Log in to My Time Out for your personalised guide to what's on in London. It's fast, easy and FREE!

British Museum

Follow British Museum to receive updates on new events happening here.

What is 'following'?
44 Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG Full details & map
© Copyright the Trustees of the British Museum

British Museum review 6 Users say 5/5 Rate it

One of the world's oldest museums, the British Museum is vast and its collections, only a fraction of which can be on public display at any time, comprise millions of objects. First-time visitors generally head for the mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Lindow Man, the Lewis Chessmen and the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial.

'Enlightenment: Discovering the World in the 18th Century' is a permanent exhibition of around 5,000 objects chosen to cast light on the period between the mid-18th and the early 19th century, a time of great discovery and learning when the British Museum was founded by an Act of Parliament. It is displayed in the restored former King's Library - a huge neo-classical room built in the 1820s to house the books collected by George III.

'Living and Dying', a permanent exhibition in the Wellcome Trust Gallery, explores the ways in which peoples throughout history have diagnosed and treated disease and coped with death. The exhibition considers attitudes towards burial and mourning and festivals for the dead and features an installation on Western approaches to illness. The first galleries to open as part of the BM's programme of refurbishment are a new gallery of Ancient Iran, featuring masterpieces from the Persian Empire, and a gallery focused on the prehistory of Europe and the Middle East, examining the fundamental changes to human society brought about by the birth of agriculture.

The Great Court, which is open Sat-Wed 9am-6pm, Thur, Fri 9am-8.30pm, is a vast and beautiful covered piazza, designed by Foster and Partners, surrounding the free reference library in former Round Reading Room.


Comment 10 Tweet
Save to foursquare

Events at British Museum

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games...

Until Sun Sep 9 Museums & Attractions

As part of the London 2012 Festival, a chance to see the Olympic and Paralympic medals up close and uncover the crea...

Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite

Until Sun Sep 2 Museums & Attractions Free

An exhibition of Picasso's 'Vollard Suite', which has been recently acquired by the museum. The suite comprises 100 e...

The Horse: Ancient Arabia to the Modern World

Until Sun Sep 30 Museums & Attractions FreeNew

The influence of the horse in Middle Eastern history, the emergence of the Arabian horse and the importance of its in...

British Museum details

Follow British Museum to receive updates on new events happening here.

What is 'following'?
Address

British Museum

44 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG

Transport Holborn/Russell Square 

Telephone

020 7323 8000, bookings 08445 791940

British Museum website

10am-5.30pm Sat-Thur; 10am-8.30pm Fri (selected galleries only, ring for details)

British Museum map

Share your thoughts

  • or log in into My Time Out
  • *
  • *
  • Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.
* Mandatory fields for leaving a comment

Comments & ratings 5/5 (Average of 6 ratings)

London Cultureseekers
By London - Mar 21 2012

A brilliant museum and it's free!

Report
Janet Raven
By Janet - Feb 10 2012

very interested in the sleepovers

Report
By Tatyana Draganova - Oct 30 2011
5/5

I like a lot British Museum!

Report
London Cultureseekers
By London - Jul 14 2011
5/5

So much to see! you need at least 2 days to see it all. The exhibitions in the middle of the museum are fantastic, we visit most of them - join up and come along - www.cultureseekers.org

Report
By Jeffrey - Jul 14 2011

Without a doubt the best museum in the capital and FREE! Ta boot! what more could you want?....this place is so great its quoted in a song "A foggy day" and sung by old blue eyes himself...great! restaurant also!! Trust me you'll love it!!

Report
By grinreefa - May 30 2011
5/5

Top class museum'probably Londons best.

Report
By julia Shearing - Dec 28 2010

Are you open on New Years Eve as i understand you are closed on New Years Day.

Report