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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2 Willow Road
Read more: 2 Willow RoadA 1930s modernist terraced home preserved with original interiors and modern art. Designed by Ernő Goldfinger, a key figure in the Modernist architectural movement
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Burgh House & Hampstead Museum
Read more: Burgh House & Hampstead MuseumAn 18th century Grade I-listed house, also home to the local museum, telling the story of Hampstead and showcasing artists.
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Camden Arts Centre
Read more: Camden Arts CentreVenue for cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions and educational programs, housed in a Victorian building, known for emerging artists and innovative works.
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Charles Dickens Museum
Read more: Charles Dickens MuseumThe 19th-century home of Charles Dickens, arguably London’s most iconic writer, who wrote about the experience of Britain’s working class in the 19th century. In this building on Doughty Street, Dickens wrote some of his most famous works, including Nicholas Nickelby and Oliver Twist. The house showcases a large collection of artefacts linked to Dickens…
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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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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 time in the property (he danced in the Great Hall!). In the 1930s, eccentric millionaires built an art-deco mansion. There are also large, glorious gardens – 19 acres of them – and an awesome…
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Fenton House
Read more: Fenton House17th-century merchants house and a fine example of Georgian architecture. Throughout the house are musical instrument and porcelain collections, and there is a beautiful garden, including a 300 year old orchard.
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Forty Hall & Estate
Read more: Forty Hall & EstateA 17th century manor house with extensive gardens, exhibitions about the house’s history and a farm. Within the grounds is the site of an even older Tudor palace.
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Foundling Museum
Read more: Foundling MuseumA moving museum, telling the story of the Foundling Hospital, a children’s home opened in 1739, making it the first home in England specifically dedicated to caring for abandoned and destitute children. It includes objects left by mothers when they handed their baby over, which would have allowed the hospital to match the child to…
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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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Keats House
Read more: Keats HouseFormer home of Romantic poet John Keats, showcasing his life and work with manuscripts and the garden that inspired his poetry.
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Kenwood House
Read more: Kenwood HouseA stately home on Hampstead Heath, built in the 17th century and remodelled in the 18th. Famous for its elegant interiors, landscaped gardens, and world-class art collection – including work by Rembrandt.
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Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Read more: Library and Museum of FreemasonryA museum about the history of freemasonry, inside the impressive art deco Freemasons Hall. Exhibitions display regalia and ritual objects, and cover three centuries of Freemasonry in England. You can also take a guided tour which allows you to visit the Grand Temple. The Freemasons are a centuries-old fraternal organisation often shrouded in mistory, and…
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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, more than 3,700 square matres of Baroque art covering the walls and ceilings, depicting kings, queens, naval glory and mythological creaters. It’s often called Britain’s Sistine…
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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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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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Royal College of Physicians Museum
Read more: Royal College of Physicians MuseumA museum in England’s oldest medical college, founded over 500 years ago by a Royal Charter from King Henry VIII. A collection showcasing centuries of medical history and the evolution of medicine. Its huge collection includes rare artefacts, ancient apothecary jars, old anotomical tables and a portrait collection. Also home to a Medicinal Garden, with…
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Sir John Soane’s Museum
Read more: Sir John Soane’s MuseumThe preserved home of neoclassical architect Sir John Soane, preserved as it was at the time of his death in 1837 and home to his vast, varied collection with artefacts from all over the globe. Also hosts a number of free to visit exhibitions, usually around architecture or art.
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Stephens Collection (Stephens House)
Read more: Stephens Collection (Stephens House)A historic mansion with landscaped gardens, owned by Henry Charles Stephens – an ink businessman. The gardens are free to visit, but the house is by guided tour only.
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The British Museum
Read more: The British MuseumOne of the world’s most famous and London’s most visited museum, guiding you through Global history, with artefacts from every corner of the world. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone and the Benin Bronzes. It also hosts exceptional temporary exhibitions, among the best in London.
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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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