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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575 Wandsworth Road
Read more: 575 Wandsworth RoadAn unassuming Georgian terraced house which on the inside is utterly beautiful, covered in hand-carved fretwork, decorated by its former owner poet Khadambi Asalache. A tiny marvel and one of London’s artistic hidden treasures.
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All Hallows-by-the-Tower Crypt Museum
Read more: All Hallows-by-the-Tower Crypt MuseumA 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.
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Bank of England Museum
Read more: Bank of England MuseumA 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.
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Barbican Art Gallery
Read more: Barbican Art GalleryAn art gallery showcasing rotating exhibitions of international artists, in the iconic brutalist Barbican complex.
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Battle of Britain Bunker
Read more: Battle of Britain BunkerAn underground WWII operations room at RAF Uxbridge, crucial during the Battle of Britain – fighter aircraft operations took place here during the Battle of Britain and D-Day. A visit includes a tour of the original underground bunker and Operations Room – and above ground is a state of the art, modern exhibition exploring the…
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Black Cultural Archives
Read more: Black Cultural ArchivesAn archive and heritage centre devoted to Black British History. Temporarily closed as a museum, but continues to host events and tours of its exhibition.
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British Airways Speedbird Heritage Centre
Read more: British Airways Speedbird Heritage CentreBritish Airways’ heritage centre, featuring the airlines memorabilia, aircraft models and artefacts like vintage aircraft seats.
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British Red Cross Museum and Archives
Read more: British Red Cross Museum and ArchivesThis 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.
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Bruce Castle Museum
Read more: Bruce Castle MuseumA Grade I listed, 16th century manor house, which is also home to the museum of the London Borough of Haringey. Its collection includes artefacts from the past and present of Haringey’s neighbourhoods (including Tottenham, and Tottenham Hotspurs memorabilia!). The former grounds of the manor house are now a large public park. As of 2025,…
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Dr Johnson’s House
Read more: Dr Johnson’s HouseThe former home of Dr Samuel Johnson, where he compiled his famous and influential Dictionary of the English Language. As well as exhibitions about his life and work, you can explore the period rooms and gain a sense of 18th-century literary life in London.
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Florence Nightingale Museum
Read more: Florence Nightingale MuseumA museum celebrating the pioneer of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. Explores her life, how she pioneered nursing during the Crimean War, and her campaign for better nursing. A highlight is the lamp that gave her her famous nickname: ‘the lady with the lamp. Well-regarded for its informative and inspiring storytelling.
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Garden Museum
Read more: Garden MuseumA small museum dedicated to British gardening history within a medieval church. Home to lovely gardens (as you’d expect!), and a permanent exhibition about gardening and its history. You can also climb the church’s ancient tower, with views over the Thames.
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Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre
Read more: Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman AmphitheatreAn 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.
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Havering Museum
Read more: Havering MuseumA community museum exploring Havering’s history, from pre-history to the borough’s diverse present. Located in a historic brewery.
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Hayward Gallery
Read more: Hayward GalleryA leading contemporary art gallery which hosts rotating modern art exhibitions. Has a reputation for putting on cutting-edge exhibitions, including immersive installations. Housed in the brutalist monolith of the Southbank Centre on the River Thames.
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Imperial War Museum London
Read more: Imperial War Museum LondonAn excellent museum exploring modern conflict. As well as military vehicles, rockets and artefacts, has excellent permanent exhibitions on the Two World Wars, an award winning and poignant Holocaust exhibition, and a collection of art and photography related to conflict. Its temporary exhibitions are also excellent and free, and the museum’s focus on real people’s…
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Lambeth Palace
Read more: Lambeth PalaceThe historic London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury (still in use), open for guided tours on specific days. One of London’s oldest continuously inhabited residences, and a stunningly preserved example of medieval architecture. Also home to peaceful gardens.
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Lambeth Palace Library
Read more: Lambeth Palace LibraryThe National Library and Archive of the Church of England. Founded in 1610, it holds one of the most important collections of ecclesiastical archives in the world – from medieval manuscripts and early printed books to modern church records, and hosts exhibitions about the history of the Church. Also operates free tours of the library.
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London Mithraeum (Bloomberg SPACE)
Read more: London Mithraeum (Bloomberg SPACE)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.
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Manor Farm (Ruislip)
Read more: Manor Farm (Ruislip)A 22-acre heritage site with a beautiful Tudor manor house and medieval barn, housing a small free museum about Ruislip’s history. The Manor house includes many original features; in the nearby Pram Shed are a collection of historic farming tools.
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Mansion House (The Lord Mayors Residence)
Read more: Mansion House (The Lord Mayors Residence)A Grade I listed Palladian mansion from the 1750s, and the official residence and office of the Lord Mayor of the City of London. Includes the striking Egyptian Hall and a large art collection.
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Markfield Beam Engine & Museum
Read more: Markfield Beam Engine & MuseumA small museum in a Grade II listed engine hall, featuring a restored Victorian steam-powered beam engine. It offers live demonstrations of the steam engine on certain days.
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Pollock’s Toy Museum (Leadenhall Market)
Read more: Pollock’s Toy Museum (Leadenhall Market)The UK’s oldest toy museum – currently split across two locations, Leadenhall Market and Croydon.
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RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre
Read more: RAF Hornchurch Heritage CentreA heritage centre and tribute to RAF Hornchurch, a former Royal Airforce sector station established to protect London during World War One and playing a major role in the Battle of Britain. Immersive wartime displays and personal stories walk you through the history of the site, with exhibition rooms on topics such as ‘Battle of…
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Rainham Hall
Read more: Rainham HallA beautifully preserved Georgian house with rotating exhibitions on the house’s history and a tranquil garden. Recently reopened following a £2.5m conservation project.
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South London Botanical Institute
Read more: South London Botanical InstituteA small Victorian-era institute dedicated to botany, featuring a historic herbarium and peaceful botanic garden, with themed sections, including a collection of carniverous plants.
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St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum
Read more: St Bartholomew’s Hospital MuseumA museum charting 900 years of medical care at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, with artefacts such as the 1546 refoundation agreement between Henry VIII and the City of London.
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St Pauls Cathedral
Read more: St Pauls CathedralLondon’s iconic domed cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London.with religious art and architecture. Includes the crypt, which is the final resting place of Sir Christopher Wren and the DUke of Wellington,; a Whispering Gallery; and panoramic views across London from the dome.
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The Cinema Museum
Read more: The Cinema MuseumA volunteer-run museum of cinema memorabilia housed in a former workhouse. Focused on cinema before the age of the multiplex, with a collection going back to the 1890s.
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Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia
Read more: Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of NostalgiaA treasure-filled medieval barn with over 500 years of history. Focused on agriculture, with a wide range of historic agricultural artefacts. But over time its collection has expanded to all sorts – from kitchen materials, to old TVs, toys and craft items. It calls itself the ‘Museum of Nostalgia’.
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Upminster Windmill
Read more: Upminster WindmillOne of London’s four remaining historic windmills, dating to 1803. Offers a chance to explore the Windmill, learn about its history and the role of windpower.
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