London was first founded by the Romans and named Londinium around c43 AD making the city well over 2000 years old. History is everywhere you look in London but it is also home to some of the best museums in the world and many are free to enter! As Londoners, you are truly blessed by the amount of museums you can access.
Here are some of the top free museums but also places of great interest that do charge but they are always worth it.
Lots of museums have virtual tours on their websites so you can experience their treasures without being there in person. However, physically seeing history is always so much better!
Free museums in London:
The British Museum: located close to Russel Square and Kings Cross, the British Museum was first opened to the public in 1759. The museum is home to artefacts and treasures from all over the world including Egyptian mummies and Medieval chess boards. The main museum is free but on occasion there are specialist exhibitions that have a fee but are often well worth it.
The Museum of London: currently located at the Barbican until it moves to its new home at Smithfield, this museum spans London's history from pre-historic to the present day. I am particularity fond of the Roman and Medieval exhibition. Look out for the ruins of the old Roman wall that surrounded Londinium.
The Museum of London Docklands: located at West India Quay in the heart of London's historic docks, this museum explores the history of London's growth as a world economic power through trade. There is a very poignant exhibition on the Slave Trade.
The Imperial War Museum: Recently renovated this museum, located close to Lambeth North and Elephant & Castle, holds a large collection of objects and stories that tell the story of conflict and war. I personally think the exhibition on the First World War is excellent. The Holocaust exhibition was also excellent but is currently undergoing renovation.
The National Maritime Museum: Situated at the Naval College at Greenwich on the River Thames, this museum explores the development of Britain's naval past covering its trade links, slavery links and colonisation of Africa and the Far East. You can even see Lord Nelson's blood soaked stockings and waistcoat he wore at his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The National Gallery: The main art gallery in London full of works from some of the most famous artists of the last 600 years: Botticelli, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Holbein, Manet and many more.
The National Portrait Gallery: Also located next to Trafalgar Square and home to some very famous works of art including kings, queens and other famous Britons. My particular favourite is the Tudor gallery where you can see the original portraits of Henry VII, Henry VIIII and Elizabeth I.
The British Library: located next to St Pancras International. Although not a museum, the British Library does have a free exhibition which showcases some of the country's most priceless texts. Here you can see Gutenburg's first printed Bible and original Beatles' lyrics.
The National Army Museum: located in Chelsea, West London, the NAM is the leading authority on the history of the British army and its impact on society past and present.
The London Mithraeum : Located near Bank station, this was a Roman temple in Roman London. The Cult of Mithras was from the Middle East and made connections with star signs.
Museum of the Order of St John: Located near Farringdon, this was the English base of the Order of St John who were aided sick pilgrims in Jerusalem during the Crusades.
Other major museums in London (not free but most offer student discounts and well worth the visit).
The Tower of London: London's first major fortress first built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s it has been a royal palace, an armoury, a prison and is currently home to the crown jewels. Although pricey, the Yeoman guards within the Tower provide excellent free tours once inside.
Westminster Abbey: The heart of the British monarchy for over a thousand years, Westminster is steeped in history and is where every monarch has been crowned since 1066. It is the burial place of 17 monarchs and other famous Britons including Charles Dickens and Lord Byron.
The Churchill War Rooms: Walk the labyrinth of rooms and corridors that stretch below Westminster that sheltered Winston Churchill and his war cabinet from the German bombing raids.
HMS Belfast: Explore the inner depths of a Second World War battleship that saw active service, now moored on the River Thames. You can usually buy a discounted ticket that includes the HMS Belfast and the Churchill War Rooms.
London Transport Museum: Discover how public transport played a part in the development of London with a visit to the London Transport Museum. See the original artwork for Harry Beck’s Underground map, the world’s first Underground steam engine, old London Routemaster buses and more.
The Houses of Parliament: If you can get one, I highly recommend a tour of the Houses of Parliament, the centre of British democracy for hundreds of years.
Hampton Court Palace: The famous Tudor palace built by Cardinal Wolsey and given to Henry VIII.
Kensington Palace: A royal residence from the 1680s. Queen Victoria spent her childhood here.
Smaller/lesser known museums in London
Jewish Museum: Discover London’s rich Jewish culture, heritage and identity at the Camden-based Jewish Museum. Temporary exhibitions sit alongside permanent galleries on the Holocaust, Jewish ceremonial art and the history of Jewish life in Britain.
The Hunterian Museum: Currently closed until 2021 as it is being renovated, this quirky museum has a fascinating collection of human and non-human anatomical and pathological specimens, models, instruments, painting and sculptures.
The Postal Museum: Encounter the exciting history of Royal Mail and the postal service at the Postal Museum. For an extra thrill, take a ride on the Mail Rail, the subterranean train that ran from Whitechapel to Paddington and kept London’s communications flowing for more than 75 years.
Museum of Brands: Revisit your childhood through the packaging and adverts of decades gone by. The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising has more than 12,000 items, dating back as far as Victorian times, including sweets, household products and more.
London Guidhall: The Guildhall has been at the hub of City life since the Middle Ages. Here the ruling merchant class held court, fine-tuning the laws and regulations that established London's wealth. Built between 1411 and 1440, Guildhall was designed to reflect the power and prestige of London and its leaders. It now has an art gallery with a treasure trove of paintings spanning five centuries, but it also has a secret. During its renovation in 1985, developers discovered an underground Roman amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild animals once prowled and which you can now visit.
Bank of England Museum: A museum within the Bank of England that traces the history of the bank from its foundation by Royal Charter in 1694 to to its role today as the nation's central bank.
Royal Air Force Museum: Fly back in time and discover the history of aviation at the Royal Air Force Museum. Learn about the earliest balloon flight, see the impressive collection of more than 100 aircraft and test your pilot skills in a 4D flying experience.
Geffrye Museum: A quirky museum showcasing the changing style of the English domestic interior.
The Foundling Museum: Witness the touching story of the Foundling Hospital, the first home for abandoned babies in London, at the Foundling Museum. Alongside the children's scant belongings are moving tokens left by their mothers and artworks by the likes of Hogarth and Reynolds.
Sir John Soane's Museum: Explore Sir John Soane's Museum, the architect of the Bank of England's former home. The house, untouched for almost 180 years, contains some 30,000 architectural drawings, as well as antiquities, artworks by Hogarth and Turner, and the sarcophagus of King Seti I.
London Canal Museum: Step back in time to the days when London’s canals were bustling with traders, boat dwellers and cargo – and its streets full of the clip-clop of horses pulling the boats and carts. Located in a former ice warehouse, the London Canal Museum even has a preserved ice well inside.
The Old Operating Theatre Museum: Go back in time as this restored 19th-century operating theatre tells the story of surgery and herbal medicine from the 13th to 19th century. Housed on top of a church, The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret is home to fascinating (and slightly creepy!) furniture, surgical instruments and other pharmaceutical objects.
The Brunel Museum: On the site of the Thames Tunnel, The Brunel Museum showcases the work of famous engineers, Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Examine drawings, watercolours and engravings of the pioneering tunnelling project and even find artefacts from the Fancy Fairs which took place at that spot in the past.
The Cartoon Museum: Lover of illustrations? Pencil in a date with The Cartoon Museum which explores and preserves British cartoons, comics and animation. Discover a treasure trove of more than 6,000 original artworks and 8,000 books during your visit.
Dennis Severs' House: Dennis Severs’ House at 18 Folgate Street, Spitalfields is more than just a time capsule. It is both a breathtaking and an intimate portrait of the lives of a family of Huguenot silk-weavers from 1724 to the dawn of the 20th Century. As you follow their fortunes through the generations, the sights, smells and sounds of the house take you into their lives.
Eastbury Manor House: On your doorstep between Barking and Upney, Eastbury Manor House was built by Clement Sysley during the reign of Elizabeth I and is an excellent example of Elizabethan architecture.
Valence House: A manor house dating back from the 13th century. Valence House hosts a collection of local artefacts including the famous Dagenham Idol, thought to be the first human representation in the London area.