Museums in London
There is a reason why London is referred to as the cultural capital of the world – although some may disagree with that title – and it is not the Indian restaurants in London, though there are plenty of those and some very good ones too. The reason is that London is home to literally hundreds of museums ranging from the classic to the absolutely bizarre. In fact, it can be quite a bewildering exercise to determine which museums are a definite must-see and which are worth a visit or perhaps even a miss. Here are some of the most famous museums you really shouldn’t leave the city without visiting.
British Museum
This museum tops pretty much any list of museums in London. When you realize that the collections it looks after cover two million years of history, you can see why it does so. The museum was built in 1753 and was based around the collections of Sir Hans Sloane, a scientist and physician. As the British colonial ambitions expanded, so did the museum’s collections. Today it houses such famous objects as the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles and Egyptian mummies including that of the boy king Tutankhamen. Recently there have been controversial calls to restore certain collections, such as the Elgin Marbles, to their countries of origin. One of the most attractive things about the museum is that the entry is absolutely free, unlike some of the best Indian restaurants in London.
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum or the V&A as it is more commonly known, is often regarded as the best art and design museum anywhere in the world. A tall claim? Not really, when you consider the fact that it houses over 4.5 million objects from around the world that showcase the evolution of art and design throughout human history. It was built in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert.
The museum has 145 galleries that house collections of costumes, ceramics, jewellery, silver, furniture, sculpture, paintings, drawings, photographs and much more. Some of the more famous holdings are Italian Renaissance sculpture, the fashion galleries that showcase fashion throughout the centuries including the well-known mantuas from the 18th century, very broad gowns that were used for formal court presentations and contemporary designs from renowned fashion houses and the Ardabil carpet, the oldest and one of the most beautiful floor carpeting in the world. While admission to the museum itself is free, regardless of whether you are an adult or child, certain exhibitions and shows may be charged and may even need to be booked in advance.
The Tate Modern, the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery, the London Science Museum, the Imperial War Museum – the list goes on and on and on, not unlike the list of the best Indian restaurants in London. You could conceivably spend a month in the city and dedicate it to just visiting all the museums here and you would still not have seen everything. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, though (learn more).