Museum of London

What an amazing place to understand the history of London, from ancient to modern times, all very well documented. I strongly recommend this place for tourists but also for Londoners - I found a lot haven't been, and it gives so much insight about the building of this thrilling city. Highlight to the section on the Big Fire, as well as Victorian ages. Good library at the end, with materials to go further.

My housemate suggested we check out the Museum of London during the Easter holidays, and since I have wanted to go take a peek for some time, I was happy to go. Call me naïve, but I had no idea about the storied history of 'Londinium' and the Roman occupation! I found it really interesting to her about how my favourite city came to be. I also really enjoyed the look into old housing setups and shops that had been set up as a bit of a walkthrough; that kind of thing is what I love about museums. Sure, there were tons of artefacts available to gaze at, but I am more interested in seeing how people really lived, what they wore, etc. That tells me about history more than any clay painting.

My favourite bits were the modern London sections from about the 20s onward. The majority of the museum before that, despite their best efforts, left me bit cold. But learning about the pride Londoners from all walks of life - including immigrants, of course - took, and continue to take, in this city bowled me over. Very cool to watch how things changed through the 40s, 50s and 60s socially and politically and economically, and I left with a better understanding of how London evolved into the city it is now.

I was also pleased to see the torches form the Olympic and Paralympic games of 2012 - learned a lot about the pieces of those as well. Very cool and, dare I say, awe-inspiring.

Ever since I spotted the Museum of London in one of 'those' touristy guide books, this place has been on my list. I've kinda half tried to get there a couple of times but never quite managed to figure out where the hell it was! Well it's near St Paul's/Barbican way and it's off a round about people - don't give up! It makes me sad to say this is a hidden gem - but it IS mentioned so much less than it's competitors. It's a cracker, it takes you on a fabulous walk through history to present day London picking out key moments - e.g. The Plague, The Great Fire of London and restoration of the monarchy to make it a fantastic and FREE half a day soaking up all that has shaped the capital city. I loved the Victorian Street with old world pub and sweet shop, and also the beautiful 1908 vintage petrol-driven taxi which marked a revolutionary change in our history. It is family friendly with lots of helpful quizzes plus there's a replica of The Globe and stacks of memorabilia from the 60s and 70s. You're also encouraged to use their free wifi to share your experience (always handy) but when I tweeted I didn't get a reply. Overall, it's super good but my expectations were sky high given this was The Museum of London.

Another great museum for school age children but away from the intense crowds of central London. There are two age ranges of treasure hunt (4-7, 8-11) that you can buy from reception to keep children engaged.

There's plenty of very different exhibitions to keep you occupied for the best part of an afternoon. Exhibits range from prehistoric to modern day and everything in between to provide a synopsis of London through the ages.

The recreationof a Victoria Street in the lower ground floor is particularly interesting. My favourite piece is the time line that starts around the 18th centuryand ends in the earlier part of this century (unsurprisingly). As well as highlighting key events in London and aroundthe world on the main display, there is a handrail running underneath for each year which has been, and can still be, personalised by individuals and groups to commemorate key life events such as births and marriages.

This is a hidden gem in the heart of the financial district. Really varied exhibits including the Lord Mayor's golden carriage. Do not miss the 1 hour free guided tours that take place regularly during the day. The Punk exhibition on currently is particularly interesting. 

A wonderful and often overlooked museum. The Museum of London is split up onto two floors - the ground floor covering from Roman times to the great fire of London, the basement carrying on all the way to the 2012 Olympics. I think that this museum is of more interest to people who call London home more than for tourists. All of the permanent exhibitions are free and well worth spending a day going through. There is also a Benugo cafe at the museum entrance which makes for an excellent pit stop. 

A great (free) museum with tonnes of interesting info on the history of the city of London.
Their exhibitions (which normally cost £10-15) are normally pretty good. The old cheapside jewellery exhibition was amazing and their most recent exhib "Crime Undiscovered" is well worth the visit however bewarned it is quite small and therefore gets really busy so it is hard to read all the interesting facts around the murders and read all the objects on show.

It really surprises me that the Museum of London isn't more talked about, in fact, I've hardly heard anyone mention it in all my time living here! However having taken my third visit there last week, it's safe to say that it's constantly evolving. My personal favourite part of the museum is the replica Victorian shopping village, however as the museum takes you on a journey from before London was even a settlement all the way until the 2012 olympics, it's safe to say there is something for everybody. Very interactive for children and very informative for adults! There is a variety of exhibition mediums, which creates a changing pace as you go through the museum - making it less monotonous and more engaging. The museum also has a lovely cafe and shop!