Published: 2 September 2022
The British Museum (Matthieu Gouiffes via Unsplash)
When you are new to London, the sheer choice of things to do can be a little overwhelming. A city packed with parks, culture, shopping, arts, and nightlife, you can live here for decades and still feel like you have barely scratched the surface of what London has to offer.
One thing the English capital is best known for is its museums. As a student new to London and maybe England as well, a trip to one of the city’s best museums is the best way to learn about your new home, your new country and beyond. Here is a selection of five of London’s best museums to get you started.
British Museum
One of the most famous (if not infamous) museums in the world, The British Museum houses an incredible collection of artefacts from across the globe. The Rosetta Stone, the Bust of Ramesses the Great, and the Tree of Life to name but three, the exhibits on display are simply stunning and you can spend hours browsing to your heart’s content.
Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Mon-Sun, 10am-8.30pm, Free
Natural History Museum
A must-visit for anyone interested in the history of our planet and everything that inhabits it, at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington you will find prehistoric animal fossils, ancient plant specimens, an earthquake simulator and so much more. The museum also puts on a variety of interesting events ranging from silent discos to yoga classes to sleepovers.
Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
Mon-Sun, 10am-5.50pm, Free
Natural History Museum (Claudio Testa via Unsplash)
V&A
Another South Kensington museum and another one you can spend the best part of a day exploring, the V&A’s permanent collection of fashion, textiles, art and design exhibits contains a staggering 2.3 million objects. Opened as Queen Victoria’s last-ever public engagement in 1899, the historic museum has works on display dating as far back as the sixth century.
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Mon-Sun, 10am-5.45pm (10pm on Friday), Free
Museum of London
You are studying in London, so you might as well learn a little about the city to boot. A more modest offering compared to some of the museums on this list, the Museum of London’s exhibits take you through London’s prehistoric era right up to the present day – there is currently a whole exhibition dedicated to England football captain and proud Londoner Harry Kane running until December 4th.
150 London Wall, Barbican, London EC2Y 5HN
Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm, Free
Imperial War Museum
Focusing on people’s experiences of and relationships with conflict from the First World War up to the present, the Imperial War Museum’s exhibits are as powerful as they are educational, including what Time Out London describes as a “profoundly moving and troubling” gallery depicting scenes from the Holocaust. Not the easiest viewing and not recommended for young children.
Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ
Mon-Sun, 10am-6pm, Free