The United Kingdom’s capital city is jam packed with over 300 galleries and museums for you to choose from if you’re opting for a culture and history-filled trip to London. Make a weekend of it and choose one of Travelodge’s hotels in London to ensure a quality, yet affordable stay. That way, you’re never too far from the museums and galleries and you can fill up your itinerary more than you could in a day.
It can be ever-so-slightly overwhelming when you first go to London to visit some of their abundant museums. There is such a huge variety to appreciate, but some are an absolute must-see. Most are free entry but some of their special exhibitions can carry a charge – grab a London Pass to cover all these extra expenses – definitely worth it because these exhibits can be mesmerising.
3. The British Museum
Located in London Bloomsbury, the British Museum is a great place to start your museum tour. Filled with heritage, culture and human history, there are more than 13million artefacts within its walls. The museum itself is the largest in the world, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to meander through its’ exhibits.
The current special exhibition is “Shakespeare: staging the world” which has its home here until the 25th November, 2012. In collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company, it provides an insight into the Stratford poet and playwright.
2. Science Museum
Also situated in South Kensington, the London Science Museum is perfect for everyone. The museum houses over 300,000 items, including the first jet engine, a reconstruction of DNA and Stephenson’s Rocket – the oldest steam locomotive in the world. Combine this with a 3D IMAX cinema, the Wellcome Wing which focuses on digital technology and hundreds of interactive exhibits and visitors of all ages will leave completely satisfied.
With various special events running throughout the summer and autumn months, the museum isn’t short of enticing exhibitions, including Ariel 1, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of the world’s first satellite.
1. Natural History Museum
Found in the heart of South Kensington, you will find over 70million artefacts housed in five different collections all pertaining to various aspects of our natural history. Many specimens collected by Darwin during his natural selection research reside here although it’s probably most notorious for its’ vast collection of dinosaur skeletons, including the huge Diplodocus that towers above you in the main hall.
A new exhibition, “Daring Explorers”, opened on 24th July and runs until the 18th November, introducing visitors to the works of a Victorian natural history collector. The most innovative exhibition that will be shown is the “Animal Inside Out” exhibit – part of the Body Worlds series by the German anatomist, Gunther von Hagens – a fantastic exhibit that runs until mid-September. It allows visitors to look beneath the skin layers and see the inner workings of some of the world’s most amazing creatures.
These museums provide a great place to start when it comes to cultural visits. The education doesn’t stop there though – with an enormous array of a diverse range of museums and galleries, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
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