13 free museums and galleries in London

Some of the world’s greatest museums are clustered in London. Giant whale skeletons, classical sculptures, groundbreaking fashion – the city's best museums collectively satisfy all interests. Better still, many are completely free to visit.

Although some venues may charge a fee for temporary exhibitions, you can spend hours admiring the permanent collections at these 13 free museums and galleries in London.

1. Natural History Museum

Best for dinosaurs

Taking visitors through 4.6 billion years of life on earth, the Natural History Museum in the South Kensington neighborhood is beloved. The grand Victorian building is divided into color-coded sections for easier navigation: in the green zone, you’ll find bugs, birds, fossils and gems; the blue zone is for dinosaurs, mammals, fish and reptiles; the red zone houses displays on volcanoes, earthquakes and artifacts explaining human evolution; and the orange zone has a wildlife garden and the Darwin Centre. Bring your headphones and tune in for an audio tour narrated by Sir David Attenborough through the central Hintze Hall, including the famous 25m (82ft) skeleton of Hope the blue whale.

Planning tip: It gets extremely busy at peak times, particularly around school holidays, so ensure you don’t miss out — and cut down on time in line — by booking a free ticket online.

2. Tate Britain

Best for British art

Step through the porticoed entrance of this grand neoclassical building in Millbank and find yourself immersed in more than 500 years of British art. There are historic paintings by William Blake and Mary Beale, as well as modern classics from the likes of David Hockney and Tracey Emin. Tate Britain also holds the world’s largest collection of works by JMW Turner.

3. White Cube

Best for up-and-coming artists

First established in London, White Cube has become one of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries, with branches on three continents. It has two sites in London — Mason’s Yard near Piccadilly and Bermondsey in South London — showcasing the work of painters, sculptors and multidisciplinary artists. See exhibitions from major figures like Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley alongside up-and-coming names such as Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Julie Curtiss and Tiona Nekkia McClodden.

4. Tate Modern

Best for after hours

The Tate Modern’s dramatic Turbine Hall is a must-see in itself, but the works on view will wow any lover of modern art. Sculptures, paintings, films and large-scale installations are presented across the 6-story Natalie Bell building and the 10-story Blavatnik building, which has a viewing deck on its top level granting a panoramic view of the city.

Planning tip: Many galleries hold after-hours events, and the Tate does them better than most. Tate Lates take place on the last Friday of each month, with a program of artist-led workshops, DJ sets, talks and performances until 10pm.

5. Sir John Soane’s Museum

Best for a personal collection

The former home of eccentric architect John Soane has been preserved as a truly unique museum. The rooms are dimly lit and often narrow, cramped with curiosities, which lends the space a mysterious atmosphere. In one room, you’ll find masterworks by Hogarth and Canaletto; in another, the sarcophagus of an Egyptian pharaoh or a model of Pompeii made from cork. There are few labels identifying the objects, but don’t be shy about asking the friendly staff for more details.

6. National Portrait Gallery

Best for portraits

The National Portrait Gallery houses 11,000 paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures and drawings of people who made notable contributions to British history. It’s said to be the world’s first portrait gallery, featuring the faces of royalty and celebrities alongside local heroes and lesser-known figures.

Planning tip: The gallery has previously run a pay-what-you-wish scheme for temporary exhibitions that allowed visitors to book timed tickets for a minimum fee of £1 (US$1.35) on certain days. Check the schedule on the gallery's website.

7. National Gallery

Best for European art

Occupying a commanding position over Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is home to a diverse collection spanning 700 years of Western European art. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, and Georges Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières are among the highlights, but you can explore more than 2600 paintings, beginning in the early medieval period through Renaissance Italy, the Dutch masters and French Impressionism.

Planning tip: The vast collection can be overwhelming, so allow an expert guide to lead you on a free 60-minute taster tour, available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

8. Wallace Collection

Best for decorative arts

Despite being located just a few blocks behind Oxford St, this jewel box of a museum is often overlooked. In the 1800s, the building was a private residence of the Hertford family, whose expansive collection of paintings, furniture, fine porcelain and decorative art is too large to be displayed at one time. That means that you’ll encounter something new on each trip, whether it’s Marie Antoinette’s gilded desk from her Versailles apartments, masterworks by Titian and Velázquez, or the basement full of medieval armor (always a hit with children).

Planning tip: February is Open Furniture Month at the Wallace Collection, giving visitors a rare peek inside the ornate 17th- and 18th-century cabinets, the doors of which are normally closed.

9. Victoria & Albert Museum

Best for variety

The V&A sprawls over 7 miles (11km) of galleries in South Kensington, filled with 5000 years of artifacts in practically every medium, from Tippoo’s Tiger, the almost life-size wooden automaton of a tiger attacking a European dating from 1793, to JW Anderson’s viral patchwork cardigan, worn by Harry Styles in 2020.

Planning tip: Don’t miss the cafe—while museum restaurants can often feel like an afterthought, this is one of the most opulent spaces in London. The three refreshment rooms, designed in the 1860s, feature decadent double-height golden arches, Dutch blue-painted tiles and intricate plasterwork.

10. Horniman Museum

Best for walking the grounds

Based in South London’s Forest Hill, this anthropological museum is a little further out, but the location means there’s tons of room to explore its eclectic collection, stunning Victorian conservatory and 16 acres (6.5 hectares) of surrounding gardens. The Horniman Museum is one of the city’s best family-friendly attractions, thanks to its lovely nature trails, immersive displays that aim to deepen our understanding of global cultures and an array of 9500 musical instruments. 

11. Young V&A

Best for children

The V&A’s sibling in Bethnal Green caters to younger visitors, up to age 14, with three spaces targeting different age groups. For babies and toddlers, there’s the Play gallery, a sensory environment, while the mini-theater stage in the Imagine gallery invites 5- to 11-year-olds to dress up and perform, and the Design gallery offers activities and workshops for older kids, explaining the process of creating everyday objects.

Planning tip: With school trips on weekdays and families piling in on weekends, it can get very crowded. If you need a break from the noise, head to the reading room, the museum’s designated quiet space.

12. Serpentine Gallery

Best for contemporary art

With twin galleries on either side of Hyde Park’s Serpentine lake, this site hosts exhibitions by established and emerging contemporary artists, plus one of the best art bookshops in the city. During the summer months, visitors can check out the Serpentine Pavilion, an annual architectural commission that is one of the most anticipated events on the cultural calendar.

13. British Museum

Best for ancient history

It’s the biggest, oldest and most popular museum in London, with a collection spanning two million years of human history. While it’s hard to know where to start, the British Museum provides handy timed routes — there are one-hour and three-hour highlights tours, as well as trails relating to LGBTQ+ histories, colonial exploitation and family favorites.

Planning tip: There’s never a quiet time to visit, but your best bet for dodging the crowds is Friday evening, when the museum is open until 8.30pm.