A visit to one of the best Museums in London is something that you should include in your list of things to see if you are planning a trip to London, as we can find in London some of the world’s best museums.
The majority of the museums in London are actually free to enter, so sometimes the only problem that we have is to choose which one we will be visiting, as we often just don’t have enough time to visit them all.
If you are travelling to London with kids we definitely think that visiting a museum is a great (and fun!) thing to do that I would very highly recommend, as I can guarantee that they will love the experience as they can be very interactive and have workshops available that kids normally love – even if your little one complains at the thought of visiting a museum.
1. Natural History Museum
This impressive and fantastic museum is one of London’s most famous museums, and although it is a museum that adults usually love, it is one also one of our favourite’s if you are taking the kids. The first thing that catches your eye of this great museum is it’s impressive and beautiful building, which was built in 1880. As soon as you enter the Natural History Museum, the first thing that strikes you is the imposing Skeleton of a whale. Some of the different galleries that you will be able to visit include Dinosaurs, Aquatic and Terrestrial mammals, Insects, Evolution, The Human Body, Earth, Minerals…. The dinosaur gallery is possibly the most popular one, enjoyed by adults and children. In addition to the dinosaurs, other main attractions are: reproduction of a Japanese shop that trembles to reproduce the earthquake of 1995 and the cross section of a 200+ year old trunk of an oak tree which measures 17 meters in diameter.
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10:00 am – 5:50 pm
- Underground Station: South Kensington
- Where to eat: Inside the museum there are various restaurants and cafes available, but we would also recommend the area around South Kensington’s underground station where you will find several restaurants.
2. Science Museum
The Science Museum is also an ideal Museum in London if you are taking children. It has five floors of interactive exhibitions, making it arguably one of the most entertaining museums in London. Although it is one of the favourite’s museums in London when it comes to the youngest members of the family, adults also really enjoy visiting it, especially is also one of the favourites , as it has an exhibition of antique cars and a room dedicated to the latest technology, in addition to an exhibition dedicated to aircraft and small planes With a flight simulator.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10.00 am – 5.50 pm
- Underground Station: South Kensington
- Where to eat: Inside the museum there are various restaurants and cafes available, but we would also recommend the area around South Kensington’s underground station where you will find several restaurants.
3. Victoria and Albert Museum
Founded in 1852, this museum specializes in design and decoration. The first floor is dedicated to design and art from Europe, Japan, Korea, India and China. We can also see the fashion room, where we can find fashion spanning from Victorian dresses to the latest trends in the catwalk, in addition to a fabulous exhibition of the evolution of women’s underwear. Among other objects we can see: Islamic objects, Chinese porcelain, castings of plaster of the Victorian era, Italian Renaissance sculpture …. The Victoria and Albert Museum is located next to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10.00 am – 5.50 pm
- Underground Station: South Kensington
- Where to eat: Inside the museum there are various restaurants and cafes available, but we would also recommend the area around South Kensington’s underground station where you will find several restaurants.
4. Tate Modern
The Tate Modern is the world’s most famous contemporary art gallery and it is one of the most visited places in London. The fabulous views of London from the restaurant located on the seventh floor and the cafeteria on the fourth floor are also worth checking out. The Tate Modern is located on the Southbank, just accross the Millenium Bridge from St Paul’s Cathedral.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Sunday to Thursday: 10.00 am – 6 pm; Friday and Saturday: 10.00 am – 10:00 pm
- Underground Station: Southwark
- Where to eat: As mentioned above, inside the museum there is a cafe and a restaurant with fantastic views, but walking along Southbank you will also come accros many restaurants.
5. Tate Britain
Built in 1897, this museum houses a large collection of British art from centuries XVI to XX. The permanent collection follows a chronological order and features some of the major works of artists such as Gainsborough and Constable, as well as Rynolds, Blake, Stuubs and Hogarth among others. Free guided tours are offered every day, the first one of which starts at 1 o’clock, and the last one starting at 3 pm.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10.00 am – 6.00 pm and until 10 pm the first Friday of every month.
- Underground Station: Pimlico or Westminster
- Where to eat: Inside the Tate Britain you will find a cafe and a restaurant.
6. National Portrait Gallery
Excellent art gallery located in Trafalgar Square. Here you will find paintings by Caravaggio, Van Gogh, Bellini, Claude, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Gossaert, Velasquez, Monet, Van Dyck, Canaleto, Gainsborough, Rubens, Drouais, Ingres, Turner, Stubbs, Constable, Cézanne, Seurat, Leonardo da Vinci , Holbein, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Uccello … Don’t miss Shakespeare’s portrait by Chandos and the portrait of the queen by Andy Warhol.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10.00 am – 6.00 pm. Thursday and Fridays until 9 pm.
- Underground Station: Charing Cross
- Where to eat: Inside the National Gallery there is a restaurant with fantastic views over Trafalgar Square, but you obviously have Covent Garden and Soho a stone’s throw away for a great selection of restaurants.
7. British Museum
One of the best known Museums in London, this museum attracts more than 5 million visitors a year. It offers a stimulating tour of the world’s cultures, including galleries dedicated to Egypt, Greece, Africa, Italy, Etruscans, Romans, medieval antiquities … The Rossetta stone and Egyptian galleries cannot be missed.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10:00 am – 5:30 pm. Fridays opened until 8:30 pm.
- Underground Station: Tottenham Court Road
- Where to eat: Inside the museum you will find a restaurant and a cafe, but there are also several restaurants and pubs outside the museum, and you are also just minutes away from London’s popular area of Soho for a wide variety of restaurants.
8. London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum is one of the best museums in London to take the kids, as there is loads of interactive fun and things for them to see and do. It is located in Covent Garden, right in the center of the city. This is one of the few museums in London where you have to pay to enter, although those under 18 enter for free.
Visitor Information:
- Entry fee: Free for under 18 year olds. £17.50 adults.
- Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10:00 am – 6 pm.
- Nearest Underground Station: Covent Garden.
- Where to eat: Inside the museum you will find a cafe, but there are thousands of restaurants, pubs and cafes around Covent Garden.
⇒ Buy tickets online: London Transport Museum
9. Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is London’s Wax Museum, which is undoubtedly one of the most famous and most visited museums in London. It is over 200 years old, and it’s success eventually led to the creation of other wax museums around the world. Here you can find celebrity wax figures, no doubt highlighting the celebrities and sportsmen. It is located next to Regent’s Park, one of the London’s most beautiful parks.- Entry fee: Adults: £35.00; Children (3-15) £30.00.
- Opening times: Sunday to Wednesday 9 am – 5 pm. Thursdays to Saturdays 9 am – 6 pm.
- Nearest Underground Station: Baker Street
- Where to eat: Around Baker Street you’ll find a few restaurants and pubs.
⇒ Buy tickets online: Madame Tussauds
10. HMS Belfast
- Entry fee: Adults: £17.00; Children (5-15) £8.50.
- Opening times: 10am – 6pm every day (closed 24, 25 & 26 December)
- Nearest Underground Station: London Bridge
- Where to eat: Hay’s Galleria near London Bridge.
⇒ Buy tickets online: HMS Belfast
Other recommended Museums In London
Those are the museums that made it to our Top Ten Museums in London, but if you would like to explore a bit we would encourage you to also visit one of the following:
- Buckingham Palace
- Churchill War Rooms
- Imperial War Museum
- The Old Operating Theatre
- Sherlock Holmes Museum
- Museum of London
- Design Museum
- John Soane Museum