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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Arsenal Football Club Museum
Read more: Arsenal Football Club MuseumThe museum at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, dedicated to the clubs history from its 19th century origins in Woolwich to present day. Filled with memorabilia, trivia, history and interactive exhibits. Included as part of a stadium tour, but can be visited separately.
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Bentley Priory Museum
Read more: Bentley Priory MuseumA historic stately home which was the RAF’s Fighter Command HQ during World War Two. It tells the story of the Battle of Britain and the people who contributed to victory. It features interactive exhibits, and the opportunity to sit in a replica Spitfire cockpit. There’s also information about the history of the building and…
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Centre for Recent Drawing (C4RD)
Read more: Centre for Recent Drawing (C4RD)A volunteer-run small art gallery devoted to current drawing practice. Provides non-commercial exhibition space for emerging and established artists to show drawings free from market pressures.
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Charlton House
Read more: Charlton HouseOne of the best examples of Jacobean manor houses in London. You can explore and learn about its rich history and its walled garden. Also includes the exhibition ‘Living in Greenwich: Tales Through Time’, showcasing its collection.
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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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Cutty Sark
Read more: Cutty SarkThe Cutty Sark is a former tea clipper, and was the fastest ship of its time. It’s now an immersive experience: explore its deck and cargo hold, take the ship’s wheel, and discover what life was sea was like. Below the ship you can see the Cutty Sark dramatically suspended above you – on the…
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Discover Greenwich (Greenwich Visitor Centre)
Read more: Discover Greenwich (Greenwich Visitor Centre)An exhibition introducing the history of Greenwich, including details about the former Tudor palace once located here and movies and TV filmed in the area. Part of the Old Royal Naval College, but can also be visited separately (ticketed).
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Dorich House Museum
Read more: Dorich House MuseumThe former studio-home of sculptor Dora Gordine, in a 1930s Art Deco house close to Richmond Park. Displays Gordine’s sculptures and studio spaces, preserved as they were. Also home to an important collection of Russian art, part of Gordine’s personal collection.
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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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Eltham Palace & Gardens
Read more: Eltham Palace & GardensA dizzying fusion of architectural styles. A medieval palace which was then further developed during Henry VIII’s time, who spent much of his childhood in here. After the Civil War it fell out of favour and much of it was abandoned. The Great Hall where Henry VIII once ate and dance beacme a farm barn.…
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Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
Read more: Estorick Collection of Modern Italian ArtThe UKs only gallery devoted to modern Italian art, best known for its Futurist masterpieces and figurative art and sculpture dating from 1890 to the 1950s. Housed in a Grade II listed Georgian villa in Canonbury. As well as its permanent collection it hosts temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary Italian artists
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Headstone Manor & Museum
Read more: Headstone Manor & MuseumHarrow’s local history museum, and one of London’s best borough museums, in the historic Headstone Manor complex. Across the complex are four historic buildings – including Headstone Manor itself (a moated manor house) and the Great Barn, a 500 year old farm building. Inside Headstone Manor are interactive exhibits on Harrows past.
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Heath Robinson Museum
Read more: Heath Robinson MuseumA gallery dedicated to the work of William Heath Robinson, a cartoonist, illustrator and artists. It also hosts playful temporary exhibitions.
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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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Islington Museum
Read more: Islington MuseumThe local heritage museum for the Borough of Islington. Its galleries cover themes community and social history, including fashion , food healthcare, wartime Islington and radicals. Includes a bust of Lenin who lived in the borough.
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Kingston Museum
Read more: Kingston MuseumA small museum exploring the history of Kingston upon Thames. Notable collections include ‘Town of Kings’, exploring the borough’s royal history, and ‘Eadweard Muybridge’, about the pioneering Victorian photographer who was from the area. Also has a small art gallery which showcases temporary exhibitions.
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London Canal Museum
Read more: London Canal MuseumA museum devoted to the history of London’s waterways, exploring the story of canals in London – how they came to be built, the lives of the workers, and how they worked. Housed in a 19th-century ice warehouse it also tells the story of London’s ice industry. Highlights include peering into huge Victorian ice wells…
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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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Museum of Methodism
Read more: Museum of MethodismA small museum about the history of Methodism, housed in its spiritual home – the Methodist church built under the direction of its founder, John Wesley. Next door is Wesley’s former home, which can also be visited.
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Museum of the Order of St John
Read more: Museum of the Order of St JohnOne of London’s hidden gem museums, telling the history of the Order of St John – from its medieval origins, to the modern day St John Ambulance.
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National Maritime Museum
Read more: National Maritime MuseumBritains premier maritime museum and the largest of its kind in the world. A must-visit for maritime history enthusiasts, with exhibitions immersing visitors in naval history – a higlight is the jacket Admiral Nelson war at the Battle of Trafalgar – and home to ships and boats from all across the world. A Fijian canoe,…
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Old Royal Naval College (Painted Hall)
Read more: Old Royal Naval College (Painted Hall)Greenwich’s architectural gem, designed by Sir Christopher Wren originally as a hospital for injured Seamen before becoming a naval college. It’s now most famous for the iconic Painted Hall, a Baroque masterpiece by Sir James Thornhill. More than 3,700 square metres of Baroque art cover the walls and ceilings, depicting kings, queens, naval glory and…
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Old Speech Room Gallery, Harrow School
Read more: Old Speech Room Gallery, Harrow SchoolThe art collection of Harrow School, a prestiguous boarding school for boys. Features a wide range of treasures, including 19th century European watercolours; Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities; 19th century Japanese prints. The gallery rotates which parts of its collection are visible, through temporary exhibitions each term.
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Ranger’s House (Wernher Collection)
Read more: Ranger’s House (Wernher Collection)A bit of a hidden gem in Greenwich Park, Ranger’s House is an elegant Georgian villa (its exterior used in Bridgerton!) home to the private art collection of Sir Julius Wernher. It’s a treasure trove for art enthusiasts, home to nearly 700 works including paintings by the Old Masters and an eclectic mix of decorative…
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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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Stanley Picker Gallery
Read more: Stanley Picker GalleryA small university art gallery, showcasing students and local artists.
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The Charterhouse
Read more: The CharterhouseA historic building with a multi-layered history – having been a medieval monastry, a Tudor mansion, and a school. You can explore this history through its well-preserved rooms, its garden and its museum
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The Fan Museum
Read more: The Fan MuseumThe first museum in the world dedicated to hand fans, located across two Grade II* Georgian buildings. Home to more than 6,000 fans displaying exquisite craftmanship and an astonishing range of artistry. The oldest dates to the 11th century. The collection will also be of interest to art lovers – it includes a fan with…
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The Postal Museum (with Mail Rail)
Read more: The Postal Museum (with Mail Rail)A museum about the history of post in the UK, with interactive and immersive displays. Its highlight is the Mail Rail – a small train running underground, originally used to transport mail across the city, which you can ride as part of your visit and learn about its history.
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The Queen’s House
Read more: The Queen’s HouseA former royal villa and one of Greenwich’s most beautiful buildings, now an art gallery. Designed by Inigo Jones, setting the blueprint for the rest of maritime Greenwich. Highlights include a painting by Gainsborough; a famous portrait of Queen Elizabeth I and the Tulip Stairs – its dizzying, elegant staircase, the first unsupported spiral stairs…
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The Royal Observatory
Read more: The Royal ObservatoryAn observatory in Greenwich Park which played a huge role in the history of astronomy and navigation. Also the birthplace of modern timekeeping, home to the Prime Meridian line (giving us Greenwich Mean Time). Excellent exhibitions about time and space; one of the UK’s largest telescopes; and a world-class modern planetarium.
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University of Greenwich Galleries
Read more: University of Greenwich GalleriesGalleries within the University of Greenwich, including the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, showcasing temporary exhibitions, often focused on contemporary art or local heritage.
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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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