Great Britain is blessed with hundreds of museums and galleries. Some of the best are completely free to enter. So, if you are planning a visit to Britain anytime soon, be sure to check out a free museum or two. Here are 10 of my personal favourite free museums in the UK.
Big Pit: National Coal Museum
- Blaenafon, Torfaen, Wales NP4 9XP
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 9:30am -5:00pm. Underground tours 10:00am – 3:30pm.
Getting there
- There are regular trains from Cardiff and Manchester Piccadilly to Cwmbran from where a bus can be taken to Blaenafon and then another one to the Big Pit. See the Big Pit website for more details. The museum can be reached by car via the M4 motorway (junctions 25a and 26).
Overview
Coal mining used to be a major driver of the South Wales economy and the valleys were home to hundreds of mines. Cheap imports and the closure of coal fired power stations led to the demise of this once huge industry.
The Big Pit was a working coal mine from 1880 to 1980 and opened as a museum in 1983. The highlight of a visit is the underground tour, 300 feet below the surface, which will give you a sense of what it was like to be a miner.
The museum is part of a unique industrial landscape which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The above ground complex includes historic buildings around the Blacksmith’s Yard dating from the 1870s.
British Museum
- Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 5:30pm (Fridays open until 8:30pm).
Getting there
- London Underground stations Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square and Goodge Street are all within walking distance of the museum. In addition several buses stop nearby. For full details, see the Getting here page on the website.
Overview
The British Museum is one of the world’s oldest and largest museums and a trip to London by anyone interested in history would be incomplete without a visit here.
The museum was founded in 1753 and contains over 8 million items from around the globe. Most of the collection was acquired (controversially in some cases) during the heyday of the British Empire. Artifacts range from Egyptian mummies to ancient Chinese paintings and much more.
Museum of London
- 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 6:00pm
Getting there
- Barbican and St Paul’s London Underground stations are close to the museum and several bus routes have stops nearby. See the Plan your visit page on the museum website for more details.
Overview
The museum charts the history of London from the earliest times up to the modern era. Everything is covered from Roman London through to the medieval city and then to the great plague, the fire, the rebuilding, the blitz and more rebuilding. This is a fascinating museum for anyone interested in the history of this great city.
Museum of London, Docklands
- No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL
- Website
Opening times
Daily 10:00am – 6:00pm
Getting there
- Canary Wharf Underground station and West India Quay DLR stations are a few minutes walk from the museum. Several buses stop nearby. For details see the Plan your visit page on the website.
Overview
Containerization and the emergence of larger ships killed off London’s docks, once the biggest in the World. The docklands area has been redeveloped and is now the financial hub of Britain. The Museum of London Docklands, housed in a former warehouse, documents the history of the River Thames and the docklands. Galleries include Docklands at War, London, Sugar and Slavery and First Port of Empire.
Science & Industry Museum
- Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4FP
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm
Getting there
- For information on getting to the museum see their Travel Information page.
Overview
The museum is situated on the site of the World’s first intercity railway station, part of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway which opened in 1830. The original railway station frontage is Grade 1 listed. The museum charts the development of science, technology and industry with an emphasis on the role of Manchester in the industrial revolution.
National Museum of Scotland
- Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 1JF
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm
Getting there
- The museum is a short walk from Edinburgh Waverley station and there are several buses that stop close by. See the Plan your visit page on the website for more details.
Overview
This museum is contains treasures from Scotland and around the World, set in a stunning building. It’s worth visiting just to see the Grand Gallery, one of Scotland’s most beautiful interior spaces. Galleries showcase Scottish history, science and technology, art and design as well as the natural world.
National Railway Museum
- Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm (6:00pm in the summer)
Getting there
- The museum is close to York railway station. The no. 10 bus route has a stop nearby as does the Rawcliffe Park and Ride bus if you are planning to drive. More details can be found on the Visit page of the website.
Overview
Britain’s railway system is the oldest in the World and therefore has a rich history. This is reflected in the national railway collection at York and is probably the finest museum of its kind anywhere. Exhibits give flavours of the different eras of railway development, from the earliest engines, to the fastest steam engine ever, right up to the modern day with a Japanese Bullet train.
National Roman Legion Museum
- High Street, Caerleon, Newport, Wales NP18 1AE
- Website
Opening times
- Monday – Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm, Sunday 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Getting there
- Newport station is a busy hub with trains from various parts of the country. Buses run from the station to the museum. It can also be reached by car via the M4 motorway (junctions 25 and 26). See the Location page on the website for more details.
Overview
Wales was the remotest outpost of the Roman Empire. This museum tells the story of the Romans in Wales and how their influence can be felt today.
The museum is situated in what was the Roman fort at Caerleon. The surviving ruins are part of the museum and include the only remains of a Roman Legionary barracks in Europe as well as the most complete amphitheatre in Britain.
Natural History Museum
- Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 5:50pm
Getting there
- The museum is a short walk from South Kensington Underground station. Several buses also stop near the museum entrance. See the Getting here page on the website for more details.
Overview
The Natural History Museum is one of the largest museums of its type in the World, containing around 80 million items from around the globe. They are housed in a magnificent building which opened in 1881. Exhibits are divided into five collections; botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology. The huge dinosaur exhibits will probably interest the children the most!
Royal Armouries
- Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LT
- Website
Opening times
- Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm
Getting there
- The Armouries is within walking distance of Leeds City railway station (less than a mile). There are also frequent buses. See the website for more details.
Overview
The Royal Armouries in Leeds displays the national collection of arms and armour. The building that houses the collection is the most recent of these ten, opening in 1996 on the site of Leeds Dock. The collection was previously held in the Tower of London, mostly in storage.
Displays range from ancient and medieval up to twentieth century warfare. Other galleries are dedicated to hunting, tournaments and the Orient.
For information on planning a heritage tour of Britain, you may find my previous post here useful.
Happy exploring!
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