Following on from our article the Best FREE Museums in London – Part 1, we continue our quest to find the top London museums that will cost you not a penny to enter. Although none of these next museums is as large as those featured in Part 1, none of them is small. Most of them are important institutions in their own right. Pretty much all of them are world-renowned in their respective fields. However, the museums listed in Part 1 tend to take so much of the glory that these next ten don’t often get the attention they rightly deserve. If you do visit one, then you will have an experience that the majority of people who visit London miss.
Guildhall Galleries
The Guildhall Galleries are a collection of eight different attractions that tell the story of the City of London. These are the Roman Amphitheatre, Guildhall Great Hall, City of London Heritage Gallery, Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Library, City of London Police Museum, The City Centre, and St Lawrence Jewry.
The City of London is an area of approximately one square mile that stands on the site of the ancient Roman city of Londinium. It is where the story of London began. It is the area that was destroyed by the Great Fire and was where people such as William Shakespeare, Thomas Cromwell, Samuel Pepys and Samuel Johnson all lived and worked. If you are looking for history, then the City of London has it in abundance – it is everywhere beneath your feet.
Today, the area is an absorbing mix of the historical and the modern. Glass skyscrapers sit alongside medieval churches, and ancient traditions that have existed for hundreds of years are still a regular feature of city life. The City of London was very heavily bombed during the Blitz and is the reason why there is so much modern construction. Thankfully, enough historical buildings survived to mean this is still an incredibly fascinating place to visit.
The City of London can feel like an odd place at weekends. It is now one of the biggest financial centres anywhere in the world. Thousands of people work here, but very few people live here. Large parts of the city can feel deserted at weekends, and it is worth checking the opening hours of the Guildhall Galleries before visiting.
The various galleries have different entrances, but they are all accessed from Guildhall Yard. When you enter this ancient space, take a moment to find the black stones set into the floor. They map out a circle which shows the outline of the remains of the Roman amphitheatre that now sit below ground.
Choosing our recommended highlights from these eight distinct attractions has been no easy task. This short introduction to the Guildhall Galleries barely gives them the attention they deserve. There is so much history here that we highly recommended visiting. Our favourites things to see are:
1. London’s Roman Amphitheatre was built in 70 CE, initially constructed in wood but later rebuilt in stone; it was the site of executions, fights and bloody combat amongst gladiators. Located beneath Guildhall Yard, it could hold several thousand people and the visible remains are an incredible sight.
2. Construction began on the Guildhall Great Hall in 1411 making this one of the oldest buildings in London. It has survived the Great Fire of London, as well as the Blitz during the Second World War. Stepping into the Great Hall feels like you are entering an ancient cathedral rather than a civic building.
3. Although not one of the four original copies of Magna Carta that have survived from 1215 and the reign of King John, this is still an incredibly important document in English history. Magna Carta was later reconfirmed several times by other kings and this one, dating from 1297 and the reign of Edward I, is one of those. Sadly, it is not always on display, so please check before you visit.
For more details, visit their official website: Guildhall Galleries.
National Army Museum
Appropriately, the National Army Museum is located a stone’s throw from the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the famous Chelsea Pensioners. It is the British Army’s central museum and has recently completed a multi-million-pound modernisation programme. It covers the history of the British Army from the time of the English Civil War to today.
The museum consists of five main galleries: Army, Battle, Insight, Society and Soldier. The Army Gallery explores fundamental questions such as why we have an army, and will we always need one. The Battle Gallery covers how the British Army has gone about war fighting over the centuries. The Insight Gallery explores the impact that the army has on society and the world at large. The Society Gallery discusses our relationship with the military. Finally, the Soldier Gallery investigates what it is like to serve as a soldier, from signing up to leaving.
There is an eclectic mix of artefacts on display within the museum. There is everything you would expect from a military museum, such as weaponry, medals and uniforms, but there are also fine art portraits, recruitment posters as well as other works of art. Among the uniforms on display is the Auxiliary Transport Service uniform worn by Her Majesty the Queen during the Second World War.
The National Army Museum doesn’t feel like a typical military museum. Rather than wooden cabinets full of military silverware, or row upon row of medals displayed without any sort of description, it is modern and interactive. For those seeking a gun and ammo fix then that is still available, but you certainly don’t have to be a military historian to enjoy visiting. The highlights that we recommend seeing are:
1. It is not only humans that we send to war. On display in the museum is the skeleton of Napoleon’s Warhorse, known as Marengo. It belonged to the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, and would carry him through some of his greatest battles including at Austerlitz and Waterloo. Marengo was wounded eight times during his military service, which makes you realise how much animals also suffer when we send them to war.
2. E. Lawrence was a British army officer who fought behind enemy lines with Arab guerrilla forces during World War One. Immortalised rather poetically as Lawrence of Arabia, he encouraged the Arabs to revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Known as the Great Arab Revolt, his actions play a role in bringing down the Ottoman Empire as well as helping the Allies to victory in the First World War. Lawrence of Arabia’s Robes that he wore during his time the Middle East, are on display in the museum.
3. A First World War Battle Tunic worn by Captain George Johnson of 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment) is a simple yet poignant exhibit. There is an abundance of tunics on display in the National Army Museum, but this one is different. During the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Captain Johnson was severely wounded. The right sleeve was of his tunic was cut away so that they could treat his wounds and his blood stains are still clearly visible. They give some indication of the pain, horror and suffering this young soldier must have experienced.
For more details, visit their official website: National Army Museum.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
This fascinating museum is part of University College London and has a collection of over eighty thousand artefacts from Egypt and Sudan. Its collection is important enough to rival most of the significant Egyptology museums from across the globe. For what is essentially a specialised university museum, it does punch well above its weight in terms of importance. We love that it is a place of research and that has opened its doors to the public.
The Petrie Museum feels like a university museum. There is no grand entrance. The museum is in Bloomsbury and housed in a rather nondescript university building that is part of the University College London campus. There is no overpriced café. Nor are there dozens of slick, interactive experiences. Instead, as one review on Tripadvisor says, “it is less a museum and more like they invited the public in to look at all the interesting stuff they are storing in glass cabinets”. The Petrie Museum itself often refers to its displays as visible storage. That said, this is an old-fashioned museum that is packed to the rafters with stunning artefacts.
The Petrie Museum focuses on the people who once lived in the Nile Valley. It contains artefacts that were made tens as thousands of years ago as well as some that are only a hundred years old. The vast majority of objects are from the time of the Pharaohs and are at last two thousand years old. They include sculpture, carvings, glassware, beads, skeletons, fragments of clothing and a huge variety of everyday items.
With so many objects piled high in the display cases, choosing three items you should not miss is no easy task. All the artefacts are fascinating and significant, but none are world-famous (at least to the non-expert). That said, we think that the following artefacts are the objects you should seek out when you visit:
1. The Tarkhan Dress is made from linen and is at least 4,500 years old. It was discovered during an archaeological dig in 1912. Initially dismissed as being unimportant, it lay in storage for another sixty-five years until Rosalind Janssen rediscovered it in 1977. It is the oldest example of a constructed garment anywhere in the world.
2. The Hawara Funeral Portraits are Roman era funeral paintings that depict lifelike images of real people. Imagine what it must be like to look at portraits of people who died over two thousand years ago? The Petrie Museum has fifty-three of them. It is the most extensive collection anywhere in the world outside of Egypt. These portraits are truly fascinating objects and are some of the oldest lifelike images in existence.
3. The Memphis Race Heads were all discovered in an excavation near the Egyptian city of Memphis. Somewhat controversially today, Flinders Petrie, the founder of the Petrie Museum, used them to teach about race and racial types. He believed he could do this by looking at different structural features in the face. What makes them so fascinating is that they show the diversity of people that once lived in the ancient city of Memphis.
For more details, visit their official website: Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
Wellcome Collection
The Wellcome Trust is a research charity endowed with the substantial legacies of the pharmaceutical magnate, Sir Henry Wellcome. It is the fourth wealthiest charitable foundation in the world (it’s worth billions) and mostly sponsors research into human health. Its huge endowments mean it can act independently because it does not rely on any external funding or sponsorship.
The trust also sponsors initiatives to improve the public understanding of science. That is the rationale behind the Wellcome Collection and the reason why London has another fantastic FREE museum.
As well as a museum, the collection also has a library and an art gallery. There is a café and restaurant if you need refreshments, as well as a shop where you can pick up some science-related books and gifts. Its exhibits are thought-provoking and should encourage us to think critically about our relationship with health. There are three main galleries – two permanent and one that houses a changing special exhibition. In total, there are over thirteen hundred artefacts on display. The collection has a diverse range of artefacts including Charles Darwin’s walking stick, art by Andy Warhol and Anthony Gormley, as well as a used guillotine blade.
The Wellcome Collection is a fascinating museum. Surprisingly, it is not as well-known as it deserves, but this is a great place to visit. Our selected recommendations for objects you must see are:
1. Unsurprisingly for a museum dedicated to human health, some of the objects can seem pretty gruesome. The display of over sixty Amputation Saws is one that will send a tingle through your spine! Most date back several hundred years and originate from all over Europe. Some are relatively plain, almost like modern carpentry saws, whereas others are ornate and decorative. No matter how pretty they seem, knowing their purpose for will give you a new appreciation for the wonders of modern medicine.
2. Most of us know the story about mad King George III. He was a British ruler who went crazy and ended up losing the American colonies. On display is a lock of his hair. Interestingly, it contains traces of arsenic that, at the time, was used to treat madness. Modern scientists believe that it could have been this treatment that caused the onset of a condition known as porphyria. In other words, the treatment that his doctors were using to treat his other ailments could have been responsible for his insanity.
3. The Human Genome is around three billion base pairs long. The considerable size of this number becomes apparent when you get to see it right in front of you. The museum has a printed version of the human genome that you can read stored in almost thirty A4 binders. Okay, so you may just want to look at it rather than read it, but it is a fascinating document none the less.
For more details, visit their official website: Wellcome Collection.
Sir John Soane Museum
The Sir John Soane Museum is like no other. Located in the former home of the architect Sir John Soane, it displays his collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities that he collected during his lifetime. The museum houses a fantastic collection of artefacts. The building itself, as well as the presentation of exhibits, is a sight to behold. Stepping inside feels like you are entering a Victorian repository rather than usual modern-day museum experience you are used to.
The museum has no information desk, no café and most exhibit labels have only the barest of details. The experience of wandering through the house is as enjoyable as learning about the objects on display. As an architect, Sir John was able to turn the presentation of the collection itself into a piece of art. The house and the art displayed within are left almost exactly as it was on the day he died.
The Sir John Soane Museum displays an eclectic mix of objects. It has fine art by the likes of Canaletto, William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds and JMW Turner, and it has over thirty-thousand architectural drawings. It has furniture from India, antiquities from Egypt and classical art from Greece and Rome. It is a collection that makes sense when seen through the eyes of the person who acquired it. Sir John bought items that interested him, and the modern-day experience is all the better for it.
In a museum that is full to bursting with incredible artefacts, our recommended highlights are:
1. The Sarcophagus of Seti I was created to entomb the Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I. Carved from alabaster, it dates from at least 1279 BCE making it the oldest artefact in the museum and one of the oldest in London. It was bought by Sir John in 1824, at the cost of £2,000 after the British Museum had decided that the asking price was too high.
2. The artist William Hogarth produced a series of paintings known as A Rake’s Progress between 1732 – 34. They depict the life of Tom Rakewell, a young man who comes to London but wastes his fortune on gambling and prostitutes, is sent to prison for debt, before finally ending his days in a lunatic asylum.
3. You can only visit The Model Room as part of a guided tour, so be sure to book onto one. On display is several architectural models made from either cork or plaster. This intimate collection of models includes subjects such as the city of Pompeii and other buildings from ancient Greece.
For more details, visit their official website: Sir John Soane Museum.
Design Museum
The Design Museum is in leafy Kensington, just south of Holland Park. It is a short walk from the museum cluster of the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington. The museum is in an architecturally brilliant building that was previously home to the Commonwealth Institute. Its magnificent spaces feel perfectly suited to a museum dedicated to good design and architecture.
The museum displays help to educate and inform visitors about designs that have helped to shape the modern world. The collection includes iconic designs made in the world of fashion, architecture, transport, furniture as well as digital and physical products. It has a range of artefacts from the Industrial Revolution right up to the modern-day. They include everyday objects such as road signs, cups and the humble zip, as well as more iconic items, such as the Apple iBook, Vespa scooter and the Singer Sewing Machine.
Most of the objects on display at the Design Museum will be familiar to you. Although many of them are iconic, lots of them are household items (I guess that is the point). Our three recommended highlights try and go beyond the mundane and are a little bit special:
1. One of the icons of design, especially for Londoners, has to be Harry Beck’s London Underground Map. All other maps at the time focused on distance and geographical accuracy. Beck’s map simply showed passengers what station was next on the line. His training as a technical draughtsman allowed him to reduce something very complicated into something very simple — the design now the default template for various underground railways networks across the world.
2. In the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics, eight thousand specially designed torches carried the Olympic flame around the UK. The London Olympic Torch is another design icon that has a special place in the hearts of Londoners. The London 2012 Summer Olympics were considered a huge success. The torch relay in the preceding months helped whet the nation’s appetite for what was to come.
3. The Design Museum is pretty peaceful and laid-back, but the Sackler Library and Archive are even quieter (as every library should be!). It contains books about architecture, fashion, design and transport. There is not a vast collection of books, but it does have comprehensive coverage of its chosen topics. We find it is a great way to complement the knowledge you gain from visiting the museum itself. It is open to anyone who wants to visit.
For more details, visit their official website: Design Museum.
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the UK. It is a legal deposit library which means it receives a copy of every book produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as a large proportion of those from other countries if they are distributed in the UK. It contains around two-hundred million items in its collection, including some of the most important books, manuscripts, maps and documents from British history.
The British Library is an institution dedicated to serious research. To be able to gain access to the collection, you will need to register for a Reading Pass. However, if you’d prefer to admire some of the library’s highlights, then there is a public exhibition space called the John Ritblat Gallery. This houses what are known as the Treasures of the British Library. For once, the word treasure is not an exaggeration. Here you will find Jane Austin’s writing desk, Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s diary, letters written by Alan Turing, a Leonardo da Vinci notebook, a copy of Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia, and the Anglo-Saxon Mappa Mundi.
The variety and the historical importance of the objects on display here are quite astonishing. Compared to some other galleries, the number of items on display is relatively small. There may only be around two hundred exhibits, but each of them holds significant historical importance. The objects on display here definitely abide by the rule of quality over quantity.
Located at the very heart of the library is a massive number of books that are known as the King’s Library. They are on display in a tall glass tower and are books are from the private collection of George III. Consisting of 65,000 books and 19,000 pamphlets, they make for an impressive backdrop to the café! Unfortunately, you are only allowed to admire the collection from the outside although most of them are available for viewing in the Rare Books and Music Reading Room.
It is very tempting to list every exhibit as one that you must see. Regrettably, that would be against our own rules of choosing just three items! After much discussion, these are our recommended highlights:
1. There are only four of the original Magna Carta documents from 1215 that survive, and the British Library holds two of them. Still considered one of the most critical documents in English history, it declared that the law applies to the King as well as to his subjects.
2. The Lindisfarne Gospel is a spectacular illuminated manuscript containing copies of the four Gospels. Believed to have been written by a monk called Eadfrith on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne from around 700 CE, it is one of the greatest surviving treasures of the Anglo-Saxons.
3. All of Shakespeare’s plays were first published together as a single edition in 1623, seven years after the great playwright’s death. Copies of this first edition are known as Shakespeare’s First Folio. The book on display is one of those original publications, known as a First Folio, and one of only two-hundred or so that still survive.
For more details, visit their official website: British Library.
Wallace Collection
This surprising museum displays works of art collected by the first four Marquesses of Hertford, as well as the son of the 4th Marquess, Sir Richard Wallace. The collection was amassed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and given to the nation in 1897. Today it is housed in an elegant building called Hertford House, Manchester Square, the former London home of the Marquesses of Hertford
The Wallace Collection is an incredible museum. It will bring a smile to your face as soon as you walk through the door. Every room in the house is packed with treasures. Just like the Sir John Soane Museum, there is very little interpretation of the objects on display, and there are certainly no slick, interactive exhibits. There are multiple rooms and works of art throughout. Some of the exhibits are pieces of furniture, and you’ll often find yourself wondering what objects are exhibits, and what is simply part of the house. The answer is simply that everything, including the house, is an exhibit!
The collection consists of the house, furniture, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, as well as arms and armour. It houses an extensive collection of European arms and armour, as well as some more exotic pieces from Indian, Persia and Turkey. There are also paintings by greats such as Canaletto, Thomas Gainsborough, Rembrandt, Joshua Reynolds, Peter Paul Rubens, JMW Turner, Titan and Diego Velázquez. The museum also houses one of the largest and most important collections of French furniture anywhere outside of France.
For a museum that is relatively small compared to some of the others on our list, the Wallace Collection has a pretty substantial collection. Trying to choose our recommended three objects has been as challenging as the rest, but we have settled on the following:
1. Created by Canaletto between 1735-44, the Two Views of Venice show the inner harbour of St Marks in Venice, from different perspectives. The paintings are said to be some of Canaletto’s finest work. The 1st Marquess of Hertford acquired both during his tour of Italy in 1738 – 39.
2. The Dutch artist Frans Hals painted The Laughing Cavalier in 1624. It is one of the most famous portraits in the world and is instantly recognisable. A similar picture was used by McEwan’s, a beer brand, which probably explains why it is so well known. Despite the name of the painting, the subject is not laughing although most people would agree that there is a subtle smirk on his face!
3. Sir Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, had a suit of armour created by Jacob Halder at the Royal Workshop, Greenwich in 1587. The Armour of Sir Thomas Sackville was made in preparation for an invasion that never really came. The Spanish Armada set sail in 1588, but the lousy weather scattered the fleet, and no troops ever landed.
For more details, visit their official website: The Wallace Collection.
Museum of London Docklands
The Museum of Dockland tells the story of the River Thames, the Port of London and maritime trade. Much of its collection comes from the archives of the Port of London Authority. The PLA is the organisation responsible for protecting and regulating the tidal portion of the River Thames. Known as the Tideway, it extends from Teddington in South West London down to the Thames Estuary.
The museum is in an old warehouse located in West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs. The building was constructed in 1802 and is a fitting place to house the Museum of London Docklands. The permanent galleries feature a range of topics. The No.1 Warehouse Gallery introduces you to the history of the building and the construction of docklands. The Trade Expansion Gallery is about people who lived and worked locally, as well as those who arrived by sea.
The London, Sugar and Slavery Gallery then discusses how the slave trade and sugar shaped London. The City and River Gallery covers how London became the leading port in the world. Sailortown is a realistic reconstruction of the streets and houses that would have surrounded the docks during the Victorian era. The First Port of Empire Gallery is about London’s maritime relationship with the British Empire. In contrast, Warehouse of the World explains the story of the London docks when they were at their peak. Docklands at War tells the fascinating story of the area during World War Two when the docks, and London as a whole, was very heavily bombed. Finally, there is the New Port, New City Gallery, which charts the decline of central London as a maritime centre and the conversion of the docklands area to other uses.
The Museum of London Docklands is fantastic and comes highly recommended. There are dozens of artefacts that we could recommend, but we are going to suggest the following:
1. We don’t usually go in for reconstructions, but Sailortown is a fascinating place to explore. It is a recreation of the alleyways that existed in London’s docklands around 1840-1850. It consists of dark corners, realistic street scenes and the chaotic sounds of docklands life. The experience gives you a sense of how the docks would have looked, smelt and sounded during the Victorian era.
2. Used during the Second World War, a Consol Portable Shelter was used by people who were unable to use the primary air raid shelters. This was usually because their occupation meant they had to remain at their posts during a bombing raid. It was a bell-shaped design and made from bullet-proof steel. Dockworkers would have used this one. It must have been a truly terrifying experience to sit in one with bombs falling all around you.
3. The Slave Ships List is a powerful reminder of the evils and magnitude of the transatlantic slave trade. It records the ships names, captains, owners and destinations of vessels that carried human beings as cargo. Taken from their homes in Africa to the other side of the world, the names of the slaves themselves are not recorded.
For more details, visit their official website: Museum of London Docklands.
National Portrait Gallery
*** The National Portrait Gallery is close for refurbishment until 2023 ***
Opened in 1856, the National Portrait Gallery was the world’s first gallery dedicated to portraits. The majority of the subjects in its collection are famous or historically important Britons. It is next to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Although visiting both on the same day might seem like a good idea, both galleries are pretty big, and you may be suffering from what we call fine art fatigue afterwards.
The National Portrait Gallery has its displays in chronological order. Its collection will take you on tour through British history. Starting with the Tudors, you will gradually progress through to the modern-day. The portraits on display also evolve progressively. From grand oil paintings of royalty and nobility, through to photographs of celebrities and sports stars.
If you are feeling hungry, then the gallery houses the Portrait Restaurant overlooking Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column. Having some of the best views in London, this is a great place to recharge and refuel. If you have children, then the information desk has some ‘family trails’ you can follow to help keep them occupied.
Although usually associated with paintings, the National Portrait Gallery’s collection comes in many forms. It includes drawing, photographs, miniatures, sculpture and prints. Despite this variety, we’ve decided to stick to the more traditional grand paintings for our three recommendations:
1. The Coronation Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I was painted by an unknown artist in around 1600, probably from a lost original. This painting has to be one of the most famous portraits of Elizabeth, known as the Virgin Queen because she was never married. Still regarded as one of England’s greatest monarchs, this painting portrays her the cloth of gold she wore at her coronation. The portraits catalogue entry is NPG 5175.
2. As one of the most outstanding scientists that England, or indeed the world, has ever produced the portrait of Isaac Newton by Sir Godfrey Kneller is a must for every visitor. During his lifetime, he was a scientist and natural philosopher, the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, Master of the Royal Mint and President of the Royal Society. He formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, carried out work on optics, invented calculus and built the world’s first reflecting telescope. The portraits catalogue entry is NPG 2881.
3. The National Portrait Gallery lists the Chandos Portrait of William Shakespeare as the first-ever item in its collection. It is known as the Chandos Portrait because of a previous owner and is attributed to the artist John Taylor. This portrait is essential to see because it is the only one that we are reasonably sure was painted during his lifetime. In other words, we believe that Shakespeare sat for the painting. All the other portraits of England’s greatest playwright were probably from other works. The portraits catalogue entry is NPG 1.
For more details, visit their official website: National Portrait Gallery.
Hopefully, this list of the Best FREE Museums in London – Part 2 will give you enough inspiration about what to see (for FREE) the next time you are in London. If you have not already done so, then why not check out our Best FREE Museums in London – Part 1? If you are looking for even more then our Best FREE Museums in London – Part 3 will be able to help. This next article in our mini-series is a list of museums that are even smaller and less touristic than those in Part 2.