British Museum
Good for: History Lovers
Not good for: big groups
- Address
- Great Russell St WC1
- Transport
- Website
- Phone
- Führungen: 7323 8181
- 7323 8000
- Price
- admission free, £3 donation suggested
- Hours
- galleries 10am-5.30pm Sat-Wed, to 8.30pm Thu & Fri, Great Court 9am-6pm Sun-Wed, to 11pm Thu-Sat
Lonely Planet review for British Museum
One of London’s most visited attractions, this museum draws an average of five million punters each year through its marvellous porticoed main gate on Great Russell St (a few go through the quieter Montague Pl entrance). One of the world’s oldest and finest museums, the British Museum started in 1749 in the form of royal physician Hans Sloane’s ‘cabinet of curiosities’ – which he later bequeathed to the country – and carried on expanding its collection (which now numbers some seven million items) through judicious acquisition and the controversial plundering of empire. It’s an exhaustive and exhilarating stampede through world cultures, with galleries devoted to Egypt, Western Asia, Greece, the Orient, Africa, Italy, the Etruscans, the Romans, prehistoric and Roman Britain and medieval antiquities. The museum is huge, so make a few focused visits if you have time, and consider the choice of tours. There are nine free 50-minute eyeOpener tours of individual galleries throughout the day, and 20-minute eyeOpener spotlight talks at 1.15pm focusing on different themes from the collection. Ninety-minute highlights tours leave at 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm. If you want to go it alone, audioguide tours are available at the information desk, including a family-oriented one narrated by comedian, writer and TV presenter Stephen Fry. One specific to the Parthenon Sculptures (aka the Parthenon Marbles or Elgin Marbles) is available in that gallery. You could also check out Compass, a multimedia public access system with 50 computer terminals that lets you take a virtual tour of the museum, plan your own circuit or get information on specific exhibits. The British Museum is planning to build a major new extension in its north-western corner, to be completed in 2012. The new building will have, among other things, a gallery dedicated to special exhibitions and a conservation and science centre.
Traveller reviews for British Museum (5)
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Hit or Miss
tanzonholiday does not recommend this,
If you are a mad history buff and don't mind viewing loads of artifacts that the Brits ripped off from their "little colonies" then you will probably like this place. I however did not like it. There is nothing very original about it--again just stolen goods from all the places that Britain colonised and very few things that are native to the British Isles itself.
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A must-see.
sarahsb recommends this,
Definitly something you have to do while you're in London. It is hot and Crowded though. But if you can bypass that, it will be a wonderfull experience. My advice would be to focus on a few rooms since it is so big (and did I say crowded?), and busy, or to simply spend more than a day there. But it is definitly worth the time.
Good for: History Lovers
Not good for: big groups
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Disneyland for geeks.
christieann recommends this,
There are far too many amazing treasures in the British Museum. I spent an entire 2 days there and I still haven't seen everyhting.
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there's only two ways to do the BM
heebee recommends this,
Either know exactly what you want to see and track it down, or wander into one of the collections and spend 5 hours immersed in that one time or place. Of course you could always camp out next to the Rosetta Stone and get your giggles by listening to the dumb comments of aimless tourists who are only there because the tour bus brought them there. But then that would be mean...
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