Top 6 Free Museums to Visit in London

Top 6 Free Museums to Visit in London

London is rich in culture. With an abundance of libraries, shows and museums, the British capital is a constant source of inspiration and fun. But today I want to focus on one of these treats the city has to offer: its museums and galleries.

Amongst the many reasons why you should visit London’s museums – raining not being one of them – checking out in person the world’s best art should be on top of the list. Nowhere around the globe will you have access to such international collections. No wonder institutions like the British Museum are facing such controversy for what’s on display. Anyways, this is your opportunity to see with your own eyes years of history. Who knows if some items will be returned to their countries of origin and they won’t be displayed anymore.

In this article I am going to select the best London has to offer, for free. The admission to these collections won’t cost you anything, regardless of your age or where you’re from. So if you have a chance to visit all of them, please do, you’ll regret otherwise.

Which are the best free museum in London as of 2019? Continue reading to find out.

1. Museum of London

Lord Mayor’s Coach at the Museum of London by Tony Hisgett – Wikimedia Commons

The Museum of London, near St Paul’s and Barbican, has an extensive historic collection that goes from Prehistoric Britain to our present days. The rich amount of objects – more than 6 million – showcase London’s social history, culture and important events.

You probably think that a history museum can’t be fun. I’m here to tell you otherwise. The Museum of London is in fact so addictive that nobody leaves the facilities without having explored every part of it. Why? The layout of the museum is arranged chronologically and you’ll be exploring objects in historical order. Obviously it gets more and more exciting and the end – our present times – is oftentimes where visitors spend the longest. In my opinion, the Victorian Walk Gallery is the most delightful part of it.

The Museum of London was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya in 1976 and it’s part of the Barbican complex. However, in 2015, it was announced that the museum will change its premises to Smithfield Market. Designed by Horace Jones in 1868, Smithfield Market is going through extensive renovation and is planned to be completed in 2021.

OPENING TIMES: MON-SUN (10AM-6PM)
ADMISSION: FREE ADMISSION
ADDRESS: 150 LONDON WALL

2. The British Museum

The British Museum – Image sourced from Unsplash

The British Museum, the world’s first public museum, opened its doors in 1753. Contrary to other museums around Europe, it began as the collection of a scientist (and not that of a monarch). Montagu House, the original building of the museum, was located in the same place as the current building. As you can very well see, it has grown and grown.

What can you see at the British Museum? Astonishing objects from across the world that include Egyptian mummies dating to 3,400 BC, drawings from Sandro Botticelli (some of his paintings are at the National Gallery, also in this list) and Asian sculptures such as the one of Buddha from Burma from the 18th century – to name a few. 

It took me more than a week to visit every room at the British Museum so if you want to reduce the time and make the most out of it, stick to the highlights: The seven permanent Egyptian galleries, the department of Greece and Rome on the ground floor (Gallery 5 to Gallery 23) and the Middle East (including the Human Headed Winged Lions and reliefs from Nimrud). 

OPENING TIMES: MON-SUN (10AM-5.30PM), FRI (10AM-8.30PM)
ADMISSION: FREE ADMISSION
ADDRESS: GREAT RUSSELL ST

3. The National Gallery

The National Gallery by Diego Delso – Wikimedia Commons

The National Gallery is a shy museum, meaning that you’ll need to visit its corners over and over to slowly unveil what it has to offer. Hint: a lot. It’s worth doing your research before going as there are famous paintings to cater to all tastes. 

The collection includes over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Leonardo da Vinci? Yes. Velázquez? Yes. J. M. W. Turner? Yes. Van Gogh? Yes. The question is, what’s your main interest? What artists make you smile and think at the same time? What kind of art do you find most provoking? As I said before, check what you want to see or regret it until your next visit.

My personal recommendations are the Impressionists at the Courtauld Gallery (from Manet to Cézanne), British Landscape Painting (from Hogarth to Constable) and selected paintings like The Rokeby Venus (Velázquez), The Arnolfini Portrait (Jan van Eyck) and The Virgin of The Rocks (Leonardo da Vinci).

If you are open to be surprised or fancy a guided tour, the National Gallery offers superb tours that take place daily at 11.30am and 2.30pm. 

OPENING TIMES: MON-SUN (10AM-6PM), THU-FRI (10AM-9PM)
ADMISSION: FREE ADMISSION
ADDRESS: TRAFALGAR SQUARE (GOOGLE)

4. Victoria and Albert Museum

V&A Museum Library by Junho Jung – Wikimedia Commons

There are three museums around this area of South Kensington: The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Science Museum and The Natural History Museum. Of all three, the V&A is perhaps the most comprehensive and where everybody finds something interesting. Not everyone is into taxidermy and animals I must say… But if you have more time, I’d recommend visiting the three of them.

The V&A is a bit different than the previous museums of the list as it not only covers the history and social background of the items displayed, it also has a design focus. The decorative aspect of the collections is very delightful. Whilst you can admire old jewelry for its cultural significance, you can also appreciate the design, taste and fashion aspects at the same time.

The building itself is a gem of architecture. It was completed in 1909 by Aston Webb (also involved in the construction of Buckingham Palace) and got a new entrance by Amanda Levete Architects in 2017. A little secret spot within the museum is the library. It doesn’t open every day so it’s worth scheduling your visit on the days it is.

OPENING TIMES: MON-SUN (10AM-5.45PM) FRI (10AM-10PM)
ADMISSION: FREE ADMISSION
ADDRESS: CROMWELL RD, SW7 2RL (GOOGLE)

5. Tate Modern

Tate Modern – Image sourced from Unsplash

Tate is in fact a network of four art museums, of which two are in London: Tate Britain and the more recent Tate Modern. Whilst Tate Britain displays art from the 1500’s to the present day, Tate Modern focuses on contemporary art from the 1900’s to today.

Some of the artworks in the permanent collection include Cubist artists such as Braque and Gleizes. In addition, there are a couple of paintings by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee and Robert Delaunay – artists that are never accessible for free by the way, so take the opportunity to visit without paying a dime.

The impressive building, a former power station, was transformed in 2000 into a gallery by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. Later in 2016, the building got an extension – Switch House – also by Herzog & de Meuron. A fun fact I love about the new building is that the bricks are arranged in a way that it’s uncomfortable for pigeons to rest on them.

Besides the amazing art displays (don’t miss the current exhibition by Olafur Eliasson), the building itself is wonderful. Performances, late evenings on Fridays and the several open rooftops make Tate Modern a fun location to experience culture, take photographs of London’s skyline and have some food with views. 

OPENING TIMES: SUN-THU (10AM-6PM), FRI-SAT (10AM-10PM)
ADMISSION: FREE ADMISSION
ADDRESS: BANKSIDE, SE1 9TG (GOOGLE)

6.V&A Museum of Childhood

V&A Museum of Childhood by David – Wikimedia Commons

Whilst some of these wonderful museums on the list are children-friendly, I wanted to add one that is remarkable, especially for the little ones. The V&A Museum of Childhood was founded in 1872 as the Bethnal Green Museum and it became a branch of the V&A in 1974. After extensive refurbishment, the present building opened in 2006. The result is a beautiful brown building with patterned façades of red quartzite.

Amazing things you’ll find in this museum include a doll house dating back to 1673, vintage LEGOs and an Egyptian doll from 1300 BC.

If you’re still hungry for more, don’t miss the nearby Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History, probably London’s weirdest museum. My only tip, if you are indeed visiting with children, leave this one out the list. Amongst the items displayed you’ll find a 2-headed kitten and occult artwork.

OPENING TIMES: MON-SUN (10AM-5.45PM)
ADMISSION: FREE ADMISSION
ADDRESS: CAMBRIDGE HEATH RD, E2 9PA (GOOGLE)

I hope you enjoyed this list. Please let me know in the comments what were your favourite items on display on these museums.

New to London? Start with our list of Top 10 Things to Do in London.