List of museums in London

This is a list of museums in London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It also includes university and non-profit art galleries. As of 2016, there were over 250 registered art institutions in Greater London.

A flow chart of London's museums

List of museums in London

Name Image District/ward Borough Region Type Summary
2 Willow Road HampsteadCamdenNorthHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, modernist terrace house designed by Ernő Goldfinger, features a significant collection of 20th-century art
7 Hammersmith Terrace HammersmithHammersmith and FulhamWestHistoric houseFormer home of Emery Walker, friend and mentor to William Morris, house features Arts and Crafts style interior
18 Stafford Terrace Holland ParkKensington and ChelseaWestHistoric houseAlso known as Linley Sambourne House, home of the Victorian Punch cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne, features much of his work
575 Wandsworth Road ClaphamLambethSouthHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, 18th-century terrace house with interiors designed by Kenyan poet and civil servant Khadambi Asalache
All Hallows-by-the-Tower Crypt Museum TowerCity of LondonNorth EastReligiousSaxon-period Anglican church, museum of church's history, including Roman and Saxon artefacts, historic religious artefacts
Anaesthesia Heritage Centre FitzroviaWestminsterNorthMedicalHistory of anaesthesia and the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland
Apsley House Hyde Park CornerWestminsterNorthHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, also known as Wellington Museum, home of The Duke of Wellington, significant collections of paintings, porcelain, sculpture and furniture
Arsenal Football Club Museum HollowayIslingtonNorthSportHistory and memorabilia of the Arsenal F.C.
Art in Perpetuity Trust DeptfordLewishamSouth EastArtContemporary visual art
artsdepot FinchleyBarnetNorthArtArts centre with exhibit gallery
Baden-Powell House Exhibition South KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestBiographicalHistory of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting
Bank of England Museum City of LondonCity of LondonNorth EastNumismaticHistory of the Bank and its activities, banknotes and coins, books and documents, pictures, furniture, statues, silver
Bankside Gallery BanksideSouthwarkSouth EastArtEducational charity, home to the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers
Banqueting House, Whitehall WhitehallWestminsterNorthHistoric houseOrnate 17th-century building used for entertaining, designed by Inigo Jones, only remaining component of the Palace of Whitehall
Barbican Centre Barbican EstateCity of LondonNorth EastArtArts centre and gallery
Barnet Museum BarnetBarnetNorthLocalLocal history, costumes, domestic items, lace
Battle of Britain Bunker UxbridgeHillingdonWestHistoryMuseum and restored underground operations room at formerly used by No. 11 Group Fighter Command during World War II
Ben Uri Gallery, The London Jewish Museum of Art St John's WoodWestminsterNorthArtJewish art
Benjamin Franklin House WestminsterNorthHistoric house18th-century house where Benjamin Franklin lived for 16 years; exhibits on his life, science activities
Bentley Priory Museum StanmoreHarrowWestHistoryMuseum in former officers' mess at former RAF base at Bentley Priory, used by the RAF Fighter Command and Royal Observer Corps during World War II, focuses on its role as Headquarters Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain
Black Cultural Archives BrixtonLambethSouthBlack historyBlack history museum and cultural space
Bethlem Museum of the Mind BeckenhamBromleySouth EastMedicalArt by patients and historic artefacts of Bethlem Royal Hospital
Borough Road Gallery SouthwarkSouth EastArtPart of London South Bank University, celebrates the artist David Bomberg and includes the Sarah Rose Collection of his pictures and those of other artists in the Borough Group
Boston Manor House Boston ManorHounslowWestHistoric house17th-century Jacobean manor house
Bow Street Police Museum Covent GardenWestminsterNorthLaw enforcementBased in the former Bow Street Police Station, it presents the story of policing in the area from the eighteenth century until 1992, when the police station closed.
Brent Museum WillesdenBrentWestLocalLocated in the Willesden Green Library Centre, local history and culture; formerly the Grange Museum of Community History[1]
British Airways Heritage Centre HattonHounslowWestAviationHistory and memorabilia of British Airways, including uniforms, aircraft models and pictures, posters and photographs[2]
British Dental Association Museum WestminsterNorthMedicalHistory of dental care in the United Kingdom
British Library St PancrasCamdenNorthLibraryChanging exhibits of art, history and culture from its collections
British Museum BloomsburyCamdenNorthMultipleArt, decorative arts, archaeology, antiquities from Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece and the Middle East, coins, galleries on Africa, North America, Mexico, Asia
British Optical Association Museum Charing CrossWestminsterNorthMedicalHistory of eye care (by appointment only)
British Red Cross Museum and Archives MoorgateCity of LondonNorth EastMedicalHistory and memorabilia of the British Red Cross, open by appointment only
Brixton Windmill BrixtonLambethSouthLocalEarly 19th century windmill; interior open selected days only
Bromley Museum OrpingtonBromleySouth EastLocalLocal history and culture[3]
Bruce Castle Museum TottenhamHaringeyNorthLocalLocal history, culture
Brunei Gallery BloomsburyCamdenNorthArtPart of the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, historic and contemporary works from and about Africa and Asia, including photography and culture
Brunel Museum RotherhitheSouthwarkSouth EastTechnologyHistory of the construction of the Thames Tunnel and its designers, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel
Buckingham Palace WestminsterNorthHistoric houseOfficial London residence of the British monarch, public tours of the state rooms, includes Queen's Gallery and Royal Mews during summer only
The Building Centre BloomsburyCamdenNorthDesignExhibits on architecture and design[4]
Burgh House & Hampstead Museum HampsteadCamdenNorthLocalLocal history, culture, art exhibits
Camden Arts Centre HampsteadCamdenNorthArtChanging exhibits of contemporary art
Campbell Works Stoke NewingtonHackneyEastArtRuns a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, public engagement projects, publications and education schemes
Canada House Gallery Trafalgar SquareWestminsterNorthArtCanadian historical and contemporary art and artefacts
Carlyle's House ChelseaKensington and ChelseaWestHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, Queen Anne early eighteenth century townhouse, home of Victorian historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle
Cartoon Museum FitzroviaCamdenNorthArtPolitical cartoons, comic strips and comic books
Centre for Recent Drawing IslingtonNorthArtContemporary drawings
Charles Dickens Museum HolbornCamdenNorthHistoric houseMid–19th-century period house with original papers, furniture and items relating to author Charles Dickens
Chelsea Physic Garden ChelseaKensington and ChelseaWestMedicalBotanical garden with displays on medicinal uses of plants
Chisenhale Gallery Tower HamletsNorth EastArtNon-profit contemporary art gallery
Chiswick House ChiswickHounslowWestHistoric house18th-century neo-Palladian villa with large collection of art and furniture, gardens
Churchill War Rooms WhitehallWestminsterNorthMultipleIncludes the World War II-era underground Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum with exhibits about the life of British statesman Winston Churchill
City of London Police Museum City of LondonCity of LondonNorth EastLaw enforcementUniforms, Victorian-era police equipment, communications devices, famous murders, WWII display
Cinema Museum LambethLambethSouth WestMediaHistory and artefacts of film making
Clarence House Pall MallWestminsterNorthHistoric houseOfficial residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (normally open only during August)
Clink Prison Museum SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastPrisonSite and history of the notorious prison in use from the 12th century to 1780
Courtauld Gallery StrandWestminsterNorthArtPart of the University of London, located in Somerset House, features Old Masters and Impressionist paintings
Crime Museum WestminsterNorthLaw enforcementHistory, artefacts and crime memorabilia of Scotland Yard, not open to the public
Crofton Roman Villa OrpingtonBromleySouth EastArchaeologyRemains of a Roman villa
Crossness Pumping Station CrossnessBexleySouth EastTechnologyVictorian sewage pumping station with preserved steam engines
Crystal Palace Museum Crystal PalaceBromleySouth EastHistoryHistory and memorabilia of The Crystal Palace[5]
Cubitt Gallery FinsburyIslingtonNorthArt
Cuming Museum WalworthSouthwarkSouth EastLocalLocal history, culture; small collection of Ancient Egyptian objects. Closed since March 2013 due to fire damage.
Cutty Sark Museum GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastMaritimeMid–19th-century clipper, museum ship
Danson House Danson ParkBexleySouth EastHistoric house18th-century Georgian house
Dennis Severs' House SpitalfieldsTower HamletsNorth EastHistoryEnactments of life in the 18th and 19th centuries
Design Museum KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestDesignProduct, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design
Dr Johnson's House City of LondonCity of LondonNorth EastHistoric house18th-century townhouse home of 18th-century English writer Samuel Johnson
Dorich House Kingston ValeKingston upon ThamesSouth WestArtFormer studio of the Estonian sculptor Dora Gordine, with a collection of her works and of Russian Imperial art. Part of Kingston University.[6]
Down House DowneBromleySouth EastHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, home of naturalist Charles Darwin where he wrote "On the Origin of Species"
Dulwich Picture Gallery DulwichSouthwarkSouth EastArtCollection of European Old Masters, mostly of the 17th and 18th centuries
Eastbury Manor House BarkingBarking and DagenhamNorth EastHistoric houseOwned by the National Trust, 16th-century Tudor gentry house, local history displays
Eltham Palace ElthamGreenwichSouth EastHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, 1930s Art Deco house with mediaeval Great Hall
Enfield Museum EnfieldEnfieldNorthLocalLocal history
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art CanonburyIslingtonNorthArtModern Italian art
Fan Museum GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastFashionArt and craft of the fan
Faraday Museum MayfairWestminsterNorthScienceLocated at the Royal Institution, scientist Michael Faraday's 19th century laboratory, activities and people associated with the Institution
Fashion and Textile Museum BermondseySouthwarkSouth EastFashionFashions, textiles and jewellery, both historic and contemporary
Fenton House HampsteadCamdenNorthHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, 17th-century merchant's house, features collections of early keyboard instruments, paintings, porcelain, needlework pictures and Georgian furniture
Fleming Museum PaddingtonWestminsterNorthMedicalLocated at St Mary's Hospital, London, site and history of Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, 1928 period laboratory
Florence Nightingale Museum LambethLambethSouth WestMedicalLife and nursing work of Florence Nightingale
Forty Hall Museum Forty HillEnfieldNorthMultipleLocal history, 17th- and 18th-century ceramics and pottery, 19th- and 20th-century china, glassware
Foundling Museum BloomsburyCamdenNorthMultipleHistory of the Foundling Hospital, Britain's first home for abandoned children, art by many of Britain's most prominent 18th-century artists, 18th-century period rooms, room on composer George Frideric Handel and his connection to the hospital
Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum North FinchleyBarnetNorthHistoryCollection of material relating to the history of Belarus
Freud Museum HampsteadCamdenNorthHistoric houseHome of Sigmund Freud, features his study, exhibits on his life and works, collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, contemporary art and Freud-themed exhibitions
Fulham Palace FulhamHammersmith and FulhamWestHistoric houseMediaeval former residence of the Bishop of London, also art gallery
Fusiliers Museum Tower HillTower HamletsNorth EastMilitaryHistory of the Royal Fusiliers, uniforms, regalia, medals, weapons and memorabilia, located at the Tower of London
Galton Collection BloomsburyCamdenNorthMedicalPart of the University College London, open by appointment only, scientific instruments, papers, and personal memorabilia of Sir Francis Galton
Garden Museum LambethLambethSouth WestGardeningTools and artefacts related to ornamental gardening
Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare HamptonRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestBiographical18th-century folly built by actor David Garrick to celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare, includes display on Garrick's life and acting career
Gasworks Gallery KenningtonLambethSouth WestArtContemporary art organisation with exhibition space and studios
Goldsmiths' Centre ClerkenwellIslingtonNorthArtChanging exhibits of contemporary jewellery and silversmithing, operated by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
Golden Hinde BanksideSouthwarkSouth EastMaritimeReplica museum ship of the Golden Hind, the 16th-century galleon used by Sir Francis Drake
Gordon Museum of Pathology SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastMedicalThe largest medical Museum in the United Kingdom,[7] part of King's College London
Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy BloomsburyCamdenNorthNatural historyPart of the University College London, skeletons, taxidermy, entomology and specimens preserved in fluid.
Greenwich Visitor Centre GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastHistoryAlso known as Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre, history of the World Heritage Site, its builders and buildings, maritime heritage, local history
Guards Museum WestminsterNorthMilitaryHistory, artefacts and memorabilia of the five regiments of Foot Guards: the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards
Guildhall Art Gallery BassishawCity of LondonNorth EastArtLocated in the Guildhall, collection includes art and cultural artefacts about London, Victorian-era works, remains of a Roman amphitheatre in the basement
Gunnersbury Park Museum ActonHounslowWestLocalLocal history of Hounslow and Ealing boroughs, archaeology, costume, fine art, ceramics, also Edwardian era kitchen rooms
Hackney Museum HackneyHackneyNorthLocalLocal history and culture[8]
Hall Place CrayfordBexleySouth EastHistoric house16th- and 17th-century former country house; exhibits from the Bexley Museum's collections including art, social history, natural history, geology, archaeology, Ancient Egypt, costumes, furniture
Ham House HamRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, 17th-century grand house, fine interiors and historic gardens, collections of textiles and furniture
Hampton Court Palace HamptonRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestHistoric houseFormer royal palace, King Henry VIII exhibition, Tudor kitchen, Tudor-period living history programmes, gardens, maze
Handel & Hendrix in London MayfairWestminsterNorthHistoric house

Museum dedicated to the lives and works of the Baroque composer George Frideric Handel and the rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who lived in adjoining houses two centuries apart

Harrow Museum HeadstoneHarrowWestLocalLocal history, industry, archaeology, also known as Headstone Manor Museum
Havering Museum RomfordHaveringNorth EastLocal
Hayward Gallery SouthbankLambethSouth WestArtPart of the Southbank Centre, contemporary art
Heath Robinson Museum PinnerHarrowNorth WestBiographicalLife and work of cartoonist Heath Robinson
HMS Belfast SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastMaritimeOperated by the Imperial War Museum, originally a Royal Navy light cruiser and served during the Second World War and Korean War
Hogarth's House ChiswickHounslowWestHistoric houseHome of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth
Honeywood Museum CarshaltonSuttonSouth WestLocal17th-century house with details from different eras of ownership, local history exhibits
Honourable Artillery Company Museum FinsburyIslingtonNorthMilitaryRegimental artefacts and memorabilia (by appointment only)
Horniman Museum and Gardens Forest HillLewishamSouth EastMultipleMusical instruments, art, natural history, anthropology, African arts and culture, aquarium, gardens
House of Dreams Museum East DulwichSouthwarkSouth EastArtHouse turned into outsider art sculpture by former textile designer and art director Steven Wright
House of Illustration Kings CrossCamdenNorthArtLocated at Granary Square, public gallery dedicated to illustration[9]
Household Cavalry Museum Horse Guards ParadeWestminsterNorthMilitaryRegimental artefacts and memorabilia of the Household Cavalry
Hunterian Museum Lincoln's Inn FieldsWestminsterNorthMedicalHunterian Collection of preserved anatomical specimens, history, artefacts and developments in surgery, part of the Royal College of Surgeons
ICANDO VictoriaWestminsterNorthScoutingFormerly the Girl Guide Heritage Centre; exhibits and activities about Girl Guides[10]
Imperial War Museum London SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastMilitaryWarfare in the 20th and 21st centuries
Inns of Court & City Yeomanry Museum Lincoln's InnCamdenNorthMilitaryRegimental history and artefacts of the Inns of Court & City Yeomanry (by appointment only)
Institute of Archaeology Collections BloomsburyCamdenNorthArchaeologyPart of the University College London, open by appointment only, prehistoric ceramics and stone artefacts, Classical Greek and Roman ceramics
Institute of Contemporary Arts The MallWestminsterNorthArtMulti-disciplinary arts centre with exhibit galleries
Islington Museum FinsburyIslingtonNorthLocalLocal history
Jack the Ripper Museum Tower HamletsNorth EastHistoryHistory of the East London in the 1880s, providing a serious examination of the crimes of Jack the Ripper within the social context of the period
Jewel Tower WestminsterWestminsterNorthHistoryOperated by English Heritage, one of only two surviving sections of the mediaeval royal Palace of Westminster, includes an exhibition on the history of Parliament and the building
Jewish Museum London Camden TownCamdenNorthEthnicJewish culture, heritage and traditions in Britain, ceremonial art collection
Keats House HampsteadCamdenNorthHistoric houseEarly 19th-century home of Romantic poet John Keats
Kelmscott House Museum HammersmithHammersmith and FulhamWestArtLondon home of William Morris; exhibits of his designs
Kennel Club Dog Art Gallery WestminsterNorthArtExhibits and collection of dog paintings, open by appointment
Kensington Palace Kensington GardensKensington and ChelseaWestHistoric houseRoyal residence
Kenwood House HampsteadCamdenNorthHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, 17th-century former country house; interiors by Robert Adam, features collection of Old Master paintings
Kew Gardens KewRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestMultipleIncludes Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Marianne North Gallery, exhibits on plants and conservation, Kew Palace
Kew Palace KewRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestHistoric houseFormer royal palace located within the Kew Gardens
Kingston Museum Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon ThamesSouth WestLocalLocal history, Eadweard Muybridge gallery of photographs, exhibits of art, photography, culture
Kirkaldy Testing Museum SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastTechnologyMaterials testing machines used by engineer David Kirkaldy
L-13 Light Industrial Workshop ClerkenwellIslingtonNorthArtContemporary art space
Lambeth Palace LambethLambethSouth WestHistoric houseTours of the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury on selected days only
Landmark Arts Centre TeddingtonRichmond upon ThamesWestArtArts centre with visual art gallery, located in the former St Alban's Church[11]
Langdon Down Museum of Learning Disability TeddingtonRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestMedicalOperated by the Down's Syndrome Association in the Langdon Down Centre, history of treating people with learning disabilities
Lethaby Gallery Kings CrossCamdenNorthArtLocated at Granary Square, art gallery of Central Saint Martins, features contemporary and historic works from its collections of art and design
Leighton House Museum Holland ParkKensington and ChelseaWestArtVictorian house of painter Frederic, Lord Leighton, features paintings, sculpture, Middle Eastern tiles
Library and Museum of Freemasonry HolbornCamdenNorthMasonicLibrary, artefacts and regalia of Freemasonry
Little Holland House CarshaltonSuttonSouth WestHistoric houseArts and Crafts home of the artist Frank Dickinson (1874–1961) with interior influenced by John Ruskin and William Morris
London Canal Museum Kings CrossIslingtonNorthTransportHistory of London's canals
London Film Museum Covent GardenWestminsterNorthMediaProps, costumes, sets and artefacts from British films, history of moviemaking
London Fire Brigade Museum SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastFirefightingOpen by appointment only, history of the London Fire Brigade, equipment, apparatus
London Mithraeum City of LondonCity of LondonCentralArchaeologyRemains of a Roman temple to Mithras
London Motorcycle Museum GreenfordEalingWestTransportOver 150 classic and British motorcycles
London Museum of Water & Steam BrentfordHounslowWestTechnologyWater supply technology and a collection of water pumping steam engines, also operating narrow gauge railway; formerly the Kew Bridge Steam Museum
London Sewing Machine Museum WimbledonMertonSouth WestTechnologyCollection of sewing machines[12]
London Transport Museum Covent GardenWestminsterNorthTransportPublic transport including the railway, underground, buses, memorabilia
London Transport Museum Depot ActonEalingWestTransportHouses the majority of the museum's collection, open day visits and tours
Madame Tussauds London WestminsterNorthWaxWax figures of celebrities in acting, music, politics, sport, history, royalty and fiction
Mall Galleries Trafalgar SquareWestminsterNorthArtGallery exhibits of the Federation of British Artists
Magic Circle Museum CamdenNorthMagicMagic tricks, props, posters, artefacts, open by appointment
Mansion House City of LondonCity of LondonNorth EastHistoric houseGuided tours of the public rooms of the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London, includes city regalia, 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, gold and silver plate collections; open on selected days only
Marble Hill House RichmondRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, 18th-century Palladian villa with Georgian interior
Markfield Beam Engine and Museum TottenhamHaringeyNorthTechnologyVictorian 100 horsepower beam pumping engine
MCC Museum St John's WoodWestminsterNorthSportHistory and memorabilia of cricketing, located at Lord's Cricket Ground
Media Space South KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestArtLocated on the second floor of the Science Museum, showcases the collection of the National Media Museum, explores relationships between, and lesser-known histories of, photography, science, art and technology
Merton Heritage Centre MordenMertonSouth WestLocalLocal history[13]
MOCA, London Peckham RyeSouthwarkSouth EastArtMuseum dedicated to Contemporary Art of varied media. Curated by Michael Petry
Morley Gallery South BankLambethSouth WestArtPart of Morley College, exhibitions include painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, ceramics, textiles, installations, digital and sound art
Museum of Army Music TwickenhamRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestMusicOpen Wednesday afternoons and by appointment, history of British military bands and music, includes musical instruments, banners, uniforms, paintings, model bands. Now closed and the site is a school.
Museum of Asian Music ActonEalingWestMusicMusical instruments, music extracts and video clips of music from across Asia
Museum of Brands Notting HillKensington and ChelseaWestMediaAdvertising, packaging and brand memorabilia and artefacts, including domestic products, packaging, posters, toys and games
Museum of Comedy BloomsburyCamdenNorthMediaLocated in the undercroft of St. George's, Bloomsbury, photos, posters, memorabilia, scrips, video and film about the history of British comedy
Museum of Croydon CroydonCroydonSouth WestLocalLocal history, culture, social history, Riesco Gallery with collections of Chinese pottery and ceramics, and Roman and Anglo-Saxon collections
Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture ColindaleBarnetNorthArtOpen by appointment only, research museum of Middlesex University, 19th- and 20th-century decorative arts for the home including textiles and wallpaper
Museum of Immigration and Diversity SpitalfieldsTower HamletsNorth EastHistoryOpen selected days only
Museum of Life Sciences SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastNatural historyHistoric biological and pharmaceutical collections, including skeletons, fluid-preserved material, taxidermy, and fossils; part of King's College London
Museum of London Barbican EstateCity of LondonNorth EastHistoryCity's history, culture, archaeology
Museum of London Docklands Isle of DogsTower HamletsNorth EastMaritimeMaritime, river and local history
Museum of Richmond RichmondRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestLocalLocal history, culture
Museum of the Home ShoreditchHackneyNorthArt and historic houseChanging style of the English domestic interior in a series of period rooms from 1600 to the present day. Also historic alms house. Formerly the Geffrye Museum.
Museum of the Order of St John ClerkenwellIslingtonNorthMedicalHistory of the Order of St John and its medical care in the community
Museum of Wimbledon WimbledonMertonSouth WestLocalLocal history, culture[14]
Musical Museum BrentfordHounslowWestMusicCollection of music boxes and automatic instruments
National Army Museum ChelseaKensington and ChelseaWestMilitaryHistory and artefacts of the British Army
National Gallery Trafalgar SquareWestminsterNorthArtNational collection of Western European painting from the 13th century to 1900
National Maritime Museum GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastMaritimeHistory of Britain at sea, includes maritime art, ship models and plans, scientific and navigational instruments, instruments for time-keeping and astronomy. Incorporates Greenwich Observatory and the Queen's House.
National Portrait Gallery SohoWestminsterNorthArtPortraits of historically important and famous British people
Natural History Museum South KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestNatural historyAlso includes the Geological Museum, collections focus is botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology.
Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastMedical19th-century operating theatre, herb garret and museum of surgery
Old Royal Naval College GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastHistory
Old Speech Room Gallery and Museum, Harrow School HarrowHarrowWestArtEgyptian and Greek antiquities, English watercolours, Modern British paintings, sculpture, printed books and natural history
Orleans House Gallery TwickenhamRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestArtMunicipal art gallery, also the Stables Gallery
Osterley Park and House IsleworthHounslowWestHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, late 18th-century palace designed by Robert Adam, ornate interiors, gardens
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art HackneyNorthArtExhibitions of works by international contemporary artists working in various media
Peckham Platform SouthwarkSouth EastArtContemporary art
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology BloomsburyCamdenNorthArchaeologyArtifacts from Ancient Egypt, part of the University College London
The Photographers' Gallery SohoWestminsterNorthArtPhotography
Pitzhanger Manor EalingEalingWestHistoric houseDesigned by the architect John Soane, has exhibitions of contemporary art.
Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum South KensingtonWestminsterWestMilitaryContributions of the Polish Armed Forces in the West in World War II
Pollock's Toy Museum FitzroviaCamdenNorthToyToys, games, dolls, puppets, folk toys
Postal Museum ClerkenwellIslingtonNorthPhilatelicPostal communications history, stamps, letters, artefacts
Pushkin House BloomsburyCamdenNorthArtRussian art and culture
Queen Charlotte's Cottage KewRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestHistoric houseLocated within the Kew Gardens, 18th-century rustic retreat built for Queen Charlotte, open seasonally
Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge ChingfordWaltham ForestNorth EastHistoric houseTudor hunting lodge
Queen's Gallery WestminsterNorthArtExhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, located at Buckingham Palace
Queen's House GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastArtMarine art gallery of the National Maritime Museum
Queer Britain Kings Cross, LondonCamdenNorthArt and historyBritain's first dedicated LGBTQ museum
Ragged School Museum Tower HamletsNorth EastEducationHistory of the Victorian-era charity schools
Rainham Hall RainhamHaveringNorth EastHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, 18th-century Queen Anne house
Ranger's House (Wernher Collection) GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastArtOperated by English Heritage, Georgian villa with fine and decorative art collection, including silver and jewels, paintings and porcelain
Red House BexleyheathBexleySouth EastHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, 19th-century house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Red Mansion Foundation Portland PlaceWestminsterNorthArtGallery exhibits of contemporary Chinese art
Redbridge Museum IlfordRedbridgeNorth EastLocalLocal history, culture, located on the second floor of Ilford Central Library[15]
RCM Museum of Music South KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestMusicMusical instruments, art, documents and accessories, part of the Royal College of Music
Riverside Gallery RichmondRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestArtMunicipal art gallery[16]
Rivington Place ShoreditchHackneyNorthArtInternational visual arts centre, home to InIVA and Autograph ABP
Rose Theatre Exhibition BanksideSouthwarkSouth EastArchaeologyExcavations of an Elizabethan theatre
Royal Academy of Arts PiccadillyWestminsterNorthArtLocated in Burlington House
Royal Academy of Music Museum Regent's ParkWestminsterNorthMusicMusical instruments and artefacts of the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Air Force Museum London ColindaleBarnetNorthAviationHistory of aviation and the British Royal Air Force
Royal Armouries, Tower of London Tower HillTower HamletsNorth EastMilitaryArms and armour dating from the Middle Ages onwards
Royal College of Physicians Museum Regent's ParkCamdenNorthMedicalPortraits, silver, medical instruments and artefacts
Royal Hospital Chelsea Museum ChelseaKensington and ChelseaWestMilitaryMilitary artefacts and memorabilia, items related to The Duke of Wellington
Royal London Hospital Archives and Museum WhitechapelTower HamletsNorthMedicalHistory of the hospital and medical care in the East End
Royal Mews WestminsterNorthTransportThe King's stables, features State vehicles including horse-drawn carriages and motor cars, and the Gold State Coach
Royal Observatory, Greenwich GreenwichGreenwichSouth EastHorologyPart of the National Maritime Museum, features astronomical and navigational tools, a planetarium
Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum LambethLambethSouth WestMedicalBritish pharmacy history, medicines and artefacts
Saatchi Gallery ChelseaKensington and ChelseaWestArtContemporary art
St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum SmithfieldCity of LondonNorth EastMedicalHistory of the hospital and its work, historic surgical instruments, sculpture, mediaeval archives, works of art including paintings by William Hogarth
St Paul's Cathedral Ludgate HillCity of LondonNorth EastReligiousAnglican cathedral with religious art, sculpture, architecture, tombs, decorative arts
Salvation Army International Heritage Centre Denmark HillSouthwarkSouthReligiousWithin William Booth College; museum and archive charting the history of the Christian church and charity, The Salvation Army[17]
Science Gallery London SouthwarkSouthwarkSouth EastScience and artExhibitions of art illuminating scientific topics
Science Museum South KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestScienceNational museum of science and technology, transport, medicine, steam engines
Serpentine Galleries Kensington GardensWestminsterWestArtSerpentine Gallery and Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Kensington Gardens, exhibitions of contemporary art, architecture and design
Sherlock Holmes Museum Regent's ParkWestminsterNorthBiographicalDedicated to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes
Shirley Windmill ShirleyCroydonSouth WestMillRestored mid–19th-century tower windmill
The Showroom WestminsterNorthArtContemporary art gallery
Sir John Soane's Museum HolbornCamdenNorthArtFine art, architecture, antiquities, sculpture
Somerset House StrandWestminsterNorthArtArts centre with gallery and Courtauld Gallery
Soseki Museum in London ClaphamLambethSouth WestHistoric houseLondon home of Japanese author Natsume Sōseki[18]
South London Gallery CamberwellSouthwarkSouth EastArtContemporary art
Southside House WimbledonMertonSouth WestHistoric house17th-century period house
Spencer House St James'sWestminsterNorthHistoric house18th-century mansion with restored state rooms and garden
Stephens Collection FinchleyBarnetNorthBiographicalLife of Dr Henry Stephens, inventor of an indelible blue-black ink, and his son Henry Charles Stephens, their ink company and local history
Strawberry Hill TwickenhamRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestHistoric houseGothic villa home of Horace Walpole
Studio Voltaire ClaphamLambethSouthArtContemporary art[19]
Sutton House HackneyHackneyNorthHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, 16th-century Tudor house
Syon House BrentfordHounslowWestHistoric houseFamily residence of the Duke of Northumberland, 18th-century house with interior by Robert Adam, collections of paintings and furniture, gardens, park
Tate Britain MillbankWestminsterNorthArtNational collection of historical and contemporary British art
Tate Modern BanksideSouthwarkSouth EastArtNational collection of modern and contemporary art
Tower Bridge Tower HamletsNorth EastTechnologySteam engines, workings of the bridge
Tower of London Tower HillTower HamletsNorth EastMultipleHistoric fortress, prison and former royal residence, includes the Royal Armouries, Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, regimental museum of the Royal Fusiliers
Twinings Museum StrandWestminsterNorthFoodHistory of Twinings, tea caddies and tea history
Twickenham Museum TwickenhamRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestLocalLocal history
Two Temple Place WestminsterNorthArtLate Victorian mansion, now an art gallery to showcase publicly owned art from UK regional collections, only open during exhibitions
UCL Geology Collections BloomsburyCamdenNorthNatural historyPart of the University College London, rocks, minerals, fossils on display in the Rock Room, limited opening hours[20]
Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia UpminsterHaveringNorth EastHistoryArtefacts of rural domestic and agricultural life
Upminster Windmill UpminsterHaveringNorth EastMill19th-century windmill; exhibits on its history
Vagina Museum CamdenCamdenNorthMuseumAims to celebrate female reproductive anatomy and challenge myths and misconceptions
Valence House Museum DagenhamBarking and DagenhamNorth EastLocalLocal history, archaeology, maritime and fishing industry, art
Valentines Mansion IlfordRedbridgeNorth EastHistoric houseCountry house with recreated Victorian kitchen and Georgian rooms, contemporary art exhibits, 18th-century gardens
Vestry House Museum WalthamstowWaltham ForestNorth EastLocalLocal history, culture
Victoria and Albert Museum South KensingtonKensington and ChelseaWestMultipleNational collection of applied arts, includes ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewellery, furniture, mediaeval objects, sculpture, prints and printmaking, drawings and photographs, theatre and performing arts, Asian art and decorative arts, architecture
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History HackneyHackneyNorthMultipleIncludes natural and scientific curiosities, art, pop culture objects
Wallace Collection MaryleboneWestminsterNorthArtOld masters and decorative arts
Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum WalthamstowWaltham ForestNorth EastTransportThe museum is due to become the Lea Valley Experience, pioneering achievements in road, rail, air and sea transport in the River Lea valley from the early 19th century.
Wandle Industrial Museum MitchamMertonSouth WestIndustryIndustries along the River Wandle, including flour and textile mills[21]
Wandsworth Museum WandsworthWandsworthSouth WestLocalLocal history
Wellcome Collection CamdenNorthMedicalMedical artefacts and original artworks exploring "ideas about the connections between medicine, life and art"; exhibits from the collections of the Wellcome Library
Wellington Arch Hyde Park CornerWestminsterNorthHistoryTriumphal arch with exhibits about its history
Wesley's Chapel, Museum of Methodism and John Wesley's House IslingtonNorthReligiousHistory of Methodism from its founding by John Wesley to the present
Westminster Abbey Museum WestminsterWestminsterNorthReligiousRoyal and other funeral effigies, religious artefacts
Westminster Dragoons Museum FulhamHammersmith and FulhamWestMilitaryRegimental artefacts, regalia and memorabilia, collection currently in storage[22]
White Lodge Museum and Ballet Resource Centre RichmondRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestBalletHistory of the Royal Ballet School, daily life of its students, history and development of Classical ballet, history of White Lodge, visits by appointment
Whitechapel Gallery WhitechapelTower HamletsNorth EastArtContemporary art
Whitehall CheamSuttonSouth WestHistoric houseTudor house with elements from different eras
Whitewebbs Museum of Transport Crews HillEnfieldNorthTransportCars, trucks, motorcycles, model railway[23]
Wiener Library BloomsburyCamdenNorthHistoryExhibits of art and history from its collections about the Holocaust and genocides around the world
William Morris Gallery WalthamstowWaltham ForestNorth EastArtArts and Crafts movement furniture, textiles, ceramics and glass
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum WimbledonMertonSouth WestSportHistory of tennis
Wimbledon Windmill Museum WimbledonMertonSouth WestMill19th-century windmill' exhibits on its history and on other windmills
World Rugby Museum TwickenhamRichmond upon ThamesSouth WestSportRugby union history and the England national rugby union team, players, memorabilia, history of Twickenham Stadium
Young V&A Bethnal GreenTower HamletsNorth EastToyToys, dolls, children's playtime and lives

Defunct museums

Visitor figures

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) publishes monthly visitor figures for the public sector museums and galleries which it sponsors, which include most of the leading museums in London.

The most popular London museum in the private sector is The Sherlock Holmes Museum.

The DCMS totals for the financial year to 31 March 2008 were as follows:[35]

NOTE: Tate Modern and Tate Britain are on separate sites two miles apart, but the DCMS only publishes a single combined visitor figure for them. Tate Modern is widely reported to attract the more visitors of the two, but it is not clear whether it received more visitors than the British Museum on its own.

The majority of government-funded museums stopped charging admission fees in 2001[36] and, although this was challenged in 2007,[37] this has remained the case. Following the removal of admission charges, attendances at London museums increased, with a large percentage of the 42 million annual visitors nationwide.[38]

See also

References
  1. "Brent Museum". Brent.gov.uk. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  2. "Heritage collection | History and Heritage". British Airways. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  3. "Bromley Museum | Bromley Museum | London Borough of Bromley". Bromley.gov.uk. 16 March 2011. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  4. "The Building Centre". The Building Centre. 20 September 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  5. "The Website Of The Crystal Palace Museum". Crystalpalacemuseum.org.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  6. "Dorich House". Dorichhousemuseum.org. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  7. "About the Gordon Museum". Gordon Museum of Pathology. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  8. "Hackney Council – Hackney Museum". Hackney.gov.uk. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  9. "Official site". House of Illustration. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  10. "Home". Icando.org.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  11. "Arts, fairs, classes, hire... Landmark Arts Centre, south west London". Landmarkartscentre.org. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  12. "London Sewing Machine Museum". Craftysewer.com. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  13. Merton. "Heritage – Merton – London Libraries". Merton. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  14. "Home". Wimbledonmuseum.org.uk. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  15. "Redbridge Museum". Redbridge.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  16. "Riverside Gallery – London Borough of Richmond upon Thames". Richmond.gov.uk. 17 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  17. "Salvation Army International Heritage Centre". salvationarmy.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  18. "夏目漱石とロンドン：倫敦漱石記念館ホームページにようこそ！". Soseki.intlcafe.info. 19 August 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  19. "Official site". Studio Voltaire. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  20. "UCL Geology Collections". Ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  21. "Home". Wandle.org. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  22. "Westminster Dragoons". Army Museums Ogilby Trust. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  23. "Whitewebbs Museum of Transport". Whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  24. "Museum & Library". The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  25. "The London Church with Hundreds of Clowns in Its Basement". 26 January 2017.
  26. "Home". clownsgallery.co.uk.
  27. "Managed on behalf of Bexley Council by the Erith Museum Group". Erith Museum. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  28. "About the Heritage Motor Centre". Heritage Motor Centre. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  29. "Taxis in Lambeth". Vauxhall Civic Society. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  30. "The London Toy and Model Museum (1982-1999)". The Brighton Toy and Model Index. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  31. "Museum of British Transport, Clapham". ingenious.org.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  32. Mansfield, Ian (4 December 2010). "The Nature Study Museum in Stepney". www.ianvisits.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  33. Kulpa, Peter George. "Historic Building Record - Old Mortuary and Nature Study Museum" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  34. "West Ham United FC Museum". Time Out London. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  35. "No longer available – GOV.UK". Culture.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  36. Bishop, Tom (29 April 2004). "Museums count cost of going free". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  37. Russell, Ben (18 June 2007). "Why museums must stay free". The Independent online. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  38. Lister, David (18 June 2007). "Why recall for a rethink on Labours one cultural success". The Independent online. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
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