United Kingdom · 13 museums · 10 free
The best museums in London are the British Museum, Tate Modern and the National Gallery. World Museum Guide covers 13 museums in London, United Kingdom, with verified admission prices, opening hours and how long to allow for each. 10 are free to enter for everyone.
Visitor information last reviewed 30 June 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
| # | Museum | Admission | Time needed | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The British Museum | Free | 2–4 hours | 24–26 December |
| 2 | Tate Modern | Free | 2–3 hours | See hours |
| 3 | The National Gallery | Free | 2–3 hours | 24–26 December and 1 January |
| 4 | Natural History Museum | Free | 2–3 hours | 24–26 December |
| 5 | Churchill War Rooms | From £28 | 90 minutes | Open daily |
| 6 | Imperial War Museum | Free | 3–4 hours | Open daily |
| 7 | Tate Britain | Free | 2–3 hours | Open daily |
| 8 | Design Museum | From £16.50 | 90 minutes | Open daily |
| 9 | National Portrait Gallery | Free | 2 hours | Open daily |
| 10 | Science Museum | Free | 2–3 hours | Open daily |
| 11 | The Courtauld Gallery | £11 | 1.5–2 hours | Open daily |
| 12 | The Wallace Collection | Free | 1.5–2 hours | Open daily |
| 13 | Victoria and Albert Museum | Free | 2–4 hours | Open daily |
Standard adult prices, checked from 2026-06-30. Confirm on each museum's official website before you go.
History & Archaeology · Best for history enthusiasts & families
The British Museum, located in the Bloomsbury area of London, United Kingdom, is a public institution dedicated to human history, art and culture. Its permanent collection of some eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–4 hours
Modern & Contemporary Art · Best for art lovers & contemporary art
Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art created from 1900 to the present day. It is part of the Tate group, together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–3 hours
Art Museum · Best for art lovers & first-timers
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–3 hours
Natural History · Best for families & first-timers
Alfred Waterhouse's Romanesque-revival building opened in 1881 to display the natural-history collections that had outgrown the British Museum. The terracotta facade is decorated with sculptures of living and extinct species.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–3 hours
History & Archaeology · Best for history enthusiasts & first-timers
The Churchill War Rooms are the underground bunker beneath Whitehall where Winston Churchill and his war cabinet directed Britain's fight against Nazi Germany from 1939 to 1945. Preserved exactly as they were abandoned on 16 August 1945, the complex offers an unparalleled immersion in the day-to-day machinery of wartime government.
From £28 · ⏱ 90 minutes
Art Museum · Best for history enthusiasts & families with older children
The Imperial War Museum London tells the story of conflict involving Britain and the Commonwealth from the First World War to the present day. Founded in 1917 while the Great War still raged, it was established to record the experiences of those who lived, fought, and died in the conflict.
Free entry · ⏱ 3–4 hours
Art Museum · Best for art lovers & first-timers
Founded by sugar magnate Henry Tate in 1897 as the National Gallery of British Art, the building was rechristened Tate Britain in 2000 when the modern collection moved across the river.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–3 hours
Design & Applied Arts · Best for art lovers & first-timers
The world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design and architecture, on High Street Kensington — fashion, graphics, product design, and the annual Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition.
From £16.50 · ⏱ 90 minutes
Art Museum · Best for history enthusiasts & first-timers
Founded in 1856, the National Portrait Gallery moved to its current building beside the National Gallery in 1896. It reopened in 2023 after a major refurbishment by Jamie Fobert Architects.
Free entry · ⏱ 2 hours
Art Museum · Best for families & history enthusiasts
Founded in 1857 with material from the Great Exhibition, the Science Museum has grown to hold more than 300,000 items charting the history of science, technology, medicine, and industry.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–3 hours
Art Museum · Best for art lovers & first-timers
The Courtauld was founded in 1932 by industrialist Samuel Courtauld and others to teach art history at university level. It moved into Somerset House's North Wing in 1989.
£11 · ⏱ 1.5–2 hours
Art Museum · Best for art lovers & history enthusiasts
Bequeathed to the British public by Lady Wallace in 1897, the collection was built by four generations of the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace. It opened to the public in 1900.
Free entry · ⏱ 1.5–2 hours
Art Museum · Best for art lovers & history enthusiasts
Founded in 1852 in the wake of the Great Exhibition, the V&A was conceived as a museum to inspire British industry and design education. It moved to its current South Kensington site in 1857 and has expanded continuously ever since.
Free entry · ⏱ 2–4 hours
London offers an unmatched concentration of free national museums: the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Britain, and Victoria and Albert Museum charge no general admission. South Kensington's Natural History and Science Museums draw families year-round.
Day 1: British Museum (morning) → Bloomsbury lunch → National Gallery Trafalgar Square (afternoon). Day 2: Natural History Museum → V&A → Hyde Park. Day 3: Tate Modern → Borough Market → Tower area (optional Imperial War Museum).
Weekday mornings year-round. School holidays (February, Easter, summer) bring heavy family crowds to South Kensington. First Friday of month: late openings at several institutions.
Visiting on a budget? See every free and discounted museum in London.
The best museums in London are the British Museum, Tate Modern and the National Gallery. World Museum Guide ranks 13 museums in London by visitor numbers and collection strength.
World Museum Guide covers 13 museums in London, United Kingdom — 10 with free standard admission. Each guide lists admission, opening hours, highlights and how long to allow.
Free for everyone: The British Museum, Tate Modern, The National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Imperial War Museum, Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery, Science Museum, The Wallace Collection and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Late openings: the British Museum (Fridays until 8:30 PM), Tate Modern (Friday and Saturday until 9:00 PM), the National Gallery (Fridays until 9:00 PM), National Portrait Gallery (Friday and Saturday until 9:00 PM) and Victoria and Albert Museum (Friday until 10:00 PM). Evening visits are usually the quietest time to see the highlights.
For families, start with the British Museum, Tate Modern, the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Imperial War Museum. The British Museum, Tate Modern and The National Gallery are free to enter. Each guide lists how long to allow and the best time to visit.
British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and National Portrait Gallery offer free general admission (donations welcome).
