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Monday 23 June 2014

The 20 Best London Museums

There are over 240 total museums in London. In an effort to help you narrow down your options, and as a part of updating our London Relocation Guide, we have compiled a list of the 20 best museums in the London area. We have also included information about a special deal for the Royal Palaces recommended by a FlatClub team member.


Free

The British Museum
On Great Russell Street in London, the British Museum is among the most comprehensive museums in existence dedicated to human history and culture and contains some 8 million works.

Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery housing the UK’s British art collection, ranging from 1500 to the present.

The National Gallery
One of the greatest collections of paintings in the world is housed in The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. There are over 2,300 paintings dated between the mid-13th century to 1900. See a Van Gogh or Dega in person.

The Museum of London
While in London, why not discover the history of London and its people? Located at the London Wall, see the story of London all the way back to prehistoric times.

The Science Museum
One of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, the Science Museum is a state-of-the-art, interactive museum that covers all areas of science and technology.

The Natural History Museum
Another major museum on Exhibition Road, and very popular with the children, the Natural History Museum houses life and earth science specimens which include some 70 million items.

The Albert & Victoria Museum
The third major museum on Exhibition Road, the V&A is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design. Its permanent collection contains 4.5 million objects.

The Royal Air Force Museum London
The RAF Museum is where you will find the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force, including a vast collection of airframes and artifacts from balloon flights to modern aircraft.

The Bank of England Museum
You will learn the history of the Bank of England, from the time it was founded in 1694 to how it operates in today’s economy as the central bank of the UK.

The National Maritime Museum
Possibly the largest museum of its kind, the National Maritime Museum holds more than 2 million items including maritime art, cartography, manuscripts, ship models, navigational instruments, and astronomy instruments.

The Royal London Hospital Museum
A small, but well-organized, museum that resides in the former Hospital Church. Many visit in order to see where the “Elephant Man” lived out his last few years. There are also sections on dentistry and London nurses, among others.

The Jewish Military Museum
The Jewish Military Museum displays artifacts from British Jews who served in the Armed Forces of the Crown. Exhibits include artifacts from the battles of Quebec, Trafalgar, and Waterloo, as well as both World Wars and the Crimean and Boer wars.

Bruce Castle Museum 
Bruce Castle is a 16th century manor house and contains the history and archives of the London Borough of Haringey. William Compton, a member of Henry VIII’s court, built the oldest surviving parts of the building.

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry
The Library and Museum of Freemasonry contains a collection of many artifacts with Masonic decoration. The museum explains some of the Freemason symbolism, charities, dining habits, and activity abroad and during wartime.

The Imperial War Museum
The Imperial War Museum covers the stories of people who were impacted by conflict from the First World War up through the present. There are exhibits such as The Trench Experience and the Holocaust Exhibition.

Deals

Annual Membership to the 5 Historic Royal Palaces
£45 will get you entrance to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, and Kew Palace*, as well as a free copy of the book “The Private Life of Palaces.” If you are in London for a week or more, this is a great deal for seeing as many paid royal attractions as possible.
*To get into Kew Palace, you must purchase a ticket into Kew Gardens as they are owned by a different organization than the Palace

Paid
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Price: £10 per adult, £8 per child
In the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson lived at 221b Baker Street between 1881 and 1904. The first floor study overlooking Baker Street is maintained as it was kept in Victorian Times.

London Design Museum
Price: £10.75 per adult 
Right on the Thames, the Design Museum has exhibits on fashion, architecture, furniture, graphic, product, transport, and digital design.

London Transport Museum 
Price: £13.50 per adult 
Modern London and its growth is correlated to the development of London transportation, and has been since 1800. See the world’s first Underground steam train and the iconic red London bus.

Churchill’s War Rooms
Price: £17.50 per adult 
You can go underground and explore Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms, winding through the maze of bunker rooms that were once filled with people making strategies and keeping war secrets.

Madame Tussaud’s
Price: £22.50 per adult in advance, £19.29 per child in advance
The famous wax museum displays historical figures or famous people in any field (politicians, entertainers, etc.) to illustrate what they looked like and what they did, using wax dolls that are displayed at the museum.