British Museum
The British Museum is located in central London and is the oldest public museum in the world. There are 4 million exhibits in 94 rooms on display. On 75,000 square meters, there are collections covering two million years – from prehistoric bones and Egyptian monuments to African sculptures. Many different temporary exhibitions are held here on a regular basis.
The British Museum was founded in 1753 from the lifetime collection of physician Hans Sloan, whose 80,000 exhibits were purchased by the government after his death. His most interesting artefacts include a statue of Moai from Easter Island, Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone (the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs) or the treasure of Sutton Hoo. There are several souvenir shops in the British Museum: Family Shop offering educational items, Shop Collections selling guides and gifts, Grenville Room Shop with jewelry and luxury items. There is a bookstore with titles from the museum’s curators. The museum includes Court Café, Pizzeria and the renowned Great Court Restaurant, which is recommended to book in advance.
Useful information for visitors
Public transport connections
The nearest public transport stop at the British Museum is:
- underground station Tottenham Court Road (500 meters)
- underground station Holborn (500 meters)
- bus stop Great Russell Street
More information here.
Opening hours and admission
Up-to-date information on opening hours to the British Museum is available at the official website. Admission is free, except for temporary exhibitions.
Interesting facts about British Museum
The building of the British Museum was designed by Robert Smirke. The facade resembles a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. In 2000 the building was reconstructed and expanded according to the plans of British architect Norman Foster. In the center of the building, there is the hall of Elizabeth II – the largest covered area in Europe with the British Museum Reading Room and the famous blue-gold dome.