The 15 Best Museums in London

London boasts nearly 200 museums and three of the top 10 museums and galleries in the world, according to figures from the Mayor of London. While you may feel overwhelmed by these vast cultural riches, they won’t make much of a dent in your wallet – most of the best museums in London are free. Peruse our list for children and adults to help you decide which museums to visit during your stay in London. If you’re wondering which is better, the British Museum or the Natural History Museum, the short answer is “both”. These two institutions, plus the Tate Modern, are the most visited museums in the UK capital.

• Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7
• Open 10am-5:50pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: District, Circle or Piccadilly line tube to South Kensington

One of the best museums in London for families, the Natural History Museum is known for its incredible dinosaur collection, but there are more subtle gems to be discovered. The building, a Romanesque Revival marvel, features decorations inspired by the natural world, including the hand-painted botanical panels adorning the ceiling of Hintze Hall. The Treasures Gallery is a world-class cabinet of curiosities where you can see remarkable objects including Charles Darwin’s Galápagos finches and a fragment of moon rock.

• Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, WC1
• Open Mon-Thur, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm; Fri 10am-8:30pm
• Admission free
• Transport: Central, Northern or Elizabeth line tube to Tottenham Court Road

With more than 60 galleries and roughly 80,000 objects on display, the British Museum can be a little daunting – and this represents one percent of the millennia-spanning collection! Try one of the object trails, such as an hour-long route taking in greatest hits like The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Lewis Chessmen, among other iconic artefacts. The imposing Greek Revival building was ushered into the 21st century by Foster & Partners’ dramatic redesign of the Great Court with a canopy-style glass-and-steel roof.

• Bankside, SE1
• Open 10am-6pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: Jubilee line tube to Southwark

The mid-century Bankside Power Station, converted into galleries by ground-breaking Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, is worth visiting for the building alone. The soaring Turbine Hall provides a space for monumental installations. Highlights from the permanent collection of modern and contemporary work are organised thematically rather than chronologically, so you might see Marcel Duchamp’s famous readymade Fountain in the same room as a conceptual sculpture by Haegue Yang.

• Trafalgar Square, West End, WC2
• Open Mon-Thur, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm; Fri 10am-9pm
• Admission free
• Transport: Bakerloo or Northern line tube to Charing Cross

Presiding over Trafalgar Square, this sprawling art destination includes the stately domed 19th-century building and the modern Sainsbury Wing. It’s easy to get lost as you wander through room after room of renowned European paintings from the 13th to the early 20th centuries. While this will lead you to delightful discoveries, must-see highlights of the collection include Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire, and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. When you’ve had your fill of art, stroll over to the grand Sofitel London St James for a sumptuous afternoon tea at The Rose Lounge.

• Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7
• Open Mon-Thur, Sat-Sun 10am-5:45pm; Fri 10am-10pm
• Admission free
• Transport: District, Circle or Piccadilly line tube to South Kensington

With roots in the Great Exhibition of 1851, the V&A is a vast repository of art and design, from the Raphael Cartoons to the world’s most comprehensive historical fashion collection. As you meander through the interior, marvel at the ornate ceramic reliefs and the mosaic floors that were crafted by female prisoners as part of a social reform scheme. In spring 2023, the museum debuted the UK’s largest permanent photography space.

• 224-238 Kensington High Street, Kensington W8
• Open 10am-6pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: District or Circle line tube to High Street Kensington

Arguably one of the coolest museums in London, the Design Museum showcases the full spectrum of the discipline, from fashion and everyday objects to graphics and architecture. As you might expect, the building is itself notable for its design. Award-winning architect John Pawson created striking, contemporary spaces within the frame of a Grade 2-listed Modernist landmark. As well as a permanent display, the museum hosts rotating exhibitions spotlighting some of the biggest names in art and design.

• Lambeth Road, Lambeth, SE1
• Open 10am-6pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: Bakerloo line tube to Lambeth North or Bakerloo or Northern line tube to Elephant & Castle

IWM draws on a vast collection of artefacts, art and media to tell the story of conflicts from WWI to the present. Experience the haunting sights and sounds of a simulated trench, and walk beneath suspended Spitfire and Kamikaze fighter planes in the Atrium. Recently launched galleries devoted to WWII and the Holocaust shed new light on this devastating chapter of history. Don’t miss the museum’s Churchill War Rooms in Whitehall – the War Cabinet’s subterranean headquarters during the Blitz.

• Romney Road, Greenwich, SE10
• Open 10am-5pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: Train to Greenwich or Maze Hill

Part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this stately museum charts the history of the navy and epic voyages. Take a look at macabre relics from the Titanic, JMW Turner’s massive painting The Battle of Trafalgar, and dozens of figureheads and model ships. Then climb aboard the 19th-century tea clipper Cutty Sark (£18; £9 children). You can even have afternoon tea under the hull.

• 136 Kingsland Road, Hoxton, E2
• Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm 
• Admission free
• Transport: Overground to Hoxton

Get a glimpse of how Londoners lived from the 1600s to the more recent past in this museum set in early-18th-century almshouses. As you wander through mocked-up front rooms, you’ll get a taste of a fashionable Victorian parlour and East End loft-style living at the end of the 20th century. A series of gardens shows the evolution of private outdoor spaces. Follow up your tour with a meal at Mama Shelter’s restaurant, where retro ceiling lamps and sofa seating create a home-like vibe.

• 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23
• Open 10am-5:30pm daily
• Admission free 
• Transport: Overground to Forest Hill

More than a museum, the Horniman includes 16-acre gardens, a nature trail and enclosures for goats, guinea pigs and alpacas, among other creatures. Victorian businessman and MP Frederick Horniman amassed his collection during extensive travels and moved it to the current building, with its imposing clock tower, in 1901. The varied collections spark wonder with everything from taxidermied animals to musical instruments. As well as regular family events, there is an aquarium and a butterfly house.

• Covent Garden Piazza, West End, WC2
• Open 10am-6pm daily
• Admission ​​£24; free children 17 and under
• Transport: Piccadilly line tube to Covent Garden 

Vehicles from horse-drawn cabs to the iconic double-deck Routemaster bus are on display at this museum, which engages every member of the family. History buffs can trace the development of the world’s first underground system, while art aficionados will enjoy the vintage posters. It’s one of the best museums in London for tinies – aspiring bus drivers and boat captains aged seven and under can take the wheel in the All-Aboard play area.

• Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 
• Open 10am-6pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: District, Circle or Piccadilly line tube to South Kensington

A 19th-century engineer’s workshop, the transmitter used for the BBC’s first radio broadcast and the space suit worn by British astronaut Helen Sharman are just some of the amazing objects at the Science Museum. It’s also one of the best interactive museums in London for children, including tech-obsessed teenagers. Kids can control a robotic arm in the Technicians gallery and experience several flight simulators. An IMAX theatre screens immersive 3D nature films.

• 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, WC2
• Open Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
• Admission free
• Transport: Central or Piccadilly line tube to Holborn

One of London’s best small museums, the former home and office of the renowned Regency architect is preserved as he left it in the 1830s. Wander through collections spread across three townhouses, including classical sculptures and the alabaster sarcophagus of the Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I in the basement. Among the many highlights of the Picture Room, A Rake’s Progress by William Hogarth illustrates the decline of a morally dissolute heir. Secret panels behind paintings open to reveal more treasures. Several tour options include access to Soane’s restored private apartments and an evening candlelit tour with wine.

• Hertford House, Manchester Square, Marylebone, W1
• Open 10am-5pm daily
• Admission free
• Transport: Central, Jubilee or Elizabeth line tube to Bond Street

Mooching around this elegant museum is like visiting a posh private home – which in a sense it is, as it’s the former London residence of the marquesses of Hertford. Peruse everything from Dutch master paintings to mediaeval armour and furniture once owned by Marie-Antoinette. Don’t miss Fragonard’s recently restored The Swing. One of the most famous works in the collection, the painting depicts the mistress of one of Louis XV’s courtiers and was a risqué commission at the time.

• 111-117 Lancaster Road, Notting Hill, W11
• Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 11am-5pm 
• Admission ​​£9; £5-7 concessions
• Transport: Circle or Hammersmith & City line tube to Ladbroke Grove

Walk through the “Time Tunnel”, a winding corridor lined with products, gadgets, toys and pop-culture ephemera from the Victorian era to the present. Founded by consumer historian Robert Opie, this small museum offers a snapshot of our changing society. Visitors of all ages will have fun seeing long-forgotten fads and foods from their childhood, while design aficionados will love the vintage packaging.