Museums in London usually close at 5 or 6 in the afternoon, which can sometimes make us rush our days when visiting London. Ideally, we want to combine tourist attractions or museums to make the most of our days visiting London.
For this reason, it is useful to know that museums tend to have longer opening hours, at least one day a week.
We have compiled a list of Museums open Late according to the day of the week, but do check the opening hours on the official websites of each museum for confirmation.
Museums in London open later on MONDAYS
- British Library: open until 8 pm.
- Barbican Centre: open until 11 pm.
- Somerset House: the galleries and exhibits are open until 8 pm, and the courtyards are open to the public until 11 pm in the summer.
Museums in London open later on TUESDAYS
- British Library: open until 8 pm.
- Barbican Centre: open until 11 pm.
- Somerset House: the galleries and exhibits are open until 8 pm, and the courtyards are open to the public until 11 pm in the summer.
Museums in London open until later on WEDNESDAYS
- British Library: open until 8 pm.
- Barbican Centre: open until 11 pm.
- Somerset House: the galleries and exhibits are open until 8 pm, and the courtyards are open to the public until 11 pm in the summer.
Museums in London open later on THURSDAYS
- British Library: open until 8 pm.
- Camden Arts Centre: open until 9 pm.
- Barbican Centre: open until 11 pm. The Art Centre and Gallery Shop are open until 8 pm on Thursdays.
- Somerset House: the galleries and exhibits are open until 8 pm, and the courtyards are open to the public until 11 pm in the summer.
Museums in London open later on FRIDAYS
- British Museum: open until 8.30 pm.
- Barbican Centre: open until 11 pm. The Art Centre and Gallery Shop are open until 8 pm on Fridays.
- National Portrait Gallery: open until 9 pm.
- Victoria and Albert Museum: open until 10 pm. Museum Lates and Events are organised monthly, check the website for info.
- Somerset House: the galleries and exhibits are open until 8 pm, and the courtyards are open to the public until 11 pm in the summer.
Museums in London open later on SATURDAYS
- National Portrait Gallery: open until 9 pm.
- London Dungeons is open until 7 pm on Saturdays from 8th July until 2nd of September.
Museum Lates
Some museums will also organise Museum Lates, with workshops or events during the evening.
The Science Museum Lates are adults-only, after-hours theme nights that take place in the museum on the last Wednesday of every month. Past events include pub quizzes, comedy shows, and silent discos… Check out Science Museum Lates for more information.
The Natural History museum also organises museum lates, discos, sleepovers and much more, so it’s worth checking their website too.