London is said to be one of the most important global cities worldwide. Usually, it is described as the most influential, desirable, innovative, and powerful city in the world. Furthermore, it is rather diverse when it comes to culture and language since more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its cultural life is no exception. London seems to be one of the largest European cultural centers when it comes to theater, film, music, galleries, and museums.
The following list is comprised of 6 best museums to visit in London in 2024.
1. Victoria and Albert Museum
One of its most visited museums of applied and decorative arts is the Victoria and Albert Museum, or the V&A. Founded in 1852, this museum’s collection includes more than 2.27 million objects. It was named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The items in the collection belong to different periods and cultures. In other words, ranging from ancient times to the present day, they are associated with the history of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.
V&A holds in the possession the largest collection of post-classical sculpture in the world since it owns the largest number of items dating from Italian Renaissance, outside Italy. With its long tradition of 167 years, the Victoria and Albert Museum is considered to be a very popular tourist attraction in Britain. It is estimated that it has almost 4 million visitors per year.
2. Natural History Museum
This museum is primarily concerned with natural history. It has a long tradition of 138 years. One of the things which makes this museum so popular among its visitors is its fascinating collection of more than 80 million items. It organized in 4 zones – red zone (focused on human evolution, earth’s treasury, etc.), green zone (revolving around birds, minerals, fossils from Britain, etc.), blue zone (focused on fish, reptiles, human biology, etc.) and orange zone (dealing with Darwin Centre). With such an impressive collection, no wonder this museum has more than 5 million visitors per year.
3. Museum of London
The history of London from its earliest beginnings to the present day is documented in the Museum of London. This museum is considered to have the largest urban history collection since it consists of more than 6 million items. It was established in 1976, and it is estimated to receive almost 700, 000 visits annually. Furthermore, its collection includes objects such as original artifacts, pictures, and diagrams. Also, the approach to the exhibition, in the Museum of London, can be interesting to all ages, since it is realized through interactive displays and activities.
4. London Transport Museum
London Transport Museum, also known as the LT Museum, explores the history and development of London Transport. It was opened in 1980, and it receives around 300,000 visits per year. This museum holds in possession of more than 450,000 items, and its main purpose is to emphasize the strong connection between transport and the development of modern London, as well as culture and society. In case you find yourself in London, the London Transport Museum should be at the top of your sightseeing list.
5. Churchill War Rooms
The Churchill War Rooms is a museum in London which captures the period of the Second World War in Britain. This is the biographical type of museum, showing the life of British statesman Winston Churchill. The museum itself consists of Cabinet War Rooms – an underground complex of rooms which were used by the British government in the times of war. After the war ended, the historic value of these rooms was recognized, and it was turned into a museum in 1984. The fact that this museum is highly popular among its visitors is proven by the 500,000 visits annually. It is safe to say that this type of museum will fulfill the expectations of a visitor interested in this period of human history.
6. The Design Museum
The main concern of this museum is industrial, graphics, architectural and fashion design. It has been a tourist attraction for 30 years, since its opening in 1989. One of the amazing offers this museum has is a free entrance to the permanent exhibition “Designer Maker User”. Also, The Design Museum is an award-winning museum, since it won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2018. The main mission of this museum is to unite the design industry, education and the public, and in that way change the way people observe and perceive the world. If you appreciate the art of the remarkable designers, you will find everything you are looking for in The Design Museum.
