No, this title is not a misnomer! There are actually loads of great free things to do in London.
So if you’re planning a trip, it’s good to know that you can visit many of the major museums and galleries for free. This includes the following:
- British Library
- British Museum
- Imperial War Museum
- Museum of London
- National Gallery
- National Portrait Gallery
- Natural History Museum
- Science Museum
- Tate Britain
- Tate Modern
- Victoria and Albert Museum
There are also numerous smaller galleries and museums that have free entry. A great resource to check out is the (also free!) download of Lonely Planet’s Recession-Busting Britain: Best Free Experiences, available from the apple iBookstore, amazon, or kobo.
And this is of course in addition to the many green spaces and parks; beautiful monuments and squares you can visit without charge; and the many interesting districts you can explore. So there is absolutely no reason that visiting the sights of London has to break the budget 🙂
In this article I will describe a few of the destinations I visited on my recent trip. But I am not even halfway through the above list – it’s a work in progress!
British Library
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I rate the Treasures Collection at the British Library (Sir John Ritblat Gallery) very highly. It’s open until 6pm daily, and until 8pm on Tuesdays (Tube: Kings Cross St Pancras). Note that you cannot borrow from the library unless you are a member.
Allow at least two hours to view the collection of over 200 objects, and read the blurb about each. Don’t be deceived by the small space – there are lots of interesting relics here to discover.
Some of the gems contained in this space include: (my love of classical music may be evident in my list…..I have tried to cover a broad spectrum here to appeal to all interests!)
- The earliest draft of Handel’s Messiah
- Mozart’s marriage contract
- Beethoven’s tuning fork (which was subsequently handed to other famous composers and musicians, including Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams)
- Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, written by his own hand
- Several pieces of Beatles’ memorabilia, including lyrics to Help written by John Lennon; and Yesterday by Paul McCartney
- A notebook and sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci
- Several printed texts of works by Shakespeare and his contemporaries
- A notebook owned by Jane Austen c1792, containing short stories she compiled during her teen years
- A letter by Charles Darwin to Cuthbert Collingwood from 1861, defending his theory on Natural Selection
- A letter from Napoleon Bonaparte to his brother Joseph in July 1798 that was intercepted by the British Navy, with hand written notations on there by Lord Nelson
- A printed text of Aesop’s Fables dating from 1484
- Numerous sacred texts from different religions and philosophies
- And…..two copies (out of the four remaining) Magna Carta documents from 1215, also known as The Great Charter of the Liberties of England.
I could go on! Check it out 🙂
British Museum
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Upon entry to the country’s largest museum, the vast canopy of the Great Court (renovated in 2000) with its light and bright glass and steel roof with capture your attention immediately.
But even equipped with a map (£1), it is still a little challenging to navigate the extensive number rooms and exhibitions contained here, with their slightly erratic order (in my humble opinion!). So it can be worth checking out the detailed and informative website prior to your visit, to devise a plan of action prior to your arrival!
You can hire an audioguide if you wish (£5), or join one of the free daily Gallery talks (1.15pm Tue – Sat). There are also 90 minute highlights tours if you prefer to join a group (£12). The museum is open until 5.30pm daily, and til 8.30pm on Fridays (Tube: Tottenham Court Road; Holburn).
But I personally found the written information beside the displays to be adequate for my needs, and preferred to walk through at my own pace. You can take photos here in most of the galleries, and can even sketch (with pencil) in the galleries, if you feel so inspired!
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As I tended to enjoy the ancient relics the most, highlights for me included:
- The Rosetta Stone – the discovery of this stone cracked the code for deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics
- The impressive collection of Egyptian relics, sculptures, and tombs
- The (controversial) collection of sculptures and friezes from the Parthenon in Athens
- The most famous chess set in the world: The Lewis Chessman
- The beautiful Assyrian sculptures and friezes
- The Enlightenment Room (Ground floor) contains a collection of objects dedicated to the “age of reason and learning” that occurred across Europe and America from approximately 1680 to 1820. It is housed in the beautiful King’s Library, the former home of the library of King George III.
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There is also an extensive collection of objects from Europe; Asia; Africa; and South America; so plenty to satisfy varied tastes and interests of all things historic.
When you’re wanting a break, there are several options for a bite to eat or a drink, including the affordable cafes on the ground level, offering cakes, sandwiches, fruit and snacks; and the central restaurant where you can enjoy a cream tea (for a price!) or dine on something more substantial. You could also BYO sandwich (as I did) and sit in nearby Russell Square for some greenery and fresh air, either before or after your visit, and watch the locals enjoying some R&R. Very pleasant!
Museum of London
I thoroughly enjoyed this very interesting and high quality museum, and would rate it as my favourite destination from this list. It’s open from 10am – 6pm daily (Tube: St Paul’s; Barbican).
It contains a fascinating collection that chronicles the history of the great city of London from its earliest beginnings, through its Roman past of Londinium, right up to the present day. Especially if you have lived in or spent time in London, it provides a truly interesting insight into how the city has developed into the metropolis it is today.
One of the facets of the museum I really liked is the way the displays are presented. Rather than being sprawling and impersonal, the galleries felt intimate, with a design and layout that was engaging and continued to stimulate my interest to explore further. Several sections integrated and contrasted older pieces with current day objects, trends, and habits – thus maintaining interest and relevance, particularly for younger visitors.
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I also particularly enjoyed its chronicles on the Great Fire of London; a Georgian “pleasure garden” (quite surreal to walk through); and a recreated Victorian street, with many old-fashioned shops containing lots of interesting relics and curiosities.
I spent around four hours here, which I would recommend as a minimum. I would certainly visit it again.
National Gallery
Although this gallery contains a renowned collection of 2,300+ works of art, perhaps unfairly, I couldn’t help but compare it to the artwork contained in the Louvre in Paris – and felt it came up short. But art is a personal taste, and what appeals to me will be different from another, and I still enjoyed some of the works on display here.
The gallery offers a good diversity of artwork, dating from the 13th to early 20th century. Although unfortunately, the piece I most wanted to see, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, was on loan to another gallery!
The gallery is open from 10am-6pm daily, and until 9pm on Fridays (Tube: Leicester Square; Charing Cross), and does have a good informative website.
You also can’t go past the grandeur of the building itself, and its prime position looking out onto Trafalgar Square.
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The National Portrait Gallery is just around the corner, so if you have more time than I did on the day I visited, you could combine these two galleries into the one day.
So although I really only scratched the surface of the long list of free attractions, I endeavour to explore further on my future trips to London, safe in the knowledge there are lots of high quality freebies on offer!
Follow Your Dream 