Museums in London
The British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern and the Imperial War Museum – plus hundreds of smaller venues across the capital.
London Museum Guide
Our guide lists 116 museums in London across 9 towns and cities. You’ll find the widest choice in London (104), Richmond (3), and Twickenham (3).
Broken down by focus, the largest shares go to Art & Design (22%), History & Cultural History (19%), and Castles, Palaces & Monasteries (16%) – 10 of our 12 categories are represented.
44 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs £14.50 at the median, and the middle half charge between £10.79 and £19.
65 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 82 offer dedicated programs for families, and 69 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 museums in London
The best-known museums in London
British MuseumArt · London
Buckingham PalaceCastles & Palaces · London
Tower of LondonCastles & Palaces · London
National GalleryArt · London
Madame Tussauds LondonSpecial · London
Royal Observatory GreenwichTechnology · London
Tate ModernArt · London
Victoria and Albert MuseumArt · London
Natural History MuseumNature · London
Kensington PalaceCastles & Palaces · London
Museums in London with free admission
- British MuseumArt · London
- National GalleryArt · London
- Tate ModernArt · London
- Victoria and Albert MuseumArt · London
- Natural History MuseumNature · London
National Portrait GalleryArt · London
Science MuseumTechnology · London
Royal Academy of ArtsArt · London
Imperial War Museum LondonHistory · London
Tate BritainArt · London
Museums in London with programs for families
- British MuseumArt · London
- Buckingham PalaceCastles & Palaces · London
- Tower of LondonCastles & Palaces · London
- National GalleryArt · London
- Madame Tussauds LondonSpecial · London
- Royal Observatory GreenwichTechnology · London
- Tate ModernArt · London
- Victoria and Albert MuseumArt · London
- Natural History MuseumNature · London
- Kensington PalaceCastles & Palaces · London
Wheelchair-accessible museums in London
- British MuseumArt · London
- National GalleryArt · London
- Madame Tussauds LondonSpecial · London
- Tate ModernArt · London
- Natural History MuseumNature · London
- Kensington PalaceCastles & Palaces · London
- National Portrait GalleryArt · London
- Science MuseumTechnology · London
- Royal Academy of ArtsArt · London
- Imperial War Museum LondonHistory · London
Museums in London with the highest published visitor numbers
- Science MuseumTechnology · London
National Maritime MuseumTechnology · London- National Portrait GalleryArt · London
- Royal Academy of ArtsArt · London
Saatchi GalleryArt · London
Serpentine GalleriesArt · London
Horniman Museum and GardensWorld cultures · London- Tate BritainArt · London
Wellcome CollectionSpecial · London
Whitechapel GalleryArt · London
By category
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many museums are there in London?
Our directory currently lists 116 museums in London across 9 towns and cities.
What are the best-known museums in London?
Some of the best known are British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, National Gallery, and Madame Tussauds London.
Which museums in London offer free admission?
44 museums are free to visit – for example British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Which museums in London are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 49 are open, such as British Museum, Tower of London, and National Gallery.
Which museums in London are wheelchair accessible?
65 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including British Museum, National Gallery, and Madame Tussauds London. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit museums in London?
A regular adult ticket costs £14.50 at the median, with prices ranging from £3 to £38. Children, students and families usually pay less.
Other regions: North East England · North West England · Yorkshire and the Humber · East Midlands · West Midlands · East of England · South East England · South West England · Scotland · Wales · Northern Ireland