Free museums in London

A guest post by Allan Brownlie

London is a city that is filled with culture and history. It has been one of the world centers of everything from trade, finance, art, and theater for hundreds of years. Most visitors to London will want to visit a museum or two during their time there. The problem is there are so many that it’s hard to know which ones to visit. 

Luckily, I have listed all the best London museums that have free admission. So you can visit some of the best museums in the world and save money while traveling.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I (Rachel) will receive a small commission. This will not affect your price.

Why are London museums free?

London is much different from most major cities around the world because nearly all of its major museums are free. In most cities around Europe, museums cost over US$10. Which really starts to add up if you visit multiple museums.

Museums in London have been free since 2001. The government at that time decided it would make all national museums free so that culture would be available to everyone. Since then, visitor numbers to British museums have skyrocketed. In 2023, 5.8 million people visited the British Museum! So be prepared for crowds when you visit the more popular free museums.

But it is not just in London that museums are free of charge. The same policy is in place all over the UK, making it a great country for museum lovers.

Here are the best free museums in London, in my opinion:

1. The British Museum

The British Museum is one of London’s most famous and oldest museums. It was opened to the public in 1759. With 5.8 million visitors in 2023, it is the most visited attraction in the whole of the United Kingdom.

In the British Museum, you will see many rooms displaying artifacts from different cultures both from the ancient and modern world.

I enjoyed the British Museum because it houses many impressive Egyptian sculptures and artifacts. Ancient Egypt always fascinated me as a child so it was cool to see all the artifacts in person.

For example, the world-famous Rosetta Stone is on display in the British Museum. This is a stone that helped linguists decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. It is also what the language learning software was named after. It is awesome to see for all the Ancient Egypt fans like me out there.

Another favorite display of mine is the Assyrian collection. It is full of enormous sculptures of winged creatures with human faces that once guarded entrances to palaces in Mesopotamia.

Depending on how interested you are in the displays it is possible to spend hours in this museum. But I would plan 2-3 hours to have a good look around.

As the British Museum is one of the most popular museums in London you should book a free ticket in advance. It guarantees you entrance at the time you choose. If you do not have a ticket and it is busy you may have to wait in line and potentially not get in.

If you want to explore London museums free of charge, the British Museum is one of the best and one you should not miss out on.

The British Museum: Great Russell Street, London. Open daily 10:00-17:50; Fridays until 20:30. Book a free ticket here. Museum website.

Accommodations in London can be very pricy, but the London Underground and the train system are very comprehensive, so consider booking your room outside of the center. Click around on the map below to see what’s available:

2. Victoria and Albert Museum

The V&A Museum is my favorite museum in London. It was the biggest surprise for me because I was not expecting much when I arrived.

But the size and variety of the displays are mindblowing. I only had enough time to spend just over an hour here and it was not even close to enough time. If I had done more research I would have planned more time because I found out later it is one of the largest museums in the world!

The V&A Museum has art and design collections from all over the world, including the largest collection of Italian Renaissance sculptures outside of Italy. There are also art displays from Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and North America.

It is also a beautifully-designed museum with excellent descriptions of all the displays.

One of my favorite things about the V&A Museum is that there are far fewer visitors than the other museums on this list despite the collections being just as impressive. Many rooms I walked through were almost empty.

I highly recommend visiting the V&A if you want a more peaceful museum experience away from the crowds. There is no need to book a free ticket in advance.

The Victoria and Albert Museum: Cromwell Road, London. Open daily 10:00-17:45 pm. Friday until 22:00. Free admission. Website.

3. The Tate Modern

The Tate Modern is one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world. It is the third most-visited museum in the United Kingdom and the fourth most-visited art museum in the world. It is one of the best London museums with free admission for contemporary art enthusiasts.

The Tate Modern is located inside an old power station, so it gives a very industrial impression as you approach. It looks much different than your traditional art museum which was something that I like about it. I can sometimes be a bit critical of contemporary art museums. I find there are so often displays that leave you confused rather than impressed. On the other hand, maybe that is the artist’s objective!

But I have visited Tate Modern twice and both times I found the collections to be interesting and worth visiting, so it is definitely worth stopping in for a walk around. Even though it is a very popular museum I have never encountered lines and the museum does not get too busy during the week.

The Tate Modern: Bankside, London. Open daily 10:00-18:00. Free admission. Website.

4. The National Gallery

The National Gallery is a grand old museum on the iconic Trafalgar Square. Visiting Trafalgar Square is a must-do on any trip to London. Its fountains and monuments are great to take in before a visit to the gallery.

Inside you will find 2,300 (!) classical paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Some notable artists with art in the National Gallery are Monet, Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Michelangelo.

I liked the interior of the National Gallery a lot. It is a beautifully laid-out space and just the building is an attraction in itself.

The museum can get very crowded, receiving about four million visitors a year. It is also not a huge space so expect space to be tight inside. That’s why it’s best to pre-book a free ticket online. This ticket guarantees you entry. We visited in May during the week and did not have to show our free ticket as it was not too busy, but in the summer months the free ticket may come in handy. If you do not have one and it’s a busy day, you’ll have to wait in line.

As the museum only houses classical art it is not a good place to take kids. 

The National Gallery: Trafalgar Square, London. Open daily 10:00-18:00, Fridays until 21:00. Free admission. Website.

5. Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum has some of the most beautiful architecture of any museum in London. Inside, you can find dinosaur bones and many other specimens from the natural world.

I have to admit that the Natural History Museum is not my favorite museum due to the crowds. Because of all the dinosaur bones, it is a favorite for school trips. On both occasions that I visited the Natural History Museum, it was packed with kids. Unfortunately, it really affected my experience at the museum because there are loud crowds everywhere.

However, there is a reason that they’re there, as the building is very impressive. The collection of dinosaur bones is also one of the largest I have ever seen.

My recommendation would be to quickly check out the Natural History Museum, then head to the V&A Museum and spend more time there. The V&A Museum is very close by and much more peaceful. If you’re traveling with kids, on the other hand, the Natural History Museum will be perfect for you and your kids. They’ll love it.

The Natural History Museum: Cromwell Road, London. Open daily 10:00-17:50. Free admission, but get your ticket ahead to avoid waiting in line. Website.

Top foods to try in London.

6. Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection is a private art collection created by Sir John Wallace. It is one of the largest collections of 18th-century French art in the world.

We were recommended the Wallace Collection by our hosts while we were pet-sitting in London. The Wallace Collection is not as well-known as other museums on this list. But it is very impressive considering it is a private art collection.

The building the museum is located in used to be the home of a rich family from London. Many of the rooms are filled with opulent gold furniture that would have been seen in a wealthy London home during the 1800s. It is always fascinating to me how extravagant people can decide to live when they have so much money.

As the Wallace Collection is not as well known as other museums do not expect it to be busy.

The Wallace Collection: Hertford House, Manchester Square, London. Open daily 10:00-17:00. Free admission. Website.

If you’re planning to see a lot of the paid sights in London like, for instance, the Tower of London and the London Eye, you might want to buy a Go City Pass, which can save you considerable money if you visit a lot of sights.

7. National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery houses portraits of important figures from Britain. It is right around the corner from the National Gallery and receives a fraction of the visitors. I enjoyed it more than the National Gallery as it has a much more relaxed atmosphere.

There is a wide range of portraits of celebrities, royal family members, musicians and more, created in a variety of interesting styles.

If you want to learn more about a particular portrait, there are free talks held throughout the day. A guide from the museum will take you around. If you’re interested, watch for the sign at the reception stating when the talks are being held that day.

The National Portrait Gallery: St. Martin’s Place, London. Open daily 10:30-18:00; Fridays and Saturdays until 21:00. Free admission, but book your ticket ahead if you plan to visit at a busy time. Website.

Taking a walking tour to orient yourself in a new city is always a good idea. Try one of these very highly-rated tours: the London Palaces and Parliament walking tour, the Ultimate London Sightseeing walking tour, or the Historical Pub walking tour.

8. Tate Britain

Tate Britain is an art museum displaying British art from 1500 to the modern day. Up until the year 2000, the museum displayed both classical and modern art. But in 2000, the Tate Modern was established and the contemporary collection was moved there.

There is still some modern art on display at Tate Britain. I liked this as I prefer art museums with a mix of styles.

Tate Britain has free tours on the hour throughout the day. These are great if you want to learn some history about the artists and their art. 

At Tate Britain, late-night events are held regularly. On these nights, there is live music and a cheaper entrance free to paid exhibitions. If this interests you, check Tate Modern Lates for information on when the next event is.

Tate Britain: Millbank, London. Open daily 10:00-18:00. Free admission. Website.

Enjoy visiting London museums free of charge!

That brings us to the end of my list of the best museums in London that are free for everyone. When you visit London, make sure to take advantage of all the free museums. London is so unique in offering all of these attractions for free. 

To be honest I would not have visited nearly as many museums if they had charged a fee. I’m glad they’re free because I would have missed out on some of the best attractions London has to offer.