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!
The 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.
A small museum dedicated to Jewish and immigrant artists in Britain, focusing n themes of migration, identity and social change. It aims to showcase and celebrate the Jewish, refugee and immigrant contribution to British visual culture.
An archive and heritage centre devoted to Black British History. Temporarily closed as a museum, but continues to host events and tours of its exhibition.
A 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…
Hackney’s local museum, exploring over 1,000 years of history. This includes exhibitions on Saxon Hackney all the way through to its modern, diverse identity and rich history of migration. It’s all presented in an engaging, family-friendly way and is know for being an inclusive community resource with plenty of interactive elements for children.
The 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.
The Museum of London’s East London branch, set in a Grade I listed warehouse on the Isle of Dogs. It tells the story of London’s port and the Thames, from the rise and fall of the docks to the Blitz. Highlights include atmospheric recreated dockside streets, plenty of interactive exhibits and a Mudlarks family gallery,…
The world’s only museum of the home, exploring home life and how homes have evolved and changed over the past 500 years. Includes ‘Rooms through time’, which features period rooms showing how lives in London have changed – from 1630 to 2049, across different cultures – and ‘Gardens through time’. A unique and thought-provoking museum.…
The world’s first permanent museum dedicated to youth culture, opening 20 June 2026 in Camden. Across three new galleries it will explore youth culture, and how British subcultures, from post-war teens to acid house ravers, have shaped the mainstream.
London’s largest Victorian Ragged School, which served some of the poorest children in the East End. It aims to recreate what life was like for Victorian children (it has a reconstructed Victorian classroom, where they host ‘Victorian lessons’). Exhibits also showcase the history of the school, its founder (Dr Barnardo) and what life was like…
A newly refurbished community museum covering 150,000 – everything from how medieval manors shaped modern Redbridge, to the boroughs links to the British empire, Victorian orphanages and its modern, multicultural community.
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.
The latest branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum, opening up more of its huge collection up to visitors. The V&A East Museum will focus on art and design over five floors – with its permanent gallery ‘Why We Make’ exploring and celebrating design and creativity through over 500 objects across global art, design and…
The storehouse for the some of the V&A’s vast collection not on display in the main museum, allowing you to get a behind-the-scenes look. Across three levels are public walkways to see the museum store at work and some of its collection. There are also mini displays showcasing the collection, and free group sessions highlighting…
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