The British Museum
The world's first public national museum, open since 1759 in the heart of Bloomsbury. Around eight million objects span human history from ancient Egypt to the present, and general admission is free every day.
The world's first public national museum, open since 1759 in the heart of Bloomsbury. Around eight million objects span human history from ancient Egypt to the present, and general admission is free every day.
Inscribed in 196 BC with the same decree in three scripts, this stone was the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. It's one of the most visited single objects in the museum.
Also known as the Elgin Marbles, these carvings once decorated the Parthenon in Athens. Their presence in London remains one of the museum's longest-running repatriation disputes.
The museum holds one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities outside Cairo, including mummies, coffins, and funerary objects spanning thousands of years.
General admission covers the permanent collection. Confirm current details for any ticketed loan or special exhibitions on the official museum website.
General admission has no charge, like all UK national museums, making it one of the most accessible major collections in the world.
Around eight million objects document human history and culture from its beginnings to the present, across more than ninety galleries.
Robert Smirke's Greek Revival facade and the glass-roofed Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, the largest covered square in Europe, are landmarks in their own right.
Is the British Museum free to visit?
Yes. General admission is free every day, like all UK national museums. Some loan and special exhibitions charge a separate fee.
What are the must-see objects?
The Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Sculptures (the Elgin Marbles) are the two most famous, alongside the museum's large Egyptian mummy collection, among roughly eight million objects in total.
How do I get to the British Museum?
The museum is on Great Russell Street in Bloomsbury, London. The nearest Underground stations are Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square, and Goodge Street, all a short walk away.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
General admission doesn't require a paid ticket, though the museum has used timed entry booking at busy periods in the past. Confirm the current entry policy on the official museum website before you go.
How long should I plan for a visit?
With around eight million objects across more than ninety galleries, most visitors spend at least two to three hours, and many return more than once to see it all.
Why are the Parthenon Sculptures controversial?
They were removed from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 1800s under Lord Elgin and brought to Britain. Their place in London has been the subject of a long-running repatriation dispute between the UK and Greece.
Founded in 1753 around the collection of physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane, the British Museum opened to the public in 1759 in Montagu House, on the site of the current building. It was the world's first public national museum, free to all visitors from the start.
The museum's Greek Revival facade, designed by Sir Robert Smirke, has stood on Great Russell Street since the 19th century. After the British Library moved to a new site in 1997-98, its former home at the center of Smirke's building was redeveloped into the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, a glass-roofed square that opened in 2000 and is the largest covered public square in Europe.
The collection grew substantially during the era of British colonisation, and some of its best-known holdings, including the Parthenon Sculptures and the Rosetta Stone, remain subject to long-term repatriation claims from the countries they came from.
