Discover every museum in London all in one place.
There are nearly 250 museums in London – more than just about any other city in the world. Through London’s Museum Guide I want to encourage others to share my love of London’s incredible museum scene, and help you to discover gems you might not have heard of.
Below you’ll find a full, filterable list of everything the city has to offer. Head to the London Museum Guide homepage to explore bespoke guides.
A complete A-Z of London’s museums by theme & location
How to use this guide: The cards below show an A-Z directory of all 250+ 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. If you prefer to look at a map, visit my London Museum Map here.
Finally, have fun, and if you have any tips, want to leave a review for a museum, or notice an error, don’t hesitate to comment or contact me!
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Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum
Read more: Alexander Fleming Laboratory MuseumThe 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.
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Apsley House
Read more: Apsley HouseOnce home to the Duke of Wellington, famous for his victories over Napoleon. A stunning stately home, which is also home to an extraordinary collection of art, including work by Goya and Velázquez.
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Banqueting House
Read more: Banqueting HouseThe only surviving building of Whitehall Palace, designed by iconic architect Inigo Jones. Famous for its epic painted ceiling and as the site of Charles I’s execution in 1649. TEMPORARILY CLOSED UNTIL LATE 2025 – CHECK WEBSITE
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Benjamin Franklin House
Read more: Benjamin Franklin HouseThe world’s only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin, telling the story of his life in London, his scientific work, and his diplomacy leading up to the American Revolution. It offers a variety of experiences depending on the day you visit. On Wednesday-Thursday you can visit on a self guided tour, exploring the rooms and exhibition…
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Bethlem Museum of the Mind
Read more: Bethlem Museum of the MindMuseum at Bethlem Royal Hospita,l exploring mental healthcare history and the lives, experience and achievements of people with mental health problems. It also hosts temporary exhibitions about mental health, and showcases a large collection of art, including pieces by former patients dating back 200 years. Open to the public Wednesday-Saturday.
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Biggin Hill Memorial Museum
Read more: Biggin Hill Memorial MuseumTells the story of Biggin Hill, “the most important airfield during the Battle of Britain”. It includes personal stories, chapel memorial, and modern interactive displays for all ages. Opening hours change seasonally – visit website.
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Bow Street Museum of Crime and Justice
Read more: Bow Street Museum of Crime and JusticeAn award-winning museum in a former Police Station and Magistrates’ Court, once home to London’s first official law enforcement service, the Bow Street Patrols and Runners. Its original cells and corridors now house galleries that chart the evolution of policing, the lives of those who served here, and the stories of famous cases, prisoners, and…
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Buckingham Palace
Read more: Buckingham PalaceThe royal family’s official London residence – millions of tourists peer through its gates every year, watch the famous Changing of the Guard, and wonder what’s behind its huge, majestic facade. Its opulent, magnificent state rooms open to the public every Summer, and are open to some small group tours year round. Highlights include the…
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Chislehurst Caves
Read more: Chislehurst Caves22-mile network of man-made caves, created from the 13th-19th centuries. Originally used as mines, they were used during the First World War to store ammunition and the Second World War as a shelter. Lamp-lit tours explore mythology, geology, and history. Visited by guided tour only
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Churchill War Rooms
Read more: Churchill War RoomsThe secret underground headquarters where Winston Churchill and his ministers planned Britain’s strategy in the Second World War. Now open to visitors, with many rooms – including the iconic ‘Map Room’, where many of the key decisions in the war were made – left as they were on the day the war ended. Other highlights…
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Courtauld Gallery
Read more: Courtauld GalleryOne of my favourite art galleries in London, home to London’s best collection of impressionism. Includes many of the big hitters, like Van Gogh, Monet, Manet and Degas, plus the biggest collection of Cézzanes in the country. Also hosts temporary exhibitions, often focused on more contemporary art.
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Croydon Art Space
Read more: Croydon Art SpaceA small art gallery showcasing contemporary art, hosting a few exhibitions a year
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Crystal Palace Museum
Read more: Crystal Palace MuseumA small museum telling the story of the original Crystal Palace, a huge iron and glass structure built for the Great Exhibition in 1851 in Hyde Park. The building was then moved to the area now known as Crystal Palace, but burnt down in 1936.
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Down House
Read more: Down HouseThe home of Charles Darwin, with extensive gardens, an audioguide by David Attenborough and exhibitions about his work. You’ll also find the Sandwalk – a path he would take multiple times a day, thought to be crucial as he developed his theories.
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Eastbury Manor House
Read more: Eastbury Manor HouseA historic building, dating back to the Elizabethan era, in the heart of Barking. Hosts a range of exhibitions, including by local artists.
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Frameless
Read more: FramelessAn interactive and immersive art experience, which aims to bring some of the world’s greatest masterpieces (works by those such as Van Gogh, Kandinsky, etc) to life through multi-sensory installations using cutting edge technology. Features 42 masterpieces across four galleries.
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Handel & Hendrix House
Read more: Handel & Hendrix HouseA unique museum, showcasing the lives of two of the most iconic museums to live in London: Jimi Hendrix and classical composer George Frideric Handel. In a restored Georgian townhouse, it showcases the homes of both (if they’d been contemporaries, they’d have been neighbours!). Handel lived here from 1723 until his death in 1759; Hendrix…
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Historic Croydon Airport
Read more: Historic Croydon AirportA historic airport, home to the world’s first purpose built airport terminal. Between the wars it was the UK’s only international airport, and for a time it was the biggest and most advanced airport in the world.
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Household Cavalry Museum
Read more: Household Cavalry MuseumA living museum at the heart of Horse Guards, telling the story of the history, traditions and day to day life of the Household Cavalry – the personal troops of the Monarch. Exhibits uniforms, armour, ceremonial equipment and a behinds the scenes view of its working stables, all located in the historic Horse Guards parade…
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Houses of Parliament
Read more: Houses of ParliamentArguably London’s most famous building – home to the iconic Big Ben, as well as the heart of British political life. Guided tours show you around the historic building, including the House of Commons and House of Lords. You can also book self guided tours when Parliament isn’t in session. They also offer Big Ben…
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Hunterian Museum
Read more: Hunterian MuseumA 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…
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Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)
Read more: Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)A cutting-edge contemporary art gallery showing rolling exhibitions, focused on emerging and experimental art. Usually has one exhibition on at a time. It also has a cinema, showing often experimental films.
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Kennel Club Dog Art Gallery
Read more: Kennel Club Dog Art GalleryA 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.
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London Transport Museum
Read more: London Transport MuseumAn excellent museum about the history of transport in London, going from Victorian times when the city was filled with horses and carriages, to the transport of the future. Features historic buses, Underground train carriages and exhibitions about the development of the Tube network and the art and design behind its iconic brand. Highly interactive.
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Mall Galleries
Read more: Mall GalleriesA 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.
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Museum of Croydon
Read more: Museum of CroydonCroydon’s local museum, sharing stories of the borough’s history and people. Also home to the Riesco collection, of Chinese ceramics.
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National Gallery
Read more: National GalleryLondon’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.
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National Portrait Gallery
Read more: National Portrait GalleryHolds 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.
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Photographers’ Gallery
Read more: Photographers’ GalleryLondon’s leading museum dedicated to photography. It has no permanent collection, but instead has several temporary exhibitions running at any time, showcasing a wide range of historic and contemporary photography, across styles and geographies. Exhibitions can cover everything from Black British identity, to photography on album covers, to photography using cutting edge technology. Also home…
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Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum
Read more: Polish Institute and Sikorski MuseumA 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…
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Royal Academy of Arts
Read more: Royal Academy of ArtsOne of London’s most historic and prestigious art institutions, founded 1768, housed in the beautiful Burlington House. Nowadays it’s most famous for the Summer Exhibition, where anyone can enter their art to be shown (which if you’re in London during, is REALLY worth visiting, at least once). Throughout the rest of the year it hosts…
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Royal Academy of Music Museum
Read more: Royal Academy of Music MuseumThe Royal Academy of Music (still an active education space)’s collection, including historic and rare instruments and original manuscripts from composers.
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Royal Mews (Buckingham Palace)
Read more: Royal Mews (Buckingham Palace)Part of Buckingham Palace, but entered separately and with a separate ticket. Home to the royal collection of stables and a collection of carriages and coaaches used by the Royal Family. Highlight includes the Gold State Coach, used in the coronation of both Elizabeth II and Charles III.
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Serpentine Galleries
Read more: Serpentine GalleriesA 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.
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Sherlock Holmes Museum
Read more: Sherlock Holmes MuseumA musueum at the real 221B Baker Street, address of the world famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Aims to recreate Holmes’ world through Victorian style rooms, including his ‘study’, filled with items referenced in the stories and guides in costume. Also home to the largest collection of Sherlock Holmes gifts and memorabilia in the world.
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Shirley Windmill
Read more: Shirley WindmillA grade II listed, restored 1854 tower windmill offering Sunday tours. Most of the original machinery is still in place, give an insight into milling history.
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Somerset House
Read more: Somerset HouseA huge, neo-classical building on the River Thames, which hosts exhibitions – often contemporary art, but also exhibitions about photography and design. Also worth visiting if you’re in the area for the stunning courtyard and fountain.
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Spencer House
Read more: Spencer HouseA rare 18th-century noble townhouse, describing itself as one of the finest buildings ever built in London, and home to extremely opulent, well-looked after state rooms. Visited by guided tour, providing an insight into the lives of Britain’s aristocracy.
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Tate Britain
Read more: Tate BritainOne 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.
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The Guards Museum
Read more: The Guards MuseumTells the story of the five regiments of Foot Guards who guard the Royal Palaces (the ones with the big fluffy hats). The museum’s display follows these regiments’ histories from the English Civil War to modern conflicts.
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The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Read more: The King’s Gallery, Buckingham PalacePreviously known as the Queen’s Gallery, a public art gallery within Buckingham Palace that showcases work from the Royal Collection on a rotating basis. Exhibitions often explore members of the Royal Family, its history and fashion, as well as its vast collection of art and photography.
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The Showroom
Read more: The ShowroomA 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
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Twinings Museum (Tea)
Read more: Twinings Museum (Tea)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.
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Valence House Museum
Read more: Valence House MuseumDagenham’s only surviving Manor House, dating back to Medieval times. Exhibitions tell the story of the boroughs history, and the history building is still partly surrounded by a moat.
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Wallace Collection
Read more: Wallace CollectionA 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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Wellington Arch
Read more: Wellington ArchThe iconic triumphal arch at Hyde Park Corner. Inside is a small museum about the arch’s history and World War One, and at the top you’re rewarded with views over the park.
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Wesminster Abbey and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries
Read more: Wesminster Abbey and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee GalleriesOne of the key locations in British history, Westminster Abbey is a large Anglican church complex that has hosted the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs since 1066. Thousands of people are buried here, including former kings and queens, as well as prominent figures such as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and several…
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