Maurice Follow
The National Gallery on Trafalgar square
London is full of wonderful, interesting and sometimes wacky museums. They hold some of the world’s finest art and artefacts. Even better is that most of them are free. Here’s 10 of the Best Museums in London as chosen by The London Economic’s Billy Ray.
The Best Museums in London? We think so, but visit them all and decide for yourself!
10. National Maritime Museum
By Sue Wallace at en.wikipedia [CC BY 2.0]
This free to enter museum contains a trove of artefacts and trinkets heavily tied to maritime history. It spans maritime knowledge from across history to bring a wealth of knowledge for all people to enjoy. One particular attraction for families is the Ahoy! gallery, which is a play area within the museum. The area consists of themed zones, including the deck of a ship, a beach area and a fish shop, all of which contain fun and games.
9.London transport museum
By User:Clithering CC-BY-SA-3.0
A museum dedicated to the transport of the past. Whilst this doesn’t sound that exciting on the face of it, the London transport museum doesn’t cease to bring the transport of the past to life. Not only does this museum cover the transport of London, but also educates visitors on the transport of new Dheli, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and New York. Entry is free for children, but adults must pay for theirs. However, the ticket carries over for a year, meaning there is no hurry to finish looking at all the exhibits.
8.Design Museum
Peter Trimming [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Now relocated at Kensington high street, the design museum is a treat to look at with curved ceilings and a myriad of contemporary design to gaze upon. The site is also free to enter, so you don’t have to worry about appreciating all the attractions in one visit.
7. Natural history museum
By InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles [CC BY-SA 2.0]
This museum boasts a selection of exhibits, aimed to educate people on the history of our world and the animals that lived within it. Attractions include skeletons of ancient dinosaurs and bones of a blue whale. Best of all, you can learn all about these wonders for free.
6. Science museum
By Geni, File:Science Museum – Transportation area.jpg by redjar [CC BY-SA 3.0]
If art and history aren’t for you, you may enjoy the science museum. One of the most popular parts of the museum is the IMAX cinema, which plays scientific documentaries and films. Tickets start at £9 for children and £11 for adults, making this an affordable trip for all the family.
5. Bank of England Museum
By Adrian Pingstone [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
This is another museum that might not immediately be on your bucket list. However, stepping into this museum, you will be blown away by the different banknotes and coins that have come into existence since the banks founding in 1694. As well as free entry, there is also a real bar of gold you can touch.
4. British Museum
By Ham (Own work) [GFDL – CC-BY-SA-3.0] via Wikimedia Commons
Since the museum opened in 1759, it has impressed many visitors with the weird and wonderful items on display. With free entry, many of the finds are from British explorers, who travelled parts of the world to bring back exquisite items for visitors to see.
3. National Gallery
Maurice Follow – The National Gallery on Trafalgar square
In the heart of Trafalgar Square, this art gallery holds over 2000 pieces from artists such as da Vinci, van Gough and more. The National Gallery is a great experience for people looking for inspiration or just to appreciate pieces of art from the past.
2. Victoria and Albert Museum
By Rept0n1x (Own work) [GFDL – CC BY-SA 3.0]
Founded in 1854, this museum is the largest in the world, holding over 4.5 million objects related to art and design. With free admission, this museum is the perfect destination for a day out.
1. Imperial war museum
TomasEE [CC BY 3.0]
A truly amazing place, this museum perfectly captures the grisly experiences of people during wars from World War 1 all the way up to modern day. One of the best attractions is the upsetting holocaust exhibit, which shows how scary World War 2 was for the average person.
Have we missed something off our Top 10 Best Museums in London? Please let us know and we’ll pay it a visit.
Ollie McAninch is a former public and private sector economist turned digital media pioneer. After working in the media for over a decade, he helped develop The London Economic to promote independent investigative journalism.
When he isn't contributing articles, Ollie spends the bulk of his time looking after animals, pressing apples and planting trees.
