The British Museum brings together objects from cultures around the world and is one of London’s essential free museums. The permanent collection is free to visit, so you can choose a few highlights for a short visit or spend several hours exploring. A free timed-entry ticket is recommended if you want to guarantee admission at a particular time, especially at weekends and during school holidays.
Visiting the British Museum: key information
| Opening times | Daily 10.00–17.00, with late opening on Fridays until 20.30. Last entry is 16.45, or 20.15 on Fridays. The museum is closed from 24 to 26 December. Check the official visit page for changes and temporary gallery closures. |
| Admission | Entry to the permanent collection is free. Booking a free timed slot in advance is recommended. Special exhibitions, some tours and out-of-hours experiences require separate paid tickets. |
| Location | Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square and Goodge Street are all within walking distance; use the TfL Journey Planner for the most convenient route. |
| How long to allow | Allow about 90 minutes for a focused highlights route, two to three hours for a broader first visit, or longer if you are seeing a ticketed exhibition. |
| Luggage | All visitors pass through security. Wheeled cases, sports equipment and large items of luggage are not allowed inside. The paid cloakroom has limited capacity, so use external luggage storage for travel bags and suitcases. |
What to see at the British Museum
The collection is enormous, so it is better to choose two or three areas that interest you than to try to see everything in one visit. Download or open the current museum map before you start because individual galleries and objects can close or move.
Before entering, look at the Greek Revival façade on Great Russell Street. Inside, the glass-roofed Queen Elizabeth II Great Court is the easiest place to get your bearings. The circular building in its centre is the historic Reading Room.
A short highlights route
If this is your first visit, a practical route can include the Rosetta Stone in Room 4, the Assyrian reliefs, the ancient Egyptian galleries, Hoa Hakananai’a from Rapa Nui in Room 24 and the Lewis Chessmen in Room 40. The Parthenon sculptures are another major part of the collection. Check gallery notices on the day rather than relying on room numbers alone.
For an even shorter visit, the museum publishes an official one-hour trail linking a selection of well-known objects.
The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum
The Bayeux Tapestry is on display at the British Museum from 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027. This is a separately ticketed exhibition rather than part of free general admission. Standard adult tickets are £33 and under-16s are free when a child ticket is booked with an accompanying adult ticket.
The exhibition has extended hours: Sunday to Wednesday from 10.00 to 18.00 and Thursday to Saturday from 10.00 to 21.00. Buggies and large bags are not permitted inside the exhibition, and the paid cloakroom is subject to capacity. Book a dated entry time and check the latest conditions on the official Bayeux Tapestry exhibition page.
Audio guide, tours and Friday evenings
For a self-guided visit, download the Museum’s official audio app before you arrive and bring headphones. The museum also offers highlights tours, themed tours, talks and occasional out-of-hours visits. Days, languages, prices and availability vary, so use the current tours and talks programme rather than relying on an old timetable.
Friday late opening is free for the permanent collection and continues until 20.30. Book a free timed slot if you want to guarantee entry; the final Friday entry slot is normally 19.00.
Visiting the British Museum with children
In our experience, the British Museum works particularly well with school-age children when you keep the visit focused. The Egyptian galleries, Rosetta Stone and Lewis Chessmen are good starting points, although sensitive children may not enjoy the mummy displays.
At weekends and during Camden school holidays, the Families Desk normally opens from 10.00–12.30 and 13.15–16.30. Ask there about Museum Missions, trails, backpacks and activities available that day. The Ford Centre for Young Visitors also opens on selected family days. Check the official family visits page before travelling.
A shorter visit with time to draw, follow a trail or decode hieroglyphs is usually more successful than trying to cover every floor. Baby-changing facilities are available, breastfeeding is welcome and buggies are permitted in the museum, although exhibition-specific restrictions may apply.
For more ideas, see our guides to the top London attractions for children and other family-friendly museums.
Accessibility at the British Museum
Lifts at the main Great Russell Street entrance provide step-free access into the museum, and the Montague Place entrance is also accessible. Lifts connect the principal public floors, although temporary works or gallery closures can affect routes. Wheelchairs are available to borrow, subject to availability, and assistance dogs are welcome.
Check the museum’s accessibility information and current map before your visit if you need a particular route, accessible toilet, induction loop, large-print information or a quieter space.
Where to eat at the British Museum
There are several cafés and restaurants inside the museum, including the Court Café for drinks and light food, the Great Court Restaurant for a longer sit-down meal, a pizzeria and a coffee lounge. Venues and opening times can change, and some close before the museum itself, so check the current food and drink page.
Bloomsbury also has plenty of cafés, pubs and places to eat within a short walk, which can be a better choice if the museum is busy.
A short history of the British Museum
The British Museum was founded in 1753 and opened to the public in 1759. It was the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge. Its original home was Montagu House, a 17th-century mansion on the same Bloomsbury site.
The founding collection belonged to physician and collector Sir Hans Sloane. After his death, Parliament acquired it for the nation, and it was combined with other collections to form the new museum.
The Rosetta Stone arrived in England in 1802 and has been displayed at the British Museum since that year, apart from a period of safekeeping during the First World War. Its three scripts played a central part in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
As the collections grew, the present quadrangular building replaced Montagu House during the 19th century. The natural history collections later moved to South Kensington, forming what is now the Natural History Museum, while the British Library eventually moved to its separate building on Euston Road.
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