The British Museum – This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London with millions of people visiting the museum each year. It is located on the Great Russell Street, London, WC1 and you can reach it by taking the Tube to Russell Square. You will find almost everything under one roof starting with collections from Egypt, Greek and Roman art, China, old Mesopotamia, Antiques, coins and medals, Prints and drawings, Renaissance and Anglo-Saxon Britain, etc. The sheer size of the museum (2,5 miles of galleries) suggests to you, to wear a good pair of walking shoes and be prepared to spend most of the day there. Whatever your cup of tea is you will have a memorable day out. Open from: Mon-sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-6pm. Tel: 0207 323 8000.
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms – Visit the highly interactive and innovative Churchill Museum, the world’s first major museum dedicated to life of the ‘greatest Briton’, plus the secret underground headquarters that were the nerve centre of Britain’s war effort. Situated at Clive Steps, King Charles Street London, SW1A 2AQ. Tel: 020 7930 6961. Textphone: 020 7839 4906.
The Clockmaker`s Museum – It is to be found at Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury, London EC2P 2EJ and is open from Monday to Friday (except public holidays) from 9.30am until 4.30pm. Entry is free, via the historic Guildhall Yard. Its collection is the property of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers and is run by its educational charity. It was founded in 1813 and has been open to the public since 1873. The museum has recently been entirely reconstructed to tell the story of the “Clockmakers of London”. It is a priceless collection of clocks, watches, portraits and tools. The most famous single item is John Harrison’s 5th Marine Timekeeper, familiar to visitors from around the world because of Dava Sobel’s astonishingly successful book, “Longitude”. Around Guildhall Yard is grouped the Clock Museum, Guildhall Library (which holds regular temporary exhibitions), the Mediaeval Guildhall and its crypt, Guildhall Art Gallery, the recently discovered east gate to the Roman Amphitheatre and the Wren church of St. Lawrence Jewry, so there is much to see in the immediate vicinity. Map
The Design Museum – Luke Hayes, Design Museum, Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD, 10.00-17.45 daily, T: 0870 833 9955, www.designmuseum.orgThe stylish white edifice is the perfect showcase for an unpretentious display of design products ranging from classic cars to home utensils. Whilst first floor `Review Gallery` acts as a host for new ideas and temporary exhibitions, the top floor `Collections Gallery` is constantly evolving. To replenish your body energy please go to Conran restaurant located on top floor. Shad Thames, London SE1, Tower Hill or Bermondsey tube station.
The Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum – Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich tells the powerful and dramatic story of artillery, scientific discoveries made through warfare and human stories of courage and endeavour. The ‘ground shaking’ Field of Fire audio-visual show puts you in the midst of battle as shells whiz overhead and guns roar.
The Florence Nightingale Museum – Florence Nightingale was a legend in her lifetime but the Crimean War years which made her famous were just two out of a life of ninety years. If you want to find out more than please visit this museum.
The Foundling Museum – This museum tells the story of the 18th Century Foundling Hospital, and of its Founders and Governors: the campaigning philanthropist Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and the composer George Frideric Handel. A significant collection of works by the hospital’s early artist supporters including Gainsborough and Reynolds are displayed in interiors preserved from the original Foundling Hospital. The Foundling Hospital was established at a time when there was scant provision for society’s vulnerable. The Museum traces the history of London’s first children’s charity and features many poignant objects of social history including personal mementoes left by mothers with their infants as means of their identification. The Museum’s top floor houses the Gerald Coke Handel Collection, one of the most important collections of memorabilia relating to the composer, who himself was a Governor of the Foundling Hospital.
The Geffrye Museum – This museum presents the changing style of English middle-class interiors from 1600 to the present day through a series of period rooms. It is set in elegant 18th- century almshouses with attractive gardens, including an award-winning herb garden and a series of period gardens (open Apr to Oct). An imaginative education programme for children, families and adults is run throughout the year. Open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm, and Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from Noon – 5.00pm. Free Admission. Tel: 020 7739 9893.
The Handel House Museum – The great baroque composer George Frideric Handel lived at 25 Brook Street from 1723 until his death in 1759. Here he composed famous works such as ‘Messiah’, ‘Zadok the Priest’ and ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’. Today Handel House Museum is a beautifully restored historic house, live music venue and museum offering an insight into Handel’s life, 18th-century music and culture. Throughout the House, paintings and prints of Handel and his contemporaries provide a backdrop to Handel’s life in London. Today, the House is alive with music as it was during Handel’s residence, a special experience for all visitors. There are weekly Thursday evening recitals, events at the weekend and family trails, quizzes and activities. Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Thursday 10am – 8pm; Sunday 12pm – 6pm (last admission half an hour before closing) Admission prices: £5 adult, £4.50 concession; £2 child or FREE on Saturdays. Handel House Museum, 25 Brook Street, London, W1K (entrance around the back in Lancashire Court).
The Horniman Museum – Conveniently located, a 13-minute train ride from London Bridge station to Forest Hill is followed by a five-minute walk to the Museum. Also, there is now direct access to the beautiful gardens via a new main entrance – the 16 acres host events throughout the year and have spectacular views over the London skyline. On entering the development, which doubles the existing public space of the museum, you are struck by a feeling of light and space. This now serves as the main entrance, with a wonderful café with barrel vaulted ceiling echoing the original building, and a brand new shop. At the heart of the new building is the central orientation area – ‘Gallery Square’. A balcony overlooks the lower ground floor, and from here visitors can access any part of the Horniman. An expanse of glass on one side forms a magnificent picture window and offers views onto Frederick Horniman’s 1894 conservatory (Grade ii listed), and the Gardens. Also on this level is the Museum’s new education centre which can be configured to accommodate a classroom, a craft space and lunch area for schools, as well as evening classes for adults. Around the balcony is the new “Hands on Base”, housing the Museum’s prestigious handling collection. Comprising 3,700 objects, especially procured to represent the Museum’s three main collections of music instruments, natural history and ethnography, the collection has become an important learning tool for the Horniman’s diverse visitor mix including families and community groups, highlighting the many environments and cultures represented by the Museum’s varied collections.
The Imperial War Museum – Based in south London with connection of Elephant & Castle, Lambeth North or Waterloo tube line it holds a variety of militaristic display of weapons. From the trenches of WWI and Blitz campaign on London it will try to represent statistics of war and casualties of such things. There is a section of Secret War Gallery that is not so enlightening. Interesting thing about this museum is that the building itself was until 1930 a lunatic asylum that confined Charlie Chaplin`s mother. Open from: daily 10am-6pm.Tel: 0207 416 5000.
Kew Bridge Steam Museum – Built in the 19th century to supply London with water, the museum is recognised as the most important historic site of the water supply industry in Britain. This museum contains the world’s largest collection of steam pumping engines, many of which you can see working every weekend. The museum is open from 11.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. They are closed on Mondays, except Bank Holidays. Last admission at 4.15pm.
The London Motor Museum – Featuring a showroom full of classic cars from the 1950s to the present day the London Motor Museum charts the recent history of the moving vehicle. Cars include pimped up rides from the States and luxury brands from Europe. A Louis Vuitton Cadillac Deville is parked up alongside a Lincoln Continental Lowrider and there are plenty of deluxe names like Aston Martin, Ferrari and Jaguar. If you book in advance you can even have a ride in a pink Cadillac or a Pontiac 79 Trans Am muscle car. London Motor Museum, 3 Nestles Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 4SB. Tel: 0800 195 0777. www.londonmotormuseum.co.uk
The London Transport Museum – Makes an interesting place to visit and compare transport from the past and learn facts about today’s speed of travel in central London that is only 10 miles per hour. That alone tells you about congestion we experience on daily basis travelling trough London. Plenty of old trains, trams and buses make this exhibition and for those with children there is a chance to hop on and off some buses. Open from: Mon-Thurs, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm, Fri 11am-6pm. Tel: 0207 836 8557.
The Museum in Docklands – London’s newest museum unlocks the history of London’s river, port and people in an early nineteenth century warehouse at West India Quay. Originally used to house imports of exotic spices, rum and cotton, it now holds a wealth of objects from enormous whale bones to WWII gas masks, which provide glimpses of lost and almost forgotten worlds. Here you can encounter the wide array of people that have come and gone from the Docks over the last 2000 years, from its Roman founders to Viking invaders and from gentleman pirates to today’s city workers. The state of the art galleries include a dedicated space for children, called the Mudlarks Gallery. This fully interactive play and learning area introduces kids between 5 and 12 to the history of Docklands. They can winch and weigh cargoes, get a divers eye view of work under water, balance the cargo in the hold of a nineteenth century clipper, and discover archaeological finds in the foreshore discovery box. Museum of Docklands is located at No. 1 Warehouse West India Quay, Hertsmere Road E14. Travel by DLR to West India Quay. Children go free.
The Museum of Childhood Bethnal Green – The Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green contains one of the largest and oldest collections of toys and childhood artefacts in the world. As well as its permanent displays, the Museum has temporary exhibitions, gallery play areas and every weekend, has art activities V&A Museum of Childhood Memoriesfor children aged 5+ and soft play for under fives, with additional activities during school holidays. It also has a souvenir shop, a café, children’s birthday party and corporate hire facilities, and a garden with picnic tables. The collection, which dates from the sixteenth century to the present day is permanently on display to visitors, comprises dolls, dolls’ houses, teddy bears, toy soldiers, train sets, model cars, puppets, rocking horses, board games, and some of the very first jigsaw puzzles ever made. In addition to its toys, the Museum houses the national collection of children’s costume. The upper gallery is devoted to the theme of growing up through the ages. With its unique display of baby equipment, nursery furniture and children’s costume, the gallery explores the experience of childhood, from birth to adolescence. Open: 10.00 – 17.50. Closed: Fridays, 24 – 26 December and 1 January. Admission free. Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA.
The Museum of Garden History – Situated in the restored church of St. Mary-at-Lambeth, adjacent to Lambeth Palace on the banks of the River Thames, the Museum of Garden History provides an insight into the history and development of gardens and gardening in the UK, an important facet in our social history. The Museum houses one of the finest public displays of garden tools and garden related artefacts and curiosities in the country, as well as an intriguing collection of garden related ephemera. In addition, a beautiful reproduction 17th century knot garden filled with flowers and shrubs of the period has been created in the graveyard around the tombs of the famous 17th century plant hunters, the John Tradescants, father and son, and Captain William Bligh of the ‘Bounty’ Opening times: Open Daily 10.30am – 5.00pm (short closed period over Christmas and New Year, contact the Museum for details). Admission rates: Suggested donation Adults £3.00, Concessions £2.50 (Gift shop and café free). Facilities: Café, Gift shop, Toilets, Full disabled access, Library (by appointment only). Nearest tube: Lambeth North, Westminster or Waterloo.
The Museum of London – Can be found near City of London (also called Square Mile because of its size and it’s a place where Big Boys operate). Nearest Tube stations are St.Paul`s or Barbican. Its name says it all, and this museum will try to walk you through different eras of life of London. Roman relics are most impressive and they start on your entering of the museum. Ages before and after Great Fire of London are included as well as Georgian and Victorian London with articles of the early twentieth century till present times. The real treasure of Museum of London is though in exhibitions, lectures, walks and videos that are being held and organised throughout the year. Open from: Tues-Sat 10am-5:50pm, Sun noon-5:50pm. Tel: 0207 600 3699.
The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising – The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising is the result of consumer historian, Robert Opie, who saw the need to record the history of the products around us. Starting at the age of sixteen with a packet of Munchies, the Collection now extends to all aspects of daily life – toys, comics, magazines, newspapers, technology, travel, royal souvenirs, fashion and design. Robert says, ‘Whilst families tend to save mementoes from special occasions, it struck me that little was being done to keep the everyday material. When the thousands of pieces of this social history are assembled into some giant jigsaw, the picture becomes clearer as to the remarkable journey we have all come through’.
The Natural History Museum – Based in South Kensington near Hyde Park this museum is our favourite. T-Rex, click for larger imageThe entrance is in Exhibition Road, same as for Science Museum and please beware there is a great possibility of queues so nice, comfortable shoes are a MUST. Skeletons of reptiles are very good and a display of T-Rex excellent. Sabre-tooth tiger and carnivorous reptiles are sights to be seen. We can`t give enough praises to curators who have organised such a majestical show. Insect room is definitely not for people easily scared with bugs and arachnids. Here you will find real life exhibits, like life cycle of housefly. Ecology gallery, Mammals gallery, Mineral Gallery and Earth’s gallery that holds a 17-carat diamond and an emerald the size of lemon just call out to you. At the end you will be presented with Earth Today and Tomorrow where you can see what we as a human beings are doing to this planet. Pollution and destruction of Mother Earth are shown here. Open from: Mon-Sat 10am-5:50pm, Sun 11am-5:50pm. Tel: 0207 942 5000.
Going south-east to Greenwich or Maze Hill train station you would come upon the National Maritime Museum. Millions of pounds have been spent in redevelopment programme in preparation of Millennium celebrations. There is the sight of a 63-foot Royal Barge and Admiral Nelsons Gallery with his memorabilia. There is fun to be had for a younger audience in All Hands section and for more mature to take chance to steer a ship out of harbour on a computer-simulated deck. Open from: daily 10am-5pm. Tel: 0208 858 4422.
The RAF Museum – This one is on another side of town and nearest tube station is Colindale. RAF museum exhibitMind you, you will have a fair walk after station so if you are elderly or can’t walk try taking local Minicab or hail a Black-cab from the street. Models of planes are waiting for you and if you have children with you there is a Fun `n` Flight gallery where you can have a bit of fun. Open from: daily 10am-6pm. Tel: 0208 205 2266.
The Science Museum – close to South Kensington tube. Seven floors filled with items drawn from every area of science, including space travel, computing, chemistry, medicine and photography. Interactive displays you can find there are a pleasant change in the life of the museums. If you have a specific interest in any of the fields we have mentioned you can get a guided tour from people in museum. Definitely one of the best museums in London. Open from: daily 10am-6pm. Tel: 0207 938 8123.
The Sir John Soane’s Museum – The architect Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a public museum since the early 19th century. On his appointment as Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy in 1806 Soane began to arrange the Books, casts and models in order that the students might have the benefit of easy access to them. In 1833 Soane negotiated an Act of Parliament to settle and preserve the house and collection for the benefit of ‘amateurs and students’ in architecture, painting and sculpture.
The Victoria & Albert Museum – This is a home of applied arts. Due to the sheer variety and scale of exhibits there is bound to be something to grab your attention. The world`s largest collection of Indian art outside India, Chinese, Islamic, Japanese and Korean galleries, more Constable paintings than the Tate; seven Raphael masterpieces and sizable collection of miniatures, watercolours and medieval and Renaissance sculpture, plus many other things. Located near South Kensington tube station, at Cromwell road, SW7. Tel: 0207 942 2000.
The Wallace Collection – The Wallace Collection is both a national museum and the finest private collection of art ever assembled by one family. It was bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, widow of Sir Richard Wallace, in 1897, and opened to the public just over three years later on 22 June 1900. Its first visitors were variously delighted, amazed and bemused. Among its treasures are one of the best collections of French 18th-century pictures, porcelain and furniture in the world, a remarkable array of 17th-century paintings and a superb armoury. The Wallace Collection is located at Hertford House, Manchester Square. Opening hours – Daily 10.00am until 5.00pm (Sundays 12.00pm until 5.00pm). Tel: 0207 563 9500.
