One of the first things people think about when they see how many museums London has to offer is that it is practically impossible to visit them all. There are many different opportunities available, with museums that are simply perfect for all possible enthusiasts. Many of the very best museums in London are completely free and offer permanent collections that are vast. Here are those you absolutely have to consider.
British Museum
The British Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world so you surely want to visit it. What is interesting is that you will want to be sure you will check it out different times as the collections housed are so large that they cannot be all shown at once. If you are a first-time visitor, you will want to initially consider Rosetta Stone, the mummy collection, Lewis Chessmen, Sutton Hoo Ship Burial and Lindow Man.
V&A Museum
Here you can find a simply huge decorative arts collection. It features portrait miniatures, sculptures, photography and ceramics. You will want to try the 1500-1900 British Galleries. They are chronologically arranged and showcase British design history from Henry VIII to Queen Victoria.
The Natural History Museum
This museum is placed in a truly wonderful location. It includes around 70 million plants, fossils, rocks, animals and mineral specimens. The Life Galleries are the most interesting. These will be devoted to a display of animal life, ranging from plaster casts to creepy crawlies.
London Transport Museum
Just as the name implies, there are many vehicles displayed here. This includes the very first electric underground train, one without any windows. The problem with it was that people would easily not figure out where they had to stop. Athletic announcers ended up being hired in order to announce the stations. You can see this piece of transport history at the museum.
Tate Modern Museum
If you are not interested in history and you want to see some great modern art, this is the museum you want to check out. It features industrial architecture so you can instantly get a feeling of what to expect. As you walk inside you will see so many interesting galleries that are simply wonderful. In the permanent collection you will see big names like Beuys, Bacon, Rothko and Twombly.
London Science Museum
This is a huge museum. There are actually 7 floors available, featuring entertaining and educational exhibits. The Apollo 10 command module is the highlight, together with a flight simulator. Visit the Wellcome Wing to see medicine, technology and science contemporary developments and the great Medical history Gallery right in the attic with a medical history treasures collection.
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum is found in Greenwich Park. It is normally visited together with the Royal Observatory, the Queen’s House and more. The National Maritime Museum appeared in 1675 due to the wishes of Charles II. There is a permanent exhibition that all maritime life enthusiasts will love, including a Zeppelin wreckage.
Imperial War Museum
The building once housed a hospital for the insane so you can expect to see something truly special in an atmosphere that is quite unique. Imperial War Museum holds a really important 20th century art collection. Most of it was commissioned between the two world wars. This does include war machines, war literature manuscripts and official communications.