The Great Court in the British Museum, one of the best museums to visit for free in London. Photo by Adam Stawarz, via Flickr.
London’s an expensive city. It sometimes feels like just stepping out of the door costs money.
Luckily, when it comes to making the most of our city’s world-class museum collection, it doesn’t have to hurt your wallet.
London is home to 118 free museums. That includes global heavy-hitters like the British Museum and the National Gallery, as well as quirky, lesser-known gems across every borough.
Okay, so 118 is a lot of museums. I strongly encourage you to use the tool below to explore the full offering of museums available – but if you need a bit more guidance, these are my top picks of London’s best free museums.
Free ‘big hitter’ museums in London
Most of London’s ‘big-hitter’ museums are free:
If you’ve got kids, go to the Natural History Museum (dinosaurs!) or the Science Museum (highly interactive). Both are free to enter, but you may need to book a slot if you’re visiting at a busy time (it’s free and easy to do this).
If you’re after art, my personal favourite is the Tate Modern, London’s premier contemporary art gallery. If you’re after something a bit more traditional, the National Gallery is home to countless masterpieces, all totally free.
Outside these world-famous institutions, some of London’s best museums are free. Some of my personal favourites include
the Imperial War Museum, an important and moving collection of exhibitions about the history, harms and impacts of human conflict
the Wellcome Collection, an excellent interactive museum about health and what it means to be human
the British Library, with a free to visit exhibition showing treasures from its collection, including handwritten Beatles lyrics and important religious texts
Free hidden gems museums in London
Some of London’s hidden gem museums and most bizarre museums are free. For example:
London Mithraeum – the archaeological remains of a Roman Temple, built for the mysterious cult of Mithras, and brought to life by a multimedia display.
If you’re a London local, I’d also encourage you to explore my local museums page. London is home to some excellent local museums, telling the stories of the people that make up its many fascinating neighbourhoods. They vary in size and scope, but most are free and they’re usually excellent.
These are just a small selection of the best free museums in London. Explore all 118 free museums in London using the interactive tool below.
Interactive tool: explore all 118 free museums in London
How to use this guide: The cards below show an A-Z directory of all 118 free museums in London. Use the filters to the right to show only museums you’re interested in.
‘Primary focus’ splits museums by their broad area of focus. You can click ‘additional themes’ to see more specific categories, such as museums covering World War Two, or modern art galleries.
The laboratory where Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin – a discovery which revolutionised medicine and earned him a Nobel Prize. It’s restored to how it was when he worked here, and tells the story of Fleming and the discovery and development of Penicillin. Within St Mary’s Hospital.
A world-leading museum of design, covering everything from graphics to fashion, furniture to technology. Its permanent exhibition, Designer Maker User, explores the history of contemporary design — how things are conceived, made, and used, and how this has evolved over time. It’s wide-ranging and full of surprises, featuring everything from the London Tube map to…
Hackney’s local museum, exploring over 1,000 years of history. This includes exhibitions on Saxon Hackney all the way through to its modern, diverse identity and rich history of migration. It’s all presented in an engaging, family-friendly way and is know for being an inclusive community resource with plenty of interactive elements for children.
A museum exploring the history of surgery, from ancient times to cutting-edge technology. Housed at the Royal College of Surgeons, it recently reopened after a major refurbishment, and displays the largest public display of human anatomy in England, as well as instruments, equipment and models. Fascinating, though not for the squeamish. It’s named after the…
A unique art gallery dedicated to art featuring dogs, dating from the present day all the way back to the 1st century AD – though most art comes from the 19th and 20th century. Housed within the offices of the Kennel Club, an organisation dedicated to the wellbeing and health of dogs.
A unique art gallery, led by artists and entirely not-for-profit and self funded. Showcases exhibitions and competitions, providing a platform for emerging and unknown artists. Has a wide range of exhibitions which tend to only be on for a short amount of time – check website.
A small museum, only available by booking ahead and only open on certain days, with exhibitions about the history of the Met Police, its offices, and crimes in the city.
The world’s only museum of the home, exploring home life and how homes have evolved and changed over the past 500 years. Includes ‘Rooms through time’, which features period rooms showing how lives in London have changed – from 1630 to 2049, across different cultures – and ‘Gardens through time’. A unique and thought-provoking museum.…
The British Army’s national museum, with a collection of over a million items going back 600 years. Explores how the British Army originated (from the Civil War to today); the lives of soldiers; the British Army’s global role (remember this is the official Army museum – don’t expect a fully rounded debate on the role…
London’s world-famous major gallery, dominating Trafalgar Square. Home to a huge collection of art from the 13th century to the 20th, including work by Leonardo da Vinco and Van Gogh’s sunflowers. Usually also hosts one blockbuster (paid) temporary exhibition at a time.
Holds the world’s largest collection of portraits, including famous figures from throughout British history. It recently reopened after a major rennovation, and it’s excellent (way more interesting than the name suggests), telling Britain’s story through faces.
One of the world’s top museums in an utterly stunning Victorian building envisaged as a ‘Cathedral to Nature’. Home to a vast collection of natural history. Highlights include the ever-popular dinosaurs, its central hall with the skeleton of a blue whale, the glittering gem gallery, and rooms with just about every animal you can imagine,…
A museum dedicated to Poland’s experience in the Second World War, especially the story of the Polish Armed Forces in exile and the government-in-exile in London. Founded in 1945 to preserve archives, artefacts, and personal testimonies, it became a vital centre during the Cold War for keeping this history alive when it was suppressed in…
The Royal Academy of Music (still an active education space)’s collection, including historic and rare instruments and original manuscripts from composers.
A small museum within the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners (British Army veterans) established in the 17th century. The stable house, which houses the museum, has recently been refurbished, and is a modern, interactive museum telling the story of the Hospital’s founding by King Charles II and the lives of the…
A world-famous museum of science and innovation, spread across seven floors of interactive exhibits. Very hands-on and great for kids, with a reputation for making science fun and accessible. Begin in the huge ‘Making the Modern World’ hall, which takes you through 250 years of innovation, showcasing objects that have shaped our society, such as…
A free to visit modern art museum across two galleries, within Kensington gardens. Hosts excellent contemporary art exhibitions, including with internationally known artists (for example an exhibition with David Hockney in 2026) as well as outside installations within the park itself.
One of London’s major art galleries, sister to the Tate Modern on South Bank. It focuses on British art throughout time, from Hogarth to Hockney, and is also home to a major collection of work by JMW Turner.
A not-for-profit contemporary art space supporting emerging artists and socially engaged projects. It often focuses on political art, and supports artists who haven’t previously had significant exposure in London
A small museum inside Twinings’ flagship store on the Strand, which is the oldest dry tea and coffee shop. It’s mostly a shop, but features a small exhibit on tea and the history of Twinings.
One of London’s greatest museums, and possibly its most eclectic. Amogng the world’s largest and best collections of art, design and culture, with more than 100 galleries showcasing everything from photography, to Raphael’s cartoos, ancient Buddhist sculpture and Islamic carpets, alongside modern design and fashion. Designed by the Victorians, its setting is just as jawdropping…
A world-class collection of 18th and 19th century art in the historic townhouse of the Seymour family (it was originally Edward Seymour’s home, brother of Jane Seymour). Across lavish stately rooms, it showcase one of the world’s most significant collections of fine and decorative arts, including paintings by Titian and Van Dyck, arms and armour,…
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