National Maritime Museum. Natural History Museum
On collage: Natural History Museum in London
Perhaps the most famous museum London's Natural History Museum will not leave either children or adults indifferent. It will take at least 5-6 hours to examine all the exhibitions. You will take an impromptu journey to the “core of the earth”, feel the force of earthquakes, see an amazing collection of minerals and learn a lot about space and planets solar system. Many of the exhibits can be touched with your hands.
Children will definitely enjoy the interactive component of the museum. The Natural History Museum has scales that let you know how many times you are lighter than a whale or an elephant. Young visitors to the museum will certainly be interested in mixing sand and water using a special rotating mechanism and watching how they separate again, touching stones polished by water, finding out the temperature on various planets of the solar system by just pressing a button, or comparing the gravity of other planets with ours and making many other amazing things.
Dinosaurs traditionally cause the greatest delight among children. Huge skeletons and moving models of ancient giants occupy several halls in the museum. The collection of modern fauna representatives is no less interesting. Personally, these stuffed animals, to be honest, scare me a little, but the children enjoy looking at both birds and mammals. And recently a huge blue whale appeared in the museum.
The Natural History Museum is located next to Gloucester Road and South Kensington tube stations at Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD. It is open daily from 10 to 17:50 except on Christmas Day and the day after. Entrance to the museum is free, but some temporary exhibitions may require a fee. For example, for several years now there has been a paid exhibition of tropical butterflies on the museum’s premises. But I wouldn’t put it on my list of must-sees.
Since the Natural History Museum is one of the most popular among London residents and visitors, be prepared to see a queue at the entrance. On weekend mornings, the wait can take up to an hour or even more. But if you come on a weekday after noon, you have a chance to get into the museum without queuing.
The museum has several cafes and a shop with expensive but interesting souvenirs.
On collage: Science Museum in London
Very close to the Natural History Museum there is a stunning Science museum - a science museum from which children, especially boys, will be not an easy task. In this museum you can learn about the history of the development of science, look at various engines, vintage airplanes and cars, and even sit in the cockpit of a modern Boeing. At the Science Museum huge amount interactive exhibits. Here you can try to simulate a perpetual motion machine, estimate your expected life expectancy, and learn a lot about environmental problems.
The Science Museum hosts fascinating temporary exhibitions. For example, this year we were able to visit the exhibition, dedicated to history space exploration, as well as at the robot exhibition, which, by the way, will last until September 3rd. So you can still make it in time!
The museum is located next to Gloucester Road and South Kensington tube stations at Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD. Entrance to the museum is free, but some exhibitions may require a fee. The wait in line to enter on weekends can take about 15 minutes, but most of the time admission to the museum is free.
3. Aquarium (Sea Life London Aquarium)
In the photo: Aquarium in London
Sea Life London Aquarium – Located next to the famous Ferris Wheel and the London Dungeons, the London Aquarium is another fun place to visit with kids. Of course, this is not exactly a museum, but Sea Life Aquarium certainly deserves a place in this top. The aquariums are located on three floors and are inhabited by various marine life. Here you can see huge sharks, inhabitants of coral reefs, jellyfish, stingrays, and thousands of other amazing creatures. It will be interesting for both adults and children of all ages. Even six-month-old babies look fascinated at the bright and beautiful fish, let alone older children.
Since the Aquarium is very popular, it is worth booking your visit time and tickets in advance so as not to stand in line to enter.
A ticket for adults will cost £20.40, for children aged 3 and over £16.30, but it will be cheaper to buy a combined ticket for two or three London attractions at once. For example, visiting the Aquarium, Madame Tussauds and the London Eye would cost £51, saving you around £35.
London Transport museum is located in the famous Covent Garden area of London. It is interesting, first of all, because a journey through the halls of the museum will be a fascinating excursion into the history of urban transport. If you want to look at the first double-decker buses, be a subway driver, or visit ancient train carriages, then this is the place for you. Children will especially like this museum, since almost all the exhibits here are real buses, trains, cars, and in many of them you can sit, press buttons, turn the steering wheel and do many other interesting things.
Compared to other museums in our top list, the Transport Museum is relatively small. A leisurely inspection will take about two hours.
The museum is located next to Covent Garden tube station at Covent Garden Piazza, London, WC2E 7BB. The visit can be combined with a walk around Covent Garden, where many theaters and the famous Covent Garden Market are located. To be honest, on our last visit, I didn’t go to the museum, I just walked and admired the stunning architecture of one of the most beautiful areas of London, looked at street performers and wandered through the sweet shops, of which there are a great many, while my husband and son had fun in the museum.
Admission to the Transport Museum is free for children under 18 years old; for adults it costs £17.50, but for this money you get the right to visit any museum exhibitions for the whole year.
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, on Fridays from 11 am to 6 pm.
5. V&A Museum of Childhood
On collage: London Transport Museum
V&A Museum of Childhood is a museum of childhood, a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This is a whole world of toys, telling their history from the 16th century to the present day. This museum has every toy you can imagine. Dolls and dollhouses, soft toys, board games different times and peoples, children's furniture, puppet theaters, optical and mechanical toys and, of course, construction sets. But what is the joy of looking at toys if you can’t play with them? Of course, many exhibits of the childhood museum really cannot be touched with your hands. But you can also play here - the museum even has a sandbox, and the number of interactive exhibits available for play is truly enormous.
The museum is not located in central London, but it is not that difficult to find. The nearest tube station is Bethnal Green, the address of the museum is Cambridge Heath Road London E2 9PA. The museum is open daily, except December 24-26, from 10:00 to 17:45. Admission is free.
Of course this list museums are far from complete. There is a museum in London wax figures, the magnificent Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Amazing Things and a million others interesting places for visiting. Even after living in this wonderful city for several years, we have not visited half of the places that I would like to see. But if you are planning a trip to London with children, then these five places, it seems to me, will be most interesting for the whole family.
These include: world class museums, parks, canal walks, supermarkets (Portobello Road at Notting Hill Gate, Camden at Chalk Farm Rd, the delightful Columbia Road Flower at Gosset Street in East London, etc.). Perhaps entry to some royal castles will also be free...
Free London attractions
These include: world class museums, parks, canal walks, supermarkets (Portobello Road at Notting Hill Gate, Camden at Chalk Farm Rd, the delightful Columbia Road Flower at Gosset Street in the east, etc.). Perhaps entry to some royal castles will also be free. Below is a list where admission is free.
1. Borough Market
Since around the 13th century, Borough Market has been crowded with visitors who love to eat good food. It has all the necessary ingredients to prepare delicious food, from traditional to rare species overseas spices. The Borough, one of London's top attractions, is located south of the River Thames. The market is open from Thursday to Saturday. To see Boro in all its bustling colours, it's best to come here on a Saturday.
2. British Film Institute Mediatheque
Hidden under Waterloo Bridge, the institute has four cinemas (not free to visit) and a comedy library where you can borrow DVDs and watch them for free.
3. British Museum
One of the main impressive attractions in London, where entry is completely free, is the British Museum. On its territory, thirteen million exhibits have been collected from all the world’s continents, which make it possible to learn the process of cultural evolution, starting with ancient origins civilization and ending with examples of our time.
4. Parliament Building
Today's Houses of Parliament are located in the Palace of Westminster neo-gothic style architecture mid-19th century century. The world famous precision clock "" operates in this building. The House of Commons and the House of Lords are located here. The Palace of Westminster is recognized as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. A tourist can watch the work of parliament only from the public gallery during a parliamentary meeting.
5. Museum of London
The exhibitions of the Museum of London mainly concern social history city and its inhabitants. The museum includes a number of chronological galleries containing original objects, models, drawings and diagrams, with an emphasis on archaeological finds, reminders of the urban development process and cultural life London, with interactive displays and activities for all ages. The museum's new galleries focus on modern London and him cultural traditions. In addition, there is a cozy cafe on the territory of the museum garden.
6. London National Gallery
More than five million people visit the National Gallery in London every year. This area contains more than 2,000 specimens Western European painting XIII – early XX centuries. The Gallery's paintings are exhibited in chronological order. London's National Gallery is open from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm every day, admission is free.
7. National Maritime Museum
The exhibition of the National Maritime Museum presents viewers with the history of the British fleet, which played one of the leading roles in the history of the formation and development of the state. The displays focus on Britain's maritime past, including a bullet taken by Horatio Nelson, a replica of the boat Ernest Shackleton sailed in his lifetime, and all sorts of interactive exhibits for children in an exhibition called 'Your Ocean'.
8. National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery in London is the first in the world, and on its territory are immortalized examples of all the outstanding British people of past centuries, from the Tudor era to XX century. The gallery was built in 1856, its collection includes over 10,000 portraits. Feature of the National portrait gallery is that visitors, after just a few hours of viewing, get a clear idea of British history over its last five centuries. Entrance here is by prior arrangement.
9. Natural History Museum
The museum's collection of more than 70 million exhibits relates to the sciences: botany, zoology, mineralogy and paleontology. The museum has gained wide popularity thanks to its collection of dinosaur skeletons, including the skeleton of the famous Diplodocus; a mechanical model of a Tyrannosaurus rex is also of interest. At the Darwin Centre, you can see 450,000 jars of preserved specimens. Local garden wildlife open only from April to September. Entry to the Natural History Museum is free.
10. Photographers' gallery
On two floors of the Gallery, viewers are presented with a magnificent collection contemporary art photos. The gallery has been operating since 2008. The Photographers' Gallery building is located in the West End. In addition, there is a wonderful cafe on its territory where you can relax and order drinks and light snacks with sweets.
11. Science Museum
The highly informative and entertaining Science Museum spans seven floors with interactive exhibits. Each room is dedicated to exhibits on one specific topic. Thus, in the electrical engineering hall you can see the first steam locomotives from the early 19th century. There is an IMAX 3D cinema hall at the Science Museum, large library with an extensive collection of specialized literature, a photo studio, workshops and specialized laboratories in which scientific work. Every year the museum organizes an event called “Night of Science”, where children aged 8-11 years (up to 380 people) along with their parents are invited. Entrance to the Museum itself is free. On its territory there is a restaurant, cafe, shop and special areas for organizing picnics.
12. Serpentine Art Gallery
This Art Gallery is located in the green Kensington Gardens of Hyde Park. The interior is designed in the style of a 1930s tea house. The gallery is a great place to explore contemporary artistic arts London. The collections feature works by Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and others. A large stream of natural light enters through huge windows. Every year from May to October the “Summer Pavilion” opens, where open air Cinema and literature evenings are held.
13. Sir John Museum
Sir John's Museum was once the home of the architect John Soane, where he created his unusual works art in neoclassical style. Today on the territory of the Museum you can see many drawings and models of Sir John’s own projects, as well as his collection of drawings, paintings, and antiques. Travelers are advised to visit on the first Tuesday of every month, when the entire Sir John's Museum building is lit with candles.
14. St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral is located on the very high point London in Ludgate Hill and is the seat of the Bishop of London. Located in the western part of Covent Garden Square, this church is also characterized as the “church of actors”. The first Punch and Judy show took place here in 1662. Also on the territory of the church there is a monument to Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh, the most popular actors throughout the history of the British Confederation.
15, 16. Tate Modern (Old and New)
Tate Modern is a gallery of contemporary British art, which houses over 60,000 works of art, such as sculpture, painting, and prints. The gallery is divided into two parts: Old gallery Tate ( english painting XVI-XIX centuries and foreign art XIX century) and New gallery Tate (European-American art from the 1900s to the present day). Tate Modern's core collection presents private collection Sir Henry Tate - paintings English artists. Modern gallery Tate opened in 2000 in a converted former power station building. Temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists are often held here.
17. Temple Church
The Temple Church is something of a pilgrimage site. This is the only architectural structure that has survived from the times of the Knights Templar. The church consists of two parts: a round church built in 1185 and a rectangular altar part added to it several decades later. Today, the grounds of the Inner Temple and Middle Temple are private estates owned by lawyers, fenced and guarded, so access is possible with the permission of the owners. This area is surrounded by lush greenery, in the center of London.
18. Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum has been open to visitors since 1852. There are 4.5 million interesting objects on its territory. The museum has the world's largest exhibition of design objects, including porcelain, ceramics, glass, precious metals and textiles. Also, viewers are presented with large collections of masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and photography. The Raphael hall and the exhibition of costumes are extremely popular among visitors; the halls of Japanese and Indian art are also interesting. The Victoria and Albert Museum's 146 galleries display collections decorative arts, covering the period from 3000 BC to modern times. Entrance to the Museum is free.
19. Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a spacious museum in London, which houses about 5,000 masterpieces of decorative art created between the 15th and 19th centuries. Here visitors can see works by French artists XVII centuries, weapons, furniture, armor and porcelain.
Twenty-five halls of the museum are decorated with paintings famous artists, including: Rembrandt, Titian, Van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velazquez, Antonio Canaletto and others. There is a great spiritual atmosphere in the building of the Wallace Collection Museum genius creativity created by man.
20. Whitechapel Gallery
Whitechapel is home to ten art galleries. This extensive comprehensive exhibition was opened in 1899 in an Art Nouveau building. The exhibitions represent a mixture of works from around the world recognized artists bygone centuries and modern talents this field of art. In 1939, visitors were first presented famous painting Pablo Picasso "Guernica". On Thursdays and Fridays on the territory of this monastery artistic creativity literary and musical evenings, films are shown. Also, in the Whitechapel Gallery there is a good bookstore and a cozy, stylish cafe.
The capital of Great Britain is rich in a variety of museums and galleries. Surprisingly, most of them are open to the public and open every day except Christmas Day. Guests and residents of London have the opportunity to choose a museum to suit every taste, from modern to historical. In total there are about 300 of them in the city. The rating of the most interesting museums see below.
(Total 25 photos)
Sherlock Holmes House
1. The four-story museum is located on Baker Street in Westminster. It was here, according to the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, that the famous London detective lived. The museum is open daily from 9:30 to 18:00. Entry costs £8 for adults, £5 for children. (Douglas Neiner)
2. (Neil Howard)
3. (Héctor Rodríguez)
4. (Héctor Rodríguez)
London National Gallery
5. The museum is located on Trafalgar Square. Its arsenal contains more than 2,000 masterpieces of Western European art from the 13th to 20th centuries. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Entry is free. (Morio)
6. London National Gallery. (National Gallery)
7. (National Gallery)
8. (National Gallery)
Victoria and Albert Museum
9. The museum is located in South Kensington. His arsenal includes hundreds of works of decorative and applied art. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:45. Entry is free. (Dave White)
10. (Paolo Pescio)
11. (Dean Ayres)
12. (Scott Wylie)
13. (Scott Wylie)
Madame Tussauds
14. The museum is located on Marylebone Road. Its arsenal includes hundreds of wax figures of politicians, historical figures, athletes, actors, directors, singers and dancers. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. Entry costs £30 for adults, £25.8 for children. (Nikos Roussos)
15. (Felipe Elias Philipp)
16. (Felipe Elias Philipp)
17. (Felipe Elias Philipp)
British Museum
18. The Historical and Archaeological Museum is located in the Bloomsbury area. It has 94 galleries in its arsenal. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:30. Entry is free. (Neil Howard)
