British Museum

Founded in 1753 by Act of Parliament, from the collections of Sir Hans Sloane, the British Museum is one of the great museums of the world, showing the works of man from prehistoric to modern times with collections drawn from the whole world. Famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, the Sutton Hoo and Mildenhall treasures and the Portland Vase. There is also a programme of special exhibitions and daily gallery tours, talks and guided tours.

Related Categories

Opening times:	General open hours are from 9.00-17.30. There are different openings for galleries and reading rooms Entrance for museum is free, charges for events/exhibitions
Catering	Bar Food shop
Provider facilities	Cater for individuals
Booking and payment details	Free Solo accepted Maestro accepted
Accessibility	Ramp/level access

The world under one roof, the greatest museum on the planet. Be you in London for an hour, a day or a lifetime it is your duty to visit.

One of the world's oldest and finest museums started as royal physician Hans Sloane's 'cabinet of curiosities' - which he later bequeathed to the country - and carried on expanding its collection (which now numbers some seven million items) through judicious acquisition and the controversial plundering of empire. It's an exhaustive and exhilarating stampede through world cultures There are galleries devoted to Egypt, Western Asia, Greece, the Orient, Africa, Italy, the Etruscans, the Romans, prehistoric and Roman Britain and medieval antiquities.The museum is massive, so make a few focused visits if you have plenty of time, and consider the choice of tours. There are nine free 50-minute eyeOpener tours of individual galleries throughout the day, and 20-minute eyeOpener spotlight talks daily at 13:15 focusing on different themes from the collection. Ninety-minute highlights tours (adult/concession 8/5) leave at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00 daily. If you want to go it alone there is a series of audio tours (4) available at the information desk, including a family-oriented one narrated by comedian, writer and TV presenter Stephen Fry. One specific to the Parthenon Sculptures (aka the Parthenon Marbles or Elgin Marbles) is available in that gallery. You could also check out Compass, a multimedia public access system with 50 computer terminals that lets you take a virtual tour of the museum, plan your own circuit or get information on specific exhibits.

Traveller Rating:

Based on 39 reviews

Ranked #11

Latest 5 reviews of British Museum

Unbelievable collection

"To the victor go the spoils." This phrase comes to mind when looking at the vast and amazing collections at this museum. While enjoying the priviledge of viewing so many historic icons, one can't...

"To the victor go the spoils." This phrase comes to mind when looking at the vast and amazing collections at this museum. While enjoying the priviledge of viewing so many historic icons, one can't help but wonder if perhaps there are some lingering animosities around the globe over the opulent foreign treasures stored here. That said, it really is awesome and I'm so glad that I went. It is quite big, so you may want to prioritize. The Eqyptian and Greek collections are huge. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone.

26 May 2008

by payingitforward1, Ontario

Try the Highlights Tour

I have been to the British Museum many times, but this time (April,2008), I took the highlights tour at 10:30 on a Sunday morning. It was a real eye-opener, and an excellent way of spending an hour and a half exploring the museum with a knowledgeable guide. I booked online for STG. 8 (which I thought was very reasonable), and picked the tickets up at the tickets desk on the day.

The group was small (about 9 people), and the tour covered many civilizations, from the Egyptian, to the Roman, the Assyrians, the Greeks, etc. Many interesrting facts were pointed out that would have probably slipped unnoticed by the casual visitor.

I highly recommend this tour for someone who would like to visit the BM and has only a short time to do so.

28 April 2008

by sky4700, Brussels

Why not #1?

It's hard to argue against this being the top attraction in London. It's literally a library of the world's civilizations. While displays could be nicer, organization better, this improved or that...

It's hard to argue against this being the top attraction in London. It's literally a library of the world's civilizations. While displays could be nicer, organization better, this improved or that, there's no escaping the fact that the collection is incredible. Almost all historic sites that I've visited somehow complain that a treasure is in the British Museum. Disregarding the morals/ethics/whathaveyou of that statement, I've found that to be a great reason to visit the museum.

18 April 2008

by lsabow, Chicago, Illinois

A day in the one of the world's greatest museums

You need an entire day to get an idea (just an idea, mind you...you need more than a day to fully grasp it) of the magnificence of the British Museum and the history within its walls. I only spent a few hours, yet I remember each gallery I passed through. When you get to the Great Court, take a few minutes to look up at the ceiling...its beautiful. There are free maps in the Great Court, get one, and start planning your way through. You can go era by era or floor by floor, whichever you think would be most pleasing for you. As I had to leave for my flight soon, I spent most of my time in the Ancient Greece and Rome Gallery, which interested me the most. You'd be greeted by the Rosetta Stone at the entrance of the gallery. I also saw the Elgin marbles and a lot of monuments. I also decided to get a glimpse of the Egyptian collection, walked by a huge sculpture of the head of Rameses II, and went inside the room where the mummies were.

All in all, if you are a history and art buff, you MUST visit the British Museum. And the best part is, its free! Or even if you aren't a history or art buff, you can just get a cup of coffee or a plate of treats inside and bask in the huge sense of history around you.

15 April 2008

by mayfsi, Philippines

Selecting a cafe when visiting British Museum

As a avid museum goer I would rate British Museum as big or huge (albeit with nice architecture) You can spend a lot of time at the BM and YOU will become hungry or pekish and you have many...

As a avid museum goer I would rate British Museum as big or huge (albeit with nice architecture)

You can spend a lot of time at the BM and YOU will become hungry or pekish and you have many choices I will give you two tips for how you should spend your quids in that case.

1) On the inside - The cafe/restaurant at the top floor of BM - go there for afternoon tea, order champagne and tea and just relax from the hustle and bustle of the museum.

2) On the outside - The cameracafe on Museum street 44

It is almost always empty its kinda quirky, cosy and with excellent choices and very personal service.

You'll find their website at-> http://www.cameracafe.co.uk/

and they do have wifi and where else do you get your camera questions answered while you order your latte? It's a unique place indeed!

17 March 2008

by rolf_the_viking, Stockholm, Sweden

Are you a representative of British Museum?
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Location Information British Museum

Address:	Great Russell Street, London London WC1B 3DG
Telephone:	+44 (0)20 7323 8181
Fax:	+44 (0)20 7323 8616
Email:	visitorinformation@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Website:	www.britishmuseum.org
Public transport:	Tube: Tottenham Court Road, Holborn and Russell Square.