British Museum London
The British Museum, The Science Museum and The Natural History Museum are all close to each other in South Kensington, but you’ll need to allow more than a day to see them all! The National Gallery and the Tate Gallery have splendid art collections, and there are many more of size and type all over London. There’s no shortage of things to entertain in the evening in London - with the West End for popular shows and musicals, a wide selection of restaurants of all types, classical music at the Barbican or The London Coliseum, ballet at Sadler’s Wells or the cinemas in Leicester Square to choose from.
The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions, the first being the British Museum of Natural History in South Kensington in 1887. Until 1997, when the current British Library building opened to the public.
The British Museum is huge, almost to big and its one of those museums you can get lost in or at least lose track of where the hell you are. Its galleries are on three levels and there are endless rooms top wander in and out of, you definitely need some kind of map or floor plan to figure out where you are and where you need to get to. They do have plenty of staff around if you do want some help though. The famous huge circular Reading Room of the British Library has been restored, although the British Library’s national collection of books and manuscripts has been moved to the new building at Euston Road.
The original collection was owned by Sir Hans Sloane who suggested in his will that the government purchase his house with everything in it - which they did. Hence the birth of the British Museum which today is one of the world’s greatest treasure houses. In spite of its name, most of the collection is not actually British. It is a museum of classical antiquities, prints and drawings as well as having room for contemporary exhibitions.
The British Museum was unique in that it housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. As with all other national museums and art galleries in Britain, the Museum charges no admission fee, although charges are levied for some temporary special exhibitions.
