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!
A small museum dedicated to the world’s oldest underwater tunnel and the iconic Sir Marc Isambard Brunel who designed it. It’s housed in the original 1843 engine house of Brunel’s Thames Tunnel. There’s also the opportunity to see the Grade II* listed Tunnel Shaft which once served as the Grand Entrance Hall for Victorian visitors.
A hands-on museum on the site of London’s medieval Clink prison. It aims to showcase what the prison was like, filled with gruesome stories and torture implements.
The 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.
The world’s first purpose-built public art gallery, home to an important collection of art by the old masters. You’ll find many big hitters here – including works by Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Van Dyck. The building is a landmark in its own right – designed by John Soane, its been a core influence on art galleries…
Contemporary fashion museum, founded by designer Zandra Rhodes. It hosts rotating exhibitions of fashion, textiles, and costume design – check what’s on, it hosts a wide range of stuff which will be of interest to many people. For example past exhibitions have covered the textiles of Andy Warhol, to how texiles have been used for…
A full-scale replica of the Golden Hinde, the ship captained by Sir Francis Drake which became the first English ship to circumnavigate the globe. A very kid-friendly museum, with immersive and interactive experiences for children to learn about history in an engaging way. Also great for history buffs – built using traditional methods, with an…
An iconic WWII Royal Navy warship museum moored on the Thames. You can explore its lower and upper decks to see what life was like for those onboard – all of its cabins are presented as they were, including the Mess Decks, the Sick Bay, and the opportunity to hold the steering wheel. Exhibitions explore…
The home of artist Stephen Wright, who has spent years covering with artworks, sculptures and designs with found objects – made up of things he buys at flea markets, or donated by visitors. Every inch is covered with mosaics, riots of colour, sculpture. And… many, many creepy dolls. An utterly unique place to visit.
A 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.
A unique industrial museum, home to engineer David Kirkaldy’s colossal Universal Testing Machine, which he designed to test building components, and other testing machines. For over a century, Kirkaldy, his team, and later his descendants tested materials of every kind, from metal to wooden beams, for major projects such as Hammersmith Bridge and the Sydney…
A unique medical museum in the attic of an 18th century church, home to Europe’s oldest surviving surgical theatre for female patients. Provides insight into the history of medicine and Victorian surgery, back before anaesthetics and antiseptics. As well as exploring the old operating theatre, you can see the Herb Garrett above, which was used…
A reconstruction of Shakespeare’s 16th century Globe Theatre. As well as its live productions in an authentic historic environment, it offers guided tours, during which you’ll learn about Shakespeare’s London and visit the Theatre’s exhibition space.
A contemporary public art gallery in Peckham, which has been going for 125 years and has a reputation for cutting edge exhibition showcasing modern art.
A small showcase of Southwark’s historic collection, including local history displays, artefacts from the Cuming Collection (which used to be housed in the Cuming Museum) and works from the borough’s collection of art. Housed within Walworth Library.
One of London’s premier art galleries, famous for its absolutely ginormous collection of 20th and 21st century art, and blockbuster temporary exhibitions. You could spend all day exploring its free permanent collection and still not see everything. For me, the highlight is the ‘Artist and Society’ section, which explores the interaction between politics and art,…
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