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.
A small museum in one of the oldest churches in London, housed in an atmospheric crypt. It included part of a Roman floor, Roman and Saxon artefacts, and charts the City of London’s history from Roman Londinium through the Great Fire.
A museum within the Bank of England’s headquarters, which charts over 300 years of monetary history from banknote design to financial crises. Visitors can handle a real gold bar.
This lesser-known collection showcasing the British Red Cross’ 150 years of history, featuring historical objects like medical kits from WWI trenches and documents from relief operations illustrating the evolution of emergency aid since 1870s.
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…
An art gallery home to the City of London’s art collection, especially notable for its Victorian pieces – though the collection ranges from the 17th century to the modern day. Downstairs are the excavated remains of part of London’s Roman Ampitheatre, lost for centuries and discovered when the gallery was built in the 1980s.
A free to visit, multi-sensory experience based around the ruins of an ancient temple of Mithras, a secretive and mysterious Roman cult. Found below Bloomberg’s London headquarters, the ruins of the 3rd century AD temple are brought to life by an immersive light and sound show. There’s also a small exhibition.
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…
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 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…
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 cartoons, ancient Buddhist sculpture and Islamic carpets, alongside modern design and fashion. Designed by the Victorians, its setting is just as jawdropping…
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