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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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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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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Chelsea FC Museum
Read more: Chelsea FC MuseumThe museum at Stamford Bridge, telling the story of Chelsea FC and visited as part of a stadium tour. Features trophies, VR, memorabilia, and stadium access.
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Emery Walker’s House
Read more: Emery Walker’s HouseThe former home of Emery Walker, an important figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and close friend of William Morris. Beautifully preserved with its interiors almost exactly as they were when Walker lived here, described as “the last authentic Arts and Crafts interior in Britain”.
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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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Fulham Palace
Read more: Fulham PalaceFor over 1,300 years, this was the home of the Bishops of London. Now you can explore its history through its preserved rooms and museum, as well as explore its 13 acres of gardens with exotic plants. Other highlights are its Tudor Hall and its archaeological finds (the site is still being excavated, with findings…
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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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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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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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Honeywood Museum
Read more: Honeywood MuseumA historic house in the London borough of Sutton, dating back to the mid-17th century. It reopened to visitors in 2012 after a refurbishment, and is home to exhibitions about the local area and the house itself.
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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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Irish Cultural Centre
Read more: Irish Cultural CentreAn Irish culture centre which hosts exhibitions and art exhibitions throughout the year.
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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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Little Holland House
Read more: Little Holland HouseA bit of a hidden gem in South West London, the Grade II listed former home of Frank Dickinson, part fof the Arts and Crafts movement. The house was designed by Dickinson himself, inspired by William Morris.
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M P BIRLA MILLENNIUM ART GALLERY
Read more: M P BIRLA MILLENNIUM ART GALLERYA small gallery with rotating exhibits of art across cultures and generations – especially focused on Indian art and culture.
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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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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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Roca London Gallery
Read more: Roca London GalleryA gallery designed by Zaha Hadid Architects with cutting edge exhibitions on architecture and design. Within a showroom for Roca, who make bathrooms.
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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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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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Whitehall Historic House
Read more: Whitehall Historic HouseA Grade II* listed Tudor manor house, home to exhibitions about the local area and the building’s former inhabitants.
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William Morris Society Museum
Read more: William Morris Society MuseumThe smaller of London’s two museums on William Morris, in the home he lived in his final years. Rich with his work and information about his life, of interest to Arts & Crafts lovers.
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