British Museum

History

The story begins with Sir Hans Sloane, a physician whose collection of 71,000 objects was offered to the nation on his death in 1753. Parliament passed the British Museum Act that same year, and in January 1759 the doors opened at Montagu House — the first national public museum in the world, free and open to "all studious and curious persons."

Through the nineteenth century the museum was rebuilt to Sir Robert Smirke's grand neoclassical design. The south facade, with its 44 towering columns, was completed in 1852 and remains one of London's most recognisable landmarks.

In 2000 the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court opened, transforming the former inner courtyard into a dramatic public space with the restored Round Reading Room at its centre.

The Collection

The permanent galleries are organised by region and period. Highlights include the Assyrian lion-hunt reliefs in Room 10, the Lewis Chessmen in Room 40, the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Room 41, and the Enlightenment Gallery in Room 1 — the museum's original display from 1759. Upstairs, the less-visited Rooms 90–94 house a remarkable collection of Japanese, Chinese and South Asian art that most visitors walk straight past.

Departments span Ancient Egypt and Sudan, Greece and Rome, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Prints and Drawings. Themed trails are available for visitors who want to explore a particular culture or era in depth, and the museum's own app suggests routes based on how much time you have.

Exhibitions & Events

The museum runs a programme of ticketed temporary exhibitions alongside the permanent galleries, often drawing on rarely-shown items from the reserve collection. Past shows have covered everything from Hokusai to Stonehenge. Exhibitions typically run for three to four months and can sell out at weekends, so booking ahead is worthwhile.

The events calendar includes gallery talks, curator-led tours, late Friday-evening openings, and family workshops during school holidays. Check the website for what's on during your visit. Before you leave, the museum shop near the Great Court is worth a browse — it stocks prints, jewellery replicas and books you won't find elsewhere.