London is a fantastic city that has so many tourist attractions to offer, it seems that years are needed to see them all. From historical buildings to shopping streets, from green parks to the famous zoo, from grand theaters to popular studios, and from well-known restaurants to something new around the corner – sightseeing in London can be challenging. Additionally, no visit to London can be fulfilling without visiting its museums. There are more than 170 museums in London, and most of them are free. London museums will satisfy even the most discerning individuals as here you can find the largest collections of art in the world, secret underground trains, ancient Egyptian mummies, space modules, paintings, sculptures, and many more. The list below will help to choose what museums to visit in 2023:
The Natural History Museum is located in one of the most beautiful buildings in London and presents hundreds of interactive animated exhibits of dinosaurs, mammals, an unforgettable 30-meter model of a blue whale, and the skeleton of a giant diplodocus dinosaur.
The museum has 4 thematic zones.
Blue zone: dinosaurs, reptiles, marine life, mammals.
Green zone: birds, insects, plants.
Red zone: geology, volcanoes, earthquakes.
Orange Zone: Darwin Center and Wildlife Garden.
During the visit, you will see hundreds of fascinating samples and look into the laboratories where scientists work. In the Darwin Center, as well as in the High-Tech Studio, you can participate in discussions about science and nature.
2. Museum of London
Getting to know the history of the British capital and seeing how its appearance has changed from the times of the Roman Empire to the present day at the Museum of London is a perfect way to understand the challenging past of the city. The ancient Saxons, the stunning Middle Ages, the turbulent years of civil wars, the horrors of the plague and devastating fires – everything is reflected in the expositions. At the Gallery of Modern London, you can walk the streets of the Victorian city and admire the Lord Mayor’s magnificent carriage. Isn’t it perfect?
Museum of London
3. British Museum
Founded in 1British Museum753, this museum is one of the largest in the world. Its remarkable collection tells the history of mankind over a period of more than two million years. British Museum introduces the unique world-famous treasures gathered under one glass roof, among them are the well-known Parthenon sculptures, Rosetta Stone, and Egyptian mummies.
National Gallery
4. National Gallery
This gem is situated just right in the northern part of Trafalgar Square in London and is the third-largest museum of fine arts in the world. The National Gallery holds an enormous artwork collection of Western European painters from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among 2000 masterpieces you will find the works of Renoir, Van Gogh, Botticelli, Rembrandt, and many more.
5. Tate Modern
If you are a fan of art, your time in London would not be complete without a visit to the modernist and contemporary art gallery Tate Modern. Opened in 2000, the gallery exhibits artwork from all over the world, which is gracefully presented in the former Bankside Power Station on the banks of the Thames. Here you will see wonderful works by famous artists such as Cezanne, Bonnard, Matisse, Picasso, Rothko, Dali, Pollock, Warhol, and Bourgeois.
6. Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s largest art and design museum. It contains exhibits from over 5000 years of folk art, ceramics, jewelry, wallpapers, and fashion, and the collection is considered unsurpassed in its scope and diversity. In recent years, the Victoria and Albert Museum has carried out grandiose reconstructions of the medieval Renaissance galleries, the British Gallery, and Jewelry. The Museum offers permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, and a wide program of cultural events.
7. Science Museum
Have you ever seen a mill engine or a rocket? You can witness the outstanding achievements of human thought, creativity, and invention all in one place. This place is the London Museum of Science, incredibly popular in Europe among children and adults as it is possible to touch all 15,000 exhibits of the museum, such as Stephenson’s “Rocket” steam locomotive, Whittle’s jet engine, James Watt beam engine, and the Apollo 10 Command space module.
8. Royal Observatory Greenwich
The Greenwich meridian line (meridian zero) runs in a strip along with the paved courtyard of Greenwich Park. It crosses the axis of the transit instrument (an astronomical instrument that is used to determine the exact time and observe the right ascensions of stars), located here at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The line attracts visitors from all over the world who want to stand on both sides of the world at the same time.
Several museums are located in Greenwich Park at once: the Planetarium, the house museum of the royal astronomer John Flamsteed, and the Museum of Astronomical and Navigational Instruments. If you approach the statue of General Wolfe, you will see a beautiful panorama of London.
Don’t forget to take the photo with one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere and the other in the Western Hemisphere!
9. Churchill War Rooms
Discover the secrets hidden under the streets of Westminster! The underground bunker, where Winston Churchill served his duty during the Second World War opens the curtain to the hidden parts of London. Churchill War Rooms were turned into a museum, so visitors could walk into the rooms of the politician and see the furnishings of that time that are preserved: you can see his cigars, the famous butterfly with polka dots, read letters, and consider possible plans. Walking through the labyrinth of rooms and corridors that stretched out under London and sheltered Winston Churchill and his war cabinet from German bombing – is a must experience.
10. Jane Austen’s House Museum
If you like to get to know more about the life and creativity of famous personalities, then Jane Austen’s House Museum is a perfect place for you. The Museum in Hampshire is the only place where the writer lived and wrote that is now open to the public. She was inspired and created the most significant novels here, including Pride and Prejudice. The atmosphere of the everyday life of Jane Austen is all over here, filled with harmony and peace, the pleasant vibe created by her, and her personal belongings: piano, jewelry, furniture, dresses, and music books – are all preserved in the condition that the hostess left them.
11. Harry Potter Museum
There is a museum on the outskirts of London that opens a curtain to the mysterious world of Hogwarts and houses the original props from the filming of movies. In the Harry Potter Museum, visitors walk along with the Hogwarts Express carriages or along with the cabin of a three-decker bus, choose the “same” magic wand in a souvenir shop, and get acquainted with Professor Dumbledore in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Come and look into the mysterious “Forbidden Forest”, where mysterious creatures run in the dark in the rain. Many of your favorite book characters move, make sounds, and do magical things every day. Before Christmas, Hogwarts is covered with snow, the magical ceiling of the Great Hall is lit up with hundreds of candles, and the film characters are dressed up in festive robes – a magical scene.
12. London Transport Museum
Iconic London buses and cabs are well-known all over the world. There is no better place to see all the symbols of London transport than one place as the London Transport Museum. Here, thrifty Londoners have assembled public transport that once ran the streets of the city, but is now obsolete. Delve into the history of the creation of the subway, and look at the first carriages that cut across the paved ways through the ages. The wax figures, dressed in the fashion of the 19th century, have already taken their places and are ready to go!
13. The Chocolate Museum
This is an independent museum created by Isabelle Alaia, a French artisan chocolatier who created her Melange chocolate brand in the United Kingdom. It is located in the colorful vibrant Brixton area, on the historic Ferndale Road. In the Chocolate Museum, you can follow the whole transformation process of cocoa beans into a favorite delicacy, and learn the history of the product: from the ancient Mayans, with their ways of making chocolate, to the introduction of chocolate to Europe, where it evolved into its current form. There are tastings and workshops for making chocolate where adults and children can take part. Do you want to learn how to make popular chocolate bars with dried berries and fruits? Check out the Chocolate Museum in London!
14. Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising
Everything we buy every day has its own packaging, brand, and advertising. The Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising is a journey through consumer culture. In this museum, you can see the history and evolution of advertising and branding tendencies from Victorian times to the present day. The Museum of Brands, Packaging, and advertising is a kind of landmark where you can see what Coca-Cola looked like 30 years ago or find toilet paper with the image of Adolf Hitler. The unique collection consists of food products that have changed their appearance over time and those that have long disappeared from store shelves. The oldest pieces are over 200 years old.
15. The Postal Museum
This paradise for philatelists has a huge collection that tells stories about the formation and development of the English postal system and exhibits the requisites that have long gone down in history. The Postal Museum is all about lots of posters, city maps, postmen’s uniforms, unusual letters, and press boxes, and sorting mechanisms that attract visitors from all over the world.
16. National Maritime Museum
The collection of props relating to the maritime history of Great Britain includes maps, navigational instruments, paintings by marine painters, ship models, and much more. The highlight of the National Maritime Museum’s collection is Nelson’s ship in a bottle. Another attraction is the uniform of Nelson, who died of wounds after defeating Napoleon’s troops at the Battle of Trafalgar.
17. Whitechapel Gallery
The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the first publicly funded galleries for temporary exhibitions in London is already worth visiting for the architecture. And if you want to take a break from classical art, visit one of London’s first public galleries. Whitechapel Gallery specializes in masterpieces of contemporary art, and paintings by Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo were exhibited here at their time. The Whitechapel exhibits permanent collections and plays a unique role in the capital’s cultural landscape, also providing temporary presentations of artists of our times.
18. V&A Museum of Childhood
This place cannot be missed when you are in London with children or just simply want to feel the innocent joy of being a kid. In the V&A Museum of Childhood, young visitors take part in theatrical performances, study in art workshops, see interesting exhibitions and play in a large sandbox. If you are looking for enjoyment in London, you will surely find it here.
19. Bank of England Museum
Don’t miss the rich collection of gold and silver bars that you can touch. Coins and documents from the history of British banking are available at the Bank of England Museum. There are also many books, and a portfolio of banknotes, paintings, and sculptures collected over time.
20. Museum of The Home
Geffrye Museum has opened its doors for visitors under the new name, to provide a better understanding of the idea of “home” and present diverse lived experiences. The evolution of the English interior over the past 400 years, from the massive oak furniture of the early 17th century to the trendy loft of the late 20th century is presented in the Museum of The Home. 14 rooms, stylized for different historical periods, fully convey the spirit of different eras.
21. Design Museum
This London museum is a Mecca for designers and decorators who come here from all over Europe. This is the first museum of this kind in the world. The works of the best artists and designers of our time are exhibited in the Design Museum, and those that remain for the permanent exhibition are considered masterpieces. Fascinating installations of interior solutions for offices, cafes, and shops, as well as creative designs of shoes, clothing, and furniture – this place is devoted to contemporary design in every form.
22. Museum Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey or St. Peter’s Church is the main temple of the country with a thousand-year history. Coronations, burials, and marriage ceremonies of monarchs took place here. In the underground sacristy of the 11th century, the former monk’s dormitory, there is the Westminster Abbey museum with artifacts: frescoes of the 12th century, death masks, the throne of Queen Mary II, royal funerary statues, and other ancient relics related to the ruling dynasty.
23. Saatchi Gallery
Art dealer Charles Saatchi had collected an impressive collection of paintings and art objects by contemporary artists and decided that it was unfair to admire stunning exhibits alone and put them in the Saatchi Gallery. Masterpieces of conceptual art amaze visitors, but sometimes they also encourage philosophical reflection. Among the shocking installations are cutaway animals placed in formaldehyde and the artist’s head made of frozen blood.
24. The Sherlock Holmes Museum
The furnishings of the apartment are fully consistent with the description in the novel. The Sherlock Holmes Museum represents every detail of the everyday life of the famous character: there is a detective’s violin, a Turkish shoe with tobacco, a fireplace, a library, and newspapers from the 19th century. Climbing up to the 4th floor, you will see the wax heroes of Arthur Conan Doyle’s books.
25. Welcome Collection
It is a museum of the history of medicine, exploring the human body, and health. Welcome Collection portrays life on earth through striking artworks, historic artifacts, books, and antique medical exhibits, selected by a collector of the 19th century, Henry Wellcome, and through the current exhibitions, art, and results of modern research and life
London has so much to offer for tourists and also for locals. Travelers are charmed by the beauty of the city, but it is difficult to track all the places to see and memorize the locations to go to. For your convenience use the Framey app, which helps to find remarkable spots, visit interesting places, determine picturesque locations, and capture those precious moments. This is a revolutionary app that combines every step of a journey making it more convenient from dreaming, planning, and booking, to experiencing and sharing. Framey app allows you to scroll through beautiful photos and look for worldwide attractions and even better, find them on the map with the exact location. You can save your favorite attractions to the personalized folders and create collections of places to visit. Framey app makes it easier to plan your journey and turn your dreams into memorable journeys with great photos to share.
