London

The British Museum
The British Museum is one of the world's largest and most important museums of ancient history. It was established in 1753 and was based largely on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on January 15, 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building.

The museum is home to over seven million objects covering the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. Many of the artifacts are stored underneath the museum due to lack of space. The present chairman is Sir John Boyd and its director is Neil MacGregor.

The British Museum, like the other main museums and art galleries in London, charges no admission fee. However, an admission charge is levied for some temporary exhibitions.

Underground stations: Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Russell Square,Goodge St 

The Imperial War Museum
The wars of the twentieth century have affected each and every one of us in some way, and the Imperial War Museum is here to tell all our stories, covering all aspects of life in wartime. A major exhibition Women and War opened in October 2003 and runs until April 2004.

Underground: Lambeth North, Waterloo or Elephant and Castle

The London Fire Brigade Museum
In the former home of London's Chief Fire Officer, the museum tells the story of fire-fighting in the capital over 300 years. The two-hour tours illustrate the history of firefighting in London since 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London, to today. 

Exhibits include old firefighting equipment and appliances.  The adjacent training centre trains recruits to the fire service. Shop.

Underground: Borough, Southwark

The London Transport Museum
London has the oldest public transport system in the world and this museum documents over 200 years of transport in the capital. The displays range from hi-tech simulators, so you can drive a London bus or London tube, to colourful and interactive displays.

There is a cafe and shop on site, plus the opportunity to explore an old bus depot as part of a guided tour.

Underground: Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Holborn

The Museum of London
To get a real taste of London life over the last 2000 years, head for the Museum of London - the world's largest urban history museum. Documenting the growth of this vast metropolis from the prehistoric to the present day, the museum contains over 1.1 million objects, many rescued from archaeological digs or during building works in the City of London. The new World City Galleries explore London between 1789-1914, highlights include Wellington's boots and Queen Victoria's parliamentary robes.

Underground: Barbican, St Paul's, Moorgate or Bank.

The Museum of the Moving Image
Close to the Waterloo tube station you will have a chance to audition for a screen test in a 1920s-style, make cartoons and watch a shoot on a Hollywood film set. You can follow the history of film and cinema, as it is unravelled before your eyes. Chance to watch old newsreels and hear actors on hand will give you a good day out.

Underground: Waterloo

The National Gallery
One of the world's finest art collections, the National Gallery contains over 2,300 Western European paintings, mostly dating from 1260 - 1900, including many masterpieces by the greatest artists. Occupying all of the north side of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is around the corner from the National Portrait Gallery.

Underground: Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Embankment, Piccadilly Circus. 

National Maritime Museum
The Museum boasts the world's largest collection of maritime reference books, more than 100,000 volumes. The collection of British portraits is exceeded only by the National Portrait Gallery. The collections of Nelson and Cook are the most extensive and complete collections anywhere in the world. Among the items on show are fine examples of Cartography and navigational equipment- exhibits that gain more relevance after a visit to the neighbouring Royal Observatory.
The buildings in which much of the collection is housed is also of architectural significance. The Queens House itself being a culturally significant and long standing addition to the landscape of Greenwich. Flamsteed house was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was the first purpose built scientific research building anywhere in England.

Underground: Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich

National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856. Portraits of Over 1,000 British men and women are on display from the Middle Ages until the present day. Henry VII to  portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. Built in the 19th century, the National Portrait Gallery's collection contains over 10,000 oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, miniatures, sculptures, caricatures, silhouettes and photographs.

Underground: Charing Cross or Leicester Square

The Natural History Museum
One of the worlds finest and largest museums of natural history with hundreds of exhibits, many interactive,  ranging from the volcano experience to the dinosaurs exhibition. Creepy-Crawlies exhibition, blue whale, earths treasury,dinosaurs etc. You can join highlight and themed guided tours of the Museum, which start near the Life Galleries entrance. free map/information leaflet on admission The Central Hall, with its Victorian architecture and Dinosaur skeleton.

Underground: South Kensington

The Royal Academy of Arts
Founded by King George III in 1768, the royal academy's first president was Sir Joshua Reynolds. Renowned for its excellent roster of loan exhibitions, it also has a large and ever changing permanent exhibition.

It is probably best known for its famous 'summer exhibition', a hugely popular show of contemporary art held every year since 1769. This annual exhibition displays works by living artists. It receives around 12,000 submissions each year, with only 10% of these making it onto a gallery wall. It is open in the main galleries from early June - mid August.

Underground: Piccadilly Circus or Green Park

The Science Museum
The Science Museum contains more than 10,000 exhibits from the nation's collection ranging from the Panhard et Lavassor car to the Apollo 10 Command module. Find out about the science behind crime detection, spying and security.

Underground: South Kensington

The Tate Gallery
Built in 1897, paid for by the philanthropist Henry Tate, it contained the National Collection of British Art. Recently and deplorably renamed 'Tate Britain', when the modern collections were transferred to the old Bankside Power Station opposite St Paul's Cathedral (Tate Modern). The Tate includes many of the key Pre-Raphaelite paintings, normally hung in one of the biggest halls in the building, but sometimes distributed by subject mixed in with paintings from other centuries - not a happy idea. The first Pre-Raphaelite pictures by Rossetti as well as his later works Monna Vanna and Beata Beatrix are here, Holman Hunt's Strayed Sheep, Millais's Ophelia, King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid by Burne-Jones, Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott, and Hope by Watts, as well as many others. There is usually a changing collection of watercolours on display. There are many other Victorian paintings, often purchased via the Chantrey Bequest, and some from Henry Tate's original gift. And of course the whole Clore Pavillion full of Turner paintings.

Underground: Pimlico

The Tower of London
Every British Child who has been to London seems to have a vivid memory of going to the Tower when they were young. One of the oldest and most famous buildings in Britain, and still standing by the River Thames after 1000 years, this imposing building has seen some gruesome action in it's time. Younger visitors seem strangely fascinated by the fact that a number of royals were incarcerated here. However, the Tower is not just an historical monument, it is also where the crown jewels are held. Unless the British Queen, Elizabeth II is actually wearing them for a state occasion, they will be on display for visitors to see. Remember to take your camera if you want a shot of the red liveried Beefeaters, the colourfully dressed guards of the Tower.

Underground: Tower Hill

The Victoria & Albert Museum
Founded in 1852 due to the success of the Great Exhibition, the museum has been housed in Aston Webb's grand building since 1909. The building has a impressive facade and main entrance. As the museum grew new buildings were erected when needed. Many of these buildings were intended to be semi-permanent exhibition halls but all have survived and represent one of the finest groups of Victorian buildings in the country.
It has around four million exhibits from all periods and areas of the world. Displays include sculpture, jewellery, enamels, silver, miniatures, water-colours, pottery, glass, furniture, weapons, musical instruments and costume. The 145 of galleries cover ten acres and are spread over four floors.

Underground: South Kensington

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