London’s museums are amongst some of the finest in the world. And aside from the obvious experience
of art, culture and history, offer an inexpensive gateway into stunning architecture… A respite
from a cold on a rainy day. And make you feel less stupid than when you arrived.
In this video, I’ll show you my ultimate guide on which ones are worth your time,
and what to both expect and look out for in each.
I’ll also share my suggested itinerary for what to do before or after your Museum visit,
which could be a local food and drink hotspot, or a nearby attraction you might not even know is
close by. Finally, I’ll cover how the pandemic has altered things and how best to visit accordingly.
If you’re new here, then welcome. We make travel movies from around the world as well as our home
town of London. This is Suitcase Monkey, giving you the ultimate guide to the museums of London.
Let’s start with probably the safest suggestion on this list, London’s Natural History Museum.
From its iconic entrance, you know you’re in for a treat and with over 80 million items inside,
you can expect all the natural wonders of the world, beautifully presented and displayed.
Personally, I always enjoy the giant escalator in the Earth Hall taking you
up to Natural disasters area. There’s even the chance here to experience a
simulated earthquake, which although you always remember it feeling like this,
it’s actually more like this. It’s for the kids though isn’t it, let’s be honest.
A nice cherry on top is that it’s conveniently situated along Exhibition Road, which is home
to both the Victoria and Albert and Science Museum so you can hit all three without any extra travel.
Exhibition Road itself is nice for some food or drinks in the sun
and The Royal Albert Hall isn’t too far away.
Just off the main beaten track, we’ve always enjoying Molly Rose Bakery for
a cake and coffee so that would be my random pick if you’re in this area.
Now, if you’re looking for something truly London, especially for train lovers,
then definitely check out the London Transport Museum. Situated right in Covent Garden,
it’s an area you’ll probably be, so is an easy stop. As with other places on this list,
I always enjoy specific themes within a museum as it allows a more focussed and unique visit.
Here, you’re taken through the history of transport within London,
which back then, to an extent, was leading the way around the world.
It’s opening does a great job of transporting you to Georgian and Victorian times where public
transport just didn’t exist, especially not on a mass scale. Emerging technologies were racing to
keep up with a spiralling population and it really makes you think about the fundamental changes that
mass transport provided 150 years ago. Suddenly you could work, or go to sporting events or
schools that previously wouldn’t have been an option. And with the roads being full to capacity,
it’s clear that Londons only solution was to build the worlds first underground network.
Also covered is the undergrounds role in the First World War, which ultimately became a bomb
shelter for its population. This also allowed women, for the first time, to fill 18,000 jobs
to manage the transport system while the men were out of the country. Only to be told once the war
had ended, that their services were no longer required and were sent back to their homes.
I think it’s things like this that people forget when they talk about the good ol’ days.
In Covent Garden you’ll spoilt for choice so a few not so obvious places we love are Wa Cafe for
some authentic Japanese treats and the garden at the lane. Perfect for a pre theatre snack.
Next, let’s go slightly off the obvious and take a trip to Somerset House. Somerset House
isn’t technically a museum but there’s always an arts exhibition here, so it’s as good as.
The building itself dates back to the 1500s and was once called
home by a future Queen Elizabeth the First as well as the taxman.
Covering contemporary art that could range from photography, digital, sculptures, skateboarding,
workshops, it’s anything but the mundane and for that reason, probably not to everyones taste.
For example, the exhibition we visited, looked at the ripple effects of design
concepts and how they impact our lives and the choices we make.
Historically, with Somerset House being a home/office, it does give a unique feeling
compared to other more purpose build spaces. It’s a bit like walking around the mansion of
your very eccentric Uncle, who’s got way too much time and money on their hands.
But I like how the contemporary art mixes in amongst the home like setting.
For example, during a good minute I was enthralled with this art installation,
featuring dead flies on a mantle piece. What comment on society could this be making.
Then I realised. It was just dead flies on a mantle piece. It needed a little spring clean.
But despite that, if you are looking for something different,
I would suggest you check out their site to see what’s on when you’re here,
as it’s probably something you wont get from the other options in this video.
If you’re visiting around Christmas, there’s usually an ice rink in the courtyard which is
a great location for something festive. Outside of that, the central courtyard and front balcony,
which overlooks the Thames, are both worth a visit in themselves. It’s a lesser known
area for a snack and drink which is probably more picturesque than the McDonalds a few doors down.
The British Museum is another classic option, which is almost the epitome of
a trip to the Museum. This is for good reason though, given that it’s the first
national public museum in the world, opening in 1759. It’s no surprise then,
that inside this magnificent building is a vast, unique collection of 8 million items, spanning
continents, oceans and cultures. Even if some of those items have been brought into question.
But its Greek inspired exterior doesn’t really prepare you for what’s immediately inside.
The Great Court was designed at the turn of the millennium by Foster and Partners,
who’s also responsible for The Gherkin and City Hall. This is Europes largest covered
public square and is made up of over 3,000 panes of glass, no two of which are the same.
By far the museums most popular item is the Rosetta Stone. It was this very stone that
allowed the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Discovered by the French in 1799, the same text
had been inscribed in different languages, including ancient hieroglyphs and Greek,
making a direct translation possible for the first time in living memory.
This really did unlock an ancient world that’d previously been forgotten.
Which in hindsight, was mostly due to a lack of influencers and content creators back then.
A quick 10 minute walk south from The British Museum is Seven Dials,
which I’d suggest to check out before or after. 7 little streets spread out from a central point,
offering independent shops and cafes. The picturesque Neal’s Yard is great when the weathers
good. And I’d also suggest Seven Dials Market, which is my favourite fully indoors food market,
perfect for those cold months. I will be doing a video similar to this one about my
favourite London markets so consider subscribing to be notified for whenever that video drops.
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Now let’s take a moment to step out of Central London to Greenwich, which is an easy to reach
area, either by train or River. Even without a trip to one of these places I’m about to mention,
I would suggest Greenwich as a place to visit. There’s the town itself,
Greenwich Market, and Greenwich Park, which is one of my favourite green spaces in London.
The Royal Museums Greenwich are spread out over 4 locations. There’s The Maritime Museum which
focuses on exploration, The Queens House, surprisingly a former Royal residence,
The Cutty Sark, one of the most historic ships in the world,
and The Royal Observatory, home of Greenwich Mean Time. And it’s these last 2 I want to highlight.
The Cutty Sark was, at its time, known as the fastest ship in the world due to its unique design
and enormous sails. A victorian cargo ship that brought 10,000 tea chests from China to London,
a journey that would take about 3 months each way. Following a fire in 2007, damaging 3 of its decks,
To an extent, because you’re walking through the actual ship, this is less of a museum
and more of a walkable time capsule, as you get to explore the conditions that were actually lived.
This is what makes this trip so unique.
The highlight though is stepping out onto its elevated deck
and trying to imagine what life would have been like on the open seas.
The Royal Observatory sits at the highest part of Greenwich with probably my favourite views
of the city. It’s also home to the Prime Meridian Line. Better than a night at Yo
Sushi, this is truly where East meets West. This is because it is here that the Eastern
and Western Hemisphere meet, similar to the equator dividing north and south.
Beyond this you’ll get to explore the evolution of time and how far we’ve come through the centuries.
It highlights a period where keeping track of time whilst sailing, was not taken for granted.
For example, did you ever stop to think why a giant ball drops in Time Square
for New Year? It actually dates back to this ball right here, which was installed in the 1830s.
“Time balls” such as this one would drop at 1pm every day. This allowed captains in nearby ships
to see Greenwich Time and set their navigational instruments accordingly.
Fast forward to 1855, and 98% of public clocks were set using
Greenwich Mean Time.
If you do make it up this hill,
I’d always suggest a visit to The Pavilion Cafe which is just a few minutes away.
Especially when the weather allows, its a wide open space that does good snack food year round.
This eye catching building was a former power station,
believe it not, which explains its main feature. Made redundant in 1981, 2 decades
would pass until it opened its doors again, only this time as a contemporary art museum.
Although as alluded to earlier, modern art can be a bit out there, I generally
find it more stimulating to walk through and experience. As a younger man, I used to turn
my nose up to these sorts of expression. I expected my art to exist in a frame and be a
life like painting. That was until someone said that if you prefer life like paintings,
you might as well just look at a photograph. Which, although is slightly flawed, made for
an eye opening point and I’ve looked at modern art differently ever since.
Another free bonus to the Tate Modern is its top floor.
This is the easiest viewing platform to visit in London and one that’s worth the trip alone.
This being on the Southbank you are spoilt for choice on things to do in this area, many of which
I’ve covered in my 5 Days in London video. Outside of that, the Founders Arms pub is just out front,
sitting neatly along side the Thames. And if you really want to push the boat out,
there’s the Sabine Rooftop Bar with both amazing views and cocktails.
Further down river is its older sibling, the Tate Britain.
Built on the site of a former prison, this was the departure point for sending convicts to Australia.
By the end of the 1800s, it was demolished and rebuilt to showcase British art.
Now, if ever there was a response to the previous “you might as well just look at a photograph”
argument, then here it is. Tate Britain is one of the largest museums in the country
and houses a substantial collection of UK art from Tudor times to the present day,
with Turner, William Blake, John Constable and Tracey Emin filling the hallways.
We visited a paid exhibition featuring the post impressionist, Vincent. And yes, I am on a first
name basis with him. And it’s got nothing to do with my ability of pronouncing his surname
correctly. But I do know, it’s definitely not Van GOFF and it’s definitely, definitely not Van GO.
Vincent lived in London for 3 years and this exhibition showed how the city influenced his
paintings. And having the chance to see some of his most famous work up close, was really a treat.
In terms of location, Tate Britain is a little on its own,
with the nearest notable attractions being the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
And it’s partly for this reason, that, unless there’s a must visit paid exhibition taking place
at Tate Britain, if you only have time for one classic art Museum, my pick would be the National
Gallery. The paintings themselves are equally as wonderful in both but being located right in
Trafalgar Square, it’s much easier to visit. And personally speaking, I love the architecture and
colours of the National Gallery along with the presentation of its paintings. (MUSIC)
Also, as goes for hundreds of museums around the country,
you can use an app called Smartify at the National Gallery. Once inside a museum,
just point the app at the artwork and it’ll give you a deeper, more interactive explanation.
As mentioned earlier, The Victoria and Albert and Science Museum
live next door to the Natural History. Personally, and maybe this is controversial,
I always prefer the V&A out of the two as it focusses on art, design and performance.
With over 2 million items, the Victoria and Albert Museum covers a wide array of popular human
creation from photography, satire and television, to music, the theatre and hand crafted sculptures.
Although most of the museums on this list are free, a suggested donation is usually between
£5 and £10 per person and contactless payment options are typically available also.
The Science Museum is certainly worth a visit for lovers of space,
aviation and medicine, all of which are covered in detail.
The last thing I want to cover here is a couple of Covid related points, and how these might
impact your trip to any museum on this list. But before I cover that, if you’re enjoyed this video,
please give the video a like below and let me know your thoughts on everything covered here.
What stood out to you most on this list and where which museum is your favourite.
Please also consider subscribing as I plan on doing more ultimate London travel guides if this
video does well. So those likes and comments will really help make that happen and is appreciated.
The main change that has happened since the pandemic is the need to pre book pretty much
everything on this list. Even though the entry might be free, you typically need
to still pre book a ticket. This is to help ease out congestion throughout the day. You can donate
whilst booking your ticket or you can book for free online and donate in person. Pre booking
will certainly skip lines also but I know for the Tate Modern, last time we visited, we couldn’t get
tickets in person. It was all online so keep that in mind before making the journey. Also,
with the science Museum it said they had sold out, but tickets were available on their site.
At the time of release, masks are required or suggested for all museums in this list
and there might be the odd one way system in place. But apart from those changes,
your experience will pretty much be the same as it would have pre pandemic, except maybe less busy.
For more of what we get up to in London,
please join us over on Patreon or any of the usual social media spots.
Also, if you plan to visit London, do check out my London stories and myths video, which explains Why
Big Ben isn’t Big Ben video. Until the next video, thanks for watching Suitcase Monkey.