British Museum
Bloomsbury, Great Russell Street · Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery
World-renowned collection of human history and culture spanning two million years.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
London Museums: Tickets, Prices And The Ones Worth Your Time
Of the 48 museums in this guide, 20 cost nothing to enter, including the British Museum, Tate Modern and the National Gallery. The other 28 charge, from £24 to £37. Here is what is free, what is not, and what is worth paying for.
Which London Museums Are Free, And What Still Costs Money
Twenty of the 48 museums listed here are free to enter, permanently, with no catches. That includes the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the V&A, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the National Maritime Museum and the Wallace Collection. What still costs money inside them is the temporary exhibitions, which usually sell separately and often sell out.
Natural History Museum
South Kensington, Cromwell Road · Hope the blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall
Vast collection of natural specimens including dinosaurs, mammals, and minerals.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
National Gallery
Westminster, Trafalgar Square · Van Gogh's Sunflowers
National collection of Western European paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Tate Modern
Bankside, Bankside · Turbine Hall installations
Major collection of modern and contemporary art in a former power station.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
V&A
South Kensington, Cromwell Road · Cast Courts with plaster casts of Trajan's Column
World's largest museum of applied arts, design, and decorative arts.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
National Portrait Gallery
Westminster, St Martin's Place · Tudor portraits
Portraits of historically important and famous British people.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Tate Britain
Millbank, Millbank · Turner collection in the Clore Gallery
British art from 1500 to the present, including Turner collection.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Bank of England Museum
City of London, Threadneedle Street · Gold bars and historic banknotes
History of the Bank of England and British currency.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Design Museum
Kensington, Kensington High Street · Geometric glass facade and temporary design shows
Contemporary design, architecture, and innovation exhibitions.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Horniman Museum
Forest Hill, London Road · Aquarium and gardens
Natural history, anthropology, and music collections with gardens.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Hunterian Museum
Lincoln's Inn Fields · John Hunter's 18th-century anatomical collection (reopened 2023).
Anatomical and surgical specimens collection at Royal College of Surgeons.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Imperial War Museum
Lambeth, Lambeth Road · Atrium with suspended aircraft and tanks
History of modern conflict, especially the two World Wars.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Kenwood House
Hampstead · Rembrandt self-portrait and Vermeer in English Heritage care.
18th-century stately home with Robert Adam interiors and Old Masters.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
London Museum Docklands
Canary Wharf, West India Quay · Sailortown recreation and Thames finds
London's port and trading history in a historic warehouse.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich, Romney Road · Ship models and maritime art
Britain's seafaring history, ships, and navigation.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Queen's House
Greenwich · First classical building in Britain; Armada Portrait.
Inigo Jones classical villa with art collection and Tulip Stairs.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
RAF Museum
Colindale, Grahame Park Way · Iconic aircraft in hangars
Aviation history with historic aircraft and RAF stories.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Science Museum
South Kensington, Exhibition Road · Apollo 10 command module
Interactive exhibits on science, technology, and innovation from steam to space.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Sir John Soane's Museum
Holborn, Lincoln's Inn Fields · Sarcophagus of Seti I in the basement
Eccentric Georgian architect's house-museum with eclectic collections.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Wallace Collection
Marylebone, Manchester Square · Arms and armour collection
Fine and decorative arts in a historic townhouse.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Start Here: The London Museums Worth Your First Day
The museums that charge do so because they hold something the free ones cannot: the Crown Jewels, a royal palace, a wartime bunker. The Tower of London costs £37, Windsor Castle £32, the Churchill War Rooms £34, Hampton Court Palace £29. These are the ones where booking ahead genuinely helps, both on price and on skipping the queue.
Freud Museum
Hampstead · Iconic psychoanalytic couch and Anna Freud's contributions.
Sigmund Freud's final home with study, couch, and antiquities collection.
from $20.18per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Museum of Brands
Notting Hill, Colville Mews · Time Tunnel of branded products
History of consumer culture through packaging and advertising.
from $18.97per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
National Portrait Gallery
Westminster, St Martin's Place · Tudor portraits
Portraits of historically important and famous British people.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Baker Street · Victorian detective's study and artefacts.
Re-creation of 221B Baker Street with Holmes memorabilia.
from $27.09per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Moco Museum
Marble Arch · Immersive digital and street art experiences.
Modern and contemporary art with Banksy, Basquiat, Warhol, Kusama.
from $31.02per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Cutty Sark
Greenwich, King William Walk · The ship itself with restored hull
Historic tea clipper ship preserved as a museum.
from $29.80per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Postal Museum
Bloomsbury, Phoenix Place · Mail Rail underground ride
History of the postal service with Mail Rail ride.
from $27.77per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Churchill War Rooms
Westminster, Clive Steps · Preserved Map Room
Underground WWII bunker used by Churchill and the War Cabinet.
from $46.06per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Courtauld Gallery
Somerset House · Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin masterpieces.
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in Somerset House.
from $18.97per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Tower of London
Tower Hamlets, Tower Hill · Crown Jewels exhibition
Historic castle and royal palace with Crown Jewels and Beefeaters.
from $79.93per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Painted Hall
Greenwich · Europe's finest Baroque interior.
Baroque masterpiece at Old Royal Naval College with ceiling murals.
from $23.71per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Tate Modern
Bankside, Bankside · Turbine Hall installations
Major collection of modern and contemporary art in a former power station.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
British Museum
Bloomsbury, Great Russell Street · Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery
World-renowned collection of human history and culture spanning two million years.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Kensington Palace
Kensington · Childhood home of Queen Victoria; former residence of Princess Diana.
Historic Royal Palaces site with State Apartments, gardens, and royal history exhibitions.
from $88.05per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Natural History Museum
South Kensington, Cromwell Road · Hope the blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall
Vast collection of natural specimens including dinosaurs, mammals, and minerals.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Madame Tussauds
Marylebone, Marylebone Road · Lifelike wax figures in themed rooms
Wax figures of celebrities, historical figures, and icons.
Check latest prices Check availability →
National Gallery
Westminster, Trafalgar Square · Van Gogh's Sunflowers
National collection of Western European paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
V&A
South Kensington, Cromwell Road · Cast Courts with plaster casts of Trajan's Column
World's largest museum of applied arts, design, and decorative arts.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Browse London Museums By Theme
Not everyone browses alphabetically. Some visitors want art, others want tanks, ships or surgery. The theme pages group all 48 museums by subject so a military obsessive or a design obsessive can go straight to what they care about.
Compare Every London Museum: Area, Price And Rating
One table, all 48 museums, sortable by area, price and rating. Because 20 of the 48 cost nothing, the price column shows free as free rather than as a number, which keeps the paid ones honest in comparison. Sort by area to build a day around South Kensington, or by price to build one around nothing.
| Museum of Brands | Time Tunnel of branded products | Notting Hill | $18.97 | ★ 4.8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Portrait Gallery | Tudor portraits | Westminster | Free | Free entry |
| Freud Museum | Iconic psychoanalytic couch and Anna Freud's contributions. | Hampstead | $20.18 | ★ 4.8 |
| Sherlock Holmes Museum | Victorian detective's study and artefacts. | Baker Street | $27.09 | ★ 4.7 |
| Moco Museum | Immersive digital and street art experiences. | Marble Arch | $31.02 | ★ 4.7 |
| Cutty Sark | The ship itself with restored hull | Greenwich | $29.80 | ★ 4.7 |
| Postal Museum | Mail Rail underground ride | Bloomsbury | $27.77 | ★ 4.6 |
| Churchill War Rooms | Preserved Map Room | Westminster | $46.06 | ★ 4.6 |
| Courtauld Gallery | Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin masterpieces. | Somerset House | $18.97 | ★ 4.6 |
| Tower of London | Crown Jewels exhibition | Tower Hamlets | $79.93 | ★ 4.5 |
| Painted Hall | Europe's finest Baroque interior. | Greenwich | $23.71 | ★ 4.5 |
| Tate Modern | Turbine Hall installations | Bankside | Free | Free entry |
| British Museum | Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery | Bloomsbury | Free | Free entry |
| Kensington Palace | Childhood home of Queen Victoria; former residence of Princess Diana. | Kensington | $88.05 | ★ 4.3 |
| Natural History Museum | Hope the blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall | South Kensington | Free | Free entry |
| Madame Tussauds | Lifelike wax figures in themed rooms | Marylebone | on the listing | ★ 4 |
| National Gallery | Van Gogh's Sunflowers | Westminster | Free | Free entry |
| V&A | Cast Courts with plaster casts of Trajan's Column | South Kensington | Free | Free entry |
| Apsley House | Wellington Museum; 'Number 1 London' with Waterloo Gallery. | Hyde Park Corner | on the listing | |
| Banqueting House | Site of Charles I's execution; Inigo Jones architecture. | Whitehall | on the listing | |
| Benjamin Franklin House | Site of scientific experiments and diplomacy. | Charing Cross | on the listing | |
| Charles Dickens Museum | Dickens' study and personal items | Bloomsbury | on the listing | |
| Foundling Museum | Artefacts and art from the Foundling Hospital | Bloomsbury | on the listing | |
| Golden Hinde | The ship replica itself | Southwark | on the listing | |
| Hampton Court Palace | Great Hall and maze | Richmond upon Thames | on the listing | |
| Household Cavalry Museum | Working stables and ceremonial uniforms. | Whitehall | on the listing | |
| John Wesley's House | Personal artefacts and early Methodist history. | City Road | on the listing | |
| Keats House | Where Keats wrote 'Ode to a Nightingale'. | Hampstead | on the listing | |
| Kew Palace | Queen Charlotte's Cottage and royal family history. | Kew | on the listing | |
| Leighton House | Orientalist Arab Hall with Middle Eastern tiles. | Kensington | on the listing | |
| London Transport Museum | Vintage buses and Underground trains | Covent Garden | on the listing | |
| Old Operating Theatre Museum | Original operating theatre with surgical instruments | Southwark | on the listing | |
| Royal Observatory | Astronomy and navigation history in Greenwich Park. | Greenwich | on the listing | |
| Tate Britain | Turner collection in the Clore Gallery | Millbank | Free | Free entry |
| Windsor Castle | State Apartments and Changing of the Guard | Windsor | on the listing | |
| Bank of England Museum | Gold bars and historic banknotes | City of London | Free | Free entry |
| Design Museum | Geometric glass facade and temporary design shows | Kensington | Free | Free entry |
| Horniman Museum | Aquarium and gardens | Forest Hill | Free | Free entry |
| Hunterian Museum | John Hunter's 18th-century anatomical collection (reopened 2023). | Lincoln's Inn Fields | Free | Free entry |
| Imperial War Museum | Atrium with suspended aircraft and tanks | Lambeth | Free | Free entry |
| Kenwood House | Rembrandt self-portrait and Vermeer in English Heritage care. | Hampstead | Free | Free entry |
| London Museum Docklands | Sailortown recreation and Thames finds | Canary Wharf | Free | Free entry |
| National Maritime Museum | Ship models and maritime art | Greenwich | Free | Free entry |
| Queen's House | First classical building in Britain; Armada Portrait. | Greenwich | Free | Free entry |
| RAF Museum | Iconic aircraft in hangars | Colindale | Free | Free entry |
| Science Museum | Apollo 10 command module | South Kensington | Free | Free entry |
| Sir John Soane's Museum | Sarcophagus of Seti I in the basement | Holborn | Free | Free entry |
| Wallace Collection | Arms and armour collection | Marylebone | Free | Free entry |
Which Museum Is Right For You?
Three questions, one shortlist. Answer them and the directory of 48 museums narrows to a handful that fit your budget, your available time and the kind of thing you actually like looking at. It takes under a minute.
Here are three of the best-reviewed options to start from. Answer a question or two and the list rebuilds around you.
Royal Palaces And Historic Houses
Tower of London
Tower Hamlets, Tower Hill · Crown Jewels exhibition
Historic castle and royal palace with Crown Jewels and Beefeaters.
from $79.93per person, live price on the listing Check availability →Kensington Palace
Kensington · Childhood home of Queen Victoria; former residence of Princess Diana.
Historic Royal Palaces site with State Apartments, gardens, and royal history exhibitions.
from $88.05per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Banqueting House
Whitehall · Site of Charles I's execution; Inigo Jones architecture.
Only surviving part of Whitehall Palace with Rubens ceiling.
Official tickets →
Hampton Court Palace
Richmond upon Thames, Hampton Court · Great Hall and maze
Tudor palace with Henry VIII connections and gardens.
Check latest prices Check availability →
Kew Palace
Kew · Queen Charlotte's Cottage and royal family history.
Smallest royal palace with Georgian interiors and gardens.
Check latest prices Check availability →
Windsor Castle
Windsor, Castle Hill · State Apartments and Changing of the Guard
Working royal palace with State Apartments and St George's Chapel.
Check latest prices Check availability →Art Museums In London
National Portrait Gallery
Westminster, St Martin's Place · Tudor portraits
Portraits of historically important and famous British people.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Moco Museum
Marble Arch · Immersive digital and street art experiences.
Modern and contemporary art with Banksy, Basquiat, Warhol, Kusama.
from $31.02per person, live price on the listing Check availability →Courtauld Gallery
Somerset House · Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin masterpieces.
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in Somerset House.
from $18.97per person, live price on the listing Check availability →Tate Modern
Bankside, Bankside · Turbine Hall installations
Major collection of modern and contemporary art in a former power station.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
National Gallery
Westminster, Trafalgar Square · Van Gogh's Sunflowers
National collection of Western European paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
V&A
South Kensington, Cromwell Road · Cast Courts with plaster casts of Trajan's Column
World's largest museum of applied arts, design, and decorative arts.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Leighton House
Kensington · Orientalist Arab Hall with Middle Eastern tiles.
Victorian artist Lord Leighton's home with Arab Hall and Pre-Raphaelite works.
Official tickets →
Tate Britain
Millbank, Millbank · Turner collection in the Clore Gallery
British art from 1500 to the present, including Turner collection.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Design Museum
Kensington, Kensington High Street · Geometric glass facade and temporary design shows
Contemporary design, architecture, and innovation exhibitions.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Historic House Museums In London
Freud Museum
Hampstead · Iconic psychoanalytic couch and Anna Freud's contributions.
Sigmund Freud's final home with study, couch, and antiquities collection.
from $20.18per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Apsley House
Hyde Park Corner · Wellington Museum; 'Number 1 London' with Waterloo Gallery.
Duke of Wellington's home with art collection including Velázquez and Goya.
Check latest prices Check availability →
Benjamin Franklin House
Charing Cross · Site of scientific experiments and diplomacy.
Franklin's only surviving London home with historical experiences.
Official tickets →
Charles Dickens Museum
Bloomsbury, Doughty Street · Dickens' study and personal items
Former home of Charles Dickens with manuscripts and memorabilia.
Official tickets →
John Wesley's House
City Road · Personal artefacts and early Methodist history.
Georgian home of Methodist founder John Wesley with chapel.
Visitor info →
Keats House
Hampstead · Where Keats wrote 'Ode to a Nightingale'.
Poet John Keats' home with garden and manuscripts.
Visitor info →
Kenwood House
Hampstead · Rembrandt self-portrait and Vermeer in English Heritage care.
18th-century stately home with Robert Adam interiors and Old Masters.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Queen's House
Greenwich · First classical building in Britain; Armada Portrait.
Inigo Jones classical villa with art collection and Tulip Stairs.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Sir John Soane's Museum
Holborn, Lincoln's Inn Fields · Sarcophagus of Seti I in the basement
Eccentric Georgian architect's house-museum with eclectic collections.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Wallace Collection
Marylebone, Manchester Square · Arms and armour collection
Fine and decorative arts in a historic townhouse.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
History And Culture Museums In London
Postal Museum
Bloomsbury, Phoenix Place · Mail Rail underground ride
History of the postal service with Mail Rail ride.
from $27.77per person, live price on the listing Check availability →Painted Hall
Greenwich · Europe's finest Baroque interior.
Baroque masterpiece at Old Royal Naval College with ceiling murals.
from $23.71per person, live price on the listing Check availability →British Museum
Bloomsbury, Great Russell Street · Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery
World-renowned collection of human history and culture spanning two million years.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Foundling Museum
Bloomsbury, Brunswick Square · Artefacts and art from the Foundling Hospital
History of the Foundling Hospital and children's welfare.
Official tickets →
Bank of England Museum
City of London, Threadneedle Street · Gold bars and historic banknotes
History of the Bank of England and British currency.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
London Museum Docklands
Canary Wharf, West India Quay · Sailortown recreation and Thames finds
London's port and trading history in a historic warehouse.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Science And Natural History Museums In London
Natural History Museum
South Kensington, Cromwell Road · Hope the blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall
Vast collection of natural specimens including dinosaurs, mammals, and minerals.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Royal Observatory
Greenwich · Astronomy and navigation history in Greenwich Park.
Home of Greenwich Mean Time and Prime Meridian with planetarium.
Check latest prices Check availability →
Horniman Museum
Forest Hill, London Road · Aquarium and gardens
Natural history, anthropology, and music collections with gardens.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Hunterian Museum
Lincoln's Inn Fields · John Hunter's 18th-century anatomical collection (reopened 2023).
Anatomical and surgical specimens collection at Royal College of Surgeons.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Science Museum
South Kensington, Exhibition Road · Apollo 10 command module
Interactive exhibits on science, technology, and innovation from steam to space.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
War And Military Museums In London
Churchill War Rooms
Westminster, Clive Steps · Preserved Map Room
Underground WWII bunker used by Churchill and the War Cabinet.
from $46.06per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Household Cavalry Museum
Whitehall · Working stables and ceremonial uniforms.
Regimental artefacts and living history of the Household Cavalry.
Check latest prices Check availability →
Imperial War Museum
Lambeth, Lambeth Road · Atrium with suspended aircraft and tanks
History of modern conflict, especially the two World Wars.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
RAF Museum
Colindale, Grahame Park Way · Iconic aircraft in hangars
Aviation history with historic aircraft and RAF stories.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Maritime And Transport Museums In London
Cutty Sark
Greenwich, King William Walk · The ship itself with restored hull
Historic tea clipper ship preserved as a museum.
from $29.80per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Golden Hinde
Southwark, Bankside · The ship replica itself
Full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake's galleon.
Official tickets →
London Transport Museum
Covent Garden, Covent Garden Piazza · Vintage buses and Underground trains
History of London's public transport with historic vehicles and interactive exhibits.
Check latest prices Check availability →
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich, Romney Road · Ship models and maritime art
Britain's seafaring history, ships, and navigation.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Quirky And Unusual Museums In London
Museum of Brands
Notting Hill, Colville Mews · Time Tunnel of branded products
History of consumer culture through packaging and advertising.
from $18.97per person, live price on the listing Check availability →Sherlock Holmes Museum
Baker Street · Victorian detective's study and artefacts.
Re-creation of 221B Baker Street with Holmes memorabilia.
from $27.09per person, live price on the listing Check availability →
Old Operating Theatre Museum
Southwark, St Thomas' Street · Original operating theatre with surgical instruments
Historic 19th-century operating theatre and herb garret.
Official tickets →Landmark Attractions In London
Madame Tussauds
Marylebone, Marylebone Road · Lifelike wax figures in themed rooms
Wax figures of celebrities, historical figures, and icons.
Check latest prices Check availability →Day Trips: Palaces And Museums Beyond London
Some of the best collections sit outside the centre and repay the train fare. Windsor Castle is the big draw at £32, with Hampton Court Palace at £29 and Kew Palace within the gardens at Kew. The RAF Museum at Hendon is the outlier: a huge aircraft collection, and free to enter, which makes it the best-value day trip on this list.
Hampton Court Palace
Richmond upon Thames, Hampton Court · Great Hall and maze
Tudor palace with Henry VIII connections and gardens.
Check latest prices Check availability →Kew Palace
Kew · Queen Charlotte's Cottage and royal family history.
Smallest royal palace with Georgian interiors and gardens.
Check latest prices Check availability →Windsor Castle
Windsor, Castle Hill · State Apartments and Changing of the Guard
Working royal palace with State Apartments and St George's Chapel.
Check latest prices Check availability →RAF Museum
Colindale, Grahame Park Way · Iconic aircraft in hangars
Aviation history with historic aircraft and RAF stories.
Free entry, no ticket needed.
Free Walking Tours That Reach The London Museums
London also has 48 verified free walking tours, run through GuruWalk, and three of them take place inside the British Museum itself. The model is pay-what-you-want: booking costs nothing, you turn up, and at the end you tip the guide whatever you think the tour was worth. For the British Museum tours this is arguably the best deal in the city, since the entry is already free and a guide who knows the collection saves you hours of aimless wandering.
These six are the strongest of 48 verified free walks in London, chosen for rating, review volume and the museums they actually pass. More free walks and free museums →
Is A London Attraction Pass Worth It?
In Paris or Amsterdam, where the major museums all charge, a pass can pay for itself in two or three visits. London is different, because the national museums are free, so a pass only earns its keep on the paid attractions. If your itinerary is the Tower of London, the Churchill War Rooms and Hampton Court Palace, a pass may save money. If it is the British Museum, the National Gallery and the V&A, a pass saves you nothing, because those three would have cost you nothing anyway. Do the arithmetic on your own list before buying.
London Museums On A Map
London's museums cluster: South Kensington alone holds three of the biggest. The map plots all 48 so you can see which ones sit within walking distance of each other and which need a separate trip.
Common Questions About London Museums
Are London Museums Really Free?
Yes. 20 of the 48 museums in this guide are free to enter, permanently, with no ticket needed. That includes the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the V&A, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. Temporary exhibitions at those museums are usually ticketed and paid separately.
Which London Museums Charge For Entry?
The royal palaces and the big set-piece attractions charge: the Tower of London is £37, Windsor Castle £32, Hampton Court Palace £29, the Churchill War Rooms £34, the London Transport Museum £27 and the Royal Observatory Greenwich £24. Smaller independent house museums typically charge between £6 and £20.
Are London Museums Open On Mondays?
Most of them are. London differs from Paris and Amsterdam here, where many major museums close for a weekday. Individual museums still close for holidays and installation work, so the museum's own site is the authority on any given date.
Do I Need To Book A Ticket For A Free Museum?
Usually not for the permanent collection. Some free museums still ask you to reserve a timed slot at busy periods, and a few special galleries inside them are ticketed. Booking ahead costs nothing at a free museum and saves queueing at the door.
Is A London Attraction Pass Worth Buying?
It depends entirely on how many paid attractions you plan to visit. Because so many London museums are free, a pass has less to save you here than in a city where everything charges. A pass pays back only if you are visiting several paid sites in a short window.
Which London Museum Is Best For A First Visit?
The British Museum for world history, the Natural History Museum for anyone travelling with children, and the Tower of London if you want one paid set-piece. The first two cost nothing, which makes them easy to combine with something ticketed on the same day.
Can I See Several London Museums In One Day?
Yes, if you pick them by geography rather than by fame. South Kensington puts three major museums on one street, and Greenwich clusters the maritime sites within a short walk. Two large museums in a day is realistic; three is usually too many.
Are There Free Guided Tours Of London Museums?
There are. Pay-what-you-want walking tours run across London and three of them run inside the British Museum itself. Booking costs nothing and the guide is tipped at the end, which is the arrangement rather than a hidden fee.
Answered Questions About Museums In London
Beyond the directory, the guides answer the practical questions: which museums are open on Mondays, what free entry actually includes, and how to handle the popular ones. Each one ends with something specific you can plan around.
Moco At The Door
Door tickets exist at Moco Museum, but timed entry makes advance booking the smarter move.
Tate Modern Tickets
Tate Modern's collection is free with no ticket, but exhibitions and tours are not.
V&A Tickets
No ticket needed for the V&A collection; here is what is free and what still costs money.
British Museum Tickets
Entry is free and no ticket is needed for the collection: here is the full picture.
National Gallery Booking
Entry is free and no booking is needed for the collection; here is when a ticket actually matters.
Crown Jewels Ticket
The Crown Jewels are included in Tower of London admission. Here is what the ticket covers and how long to allow.
Browse every answered question.
Helpful Articles About London Museums
Art Galleries Guide
Free national collections and paid independents, organised by what you want to look at.
Best Museums
The honest ranked shortlist: free collections first, paid experiences second, and a verdict by visitor type.
Palace Day Trips
Windsor, Hampton Court or Kew: which palace day trip from London is worth your spare day?
Free Museums
All 20 genuinely free London museums, what still costs money, and a full free-day plan.
Greenwich Museums
Two free museums, a clipper, an observatory and a painted hall in one riverside day.
History Museums
World history, London's own story, and the houses of writers and collectors, free and paid.
Browse all museum guides and answered questions.