and enthusiasm of their thousands of visitors, many of whom keep coming back for more.
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