Unofficial visitor guide · London
London museums: free entry, booking and late openings
London's big national museums are free to enter, and most open every day. A few ask you to book a free ticket, and several stay open late on Fridays. Each museum's own page is linked.
An independent visitor page: we are not affiliated with any of these museums.
Free entry and booking
General admission is free at all these museums; paid exhibitions are separate. Only the Science Museum requires a booked free ticket.
| Museum | Free entry |
|---|---|
| British Museum Some exhibitions paid; booking a free timed ticket is recommended and gives priority entry | Free |
| National Gallery A free ticket gives fast-track entry; walk-up entry also available | Free |
| Natural History Museum A free ticket skips the queue at weekends and in holidays | Free |
| Victoria and Albert Museum (South Kensington) No need to book | Free |
| Science Museum A free ticket with an arrival time must be booked in advance | Free, book ahead |
| Tate Modern Collection free, no booking; book for exhibitions | Free |
| Tate Britain No need to book; book for exhibitions | Free |
| Sir John Soane's Museum No need to book; expect a queue, as the house is small | Free |
| Wallace Collection Permanent collection free | Free |
| IWM London (Imperial War Museum) No need to book | Free |
| London Museum Docklands No need to book | Free |
britishmuseum.org · nationalgallery.org.uk · nhm.ac.uk · vam.ac.uk · sciencemuseum.org.uk · tate.org.uk · tate.org.uk · soane.org · wallacecollection.org · iwm.org.uk · londonmuseum.org.uk
Which museums are open on Monday?
All of these museums open every day except Sir John Soane's Museum, which closes on Mondays and Tuesdays.
| Museum | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Museum Until 20:30 on Fridays | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| National Gallery Until 21:00 on Fridays | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Natural History Museum | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Victoria and Albert Museum (South Kensington) Until 22:00 on Fridays | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Science Museum | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Tate Modern Until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Tate Britain | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Sir John Soane's Museum Open on bank holiday Mondays | Monday: closed | Tuesday: closed | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Wallace Collection | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| IWM London (Imperial War Museum) | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| London Museum Docklands | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
✓ open · ✕ closed · ½ open part of the day. Public holidays can differ; see below.
britishmuseum.org · nationalgallery.org.uk · nhm.ac.uk · vam.ac.uk · sciencemuseum.org.uk · tate.org.uk · tate.org.uk · soane.org · wallacecollection.org · iwm.org.uk · londonmuseum.org.uk
Christmas and New Year
Most London museums close on 24, 25 and 26 December. On 1 January the National Gallery is closed, while Tate Modern, Tate Britain and IWM London are open.
britishmuseum.org · nationalgallery.org.uk · tate.org.uk: ticketing FAQ · iwm.org.uk
Is there an official audio guide in your language?
| Museum | Audio guide languages | Price |
|---|---|---|
| British Museum | Yes | 8 languages · £6 |
| National Gallery | Yes | 9 languages · Free |
| Natural History Museum | Yes | 1 language · Free |
Questions visitors ask
Which London museums are free?
General admission is free at the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, the V&A, the Science Museum, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Sir John Soane's Museum, the Wallace Collection, IWM London and London Museum Docklands. Some exhibitions charge for entry. britishmuseum.org · nationalgallery.org.uk · nhm.ac.uk · vam.ac.uk · sciencemuseum.org.uk
Do I need to book a free ticket for London museums?
Only the Science Museum requires it: you pre-book a free ticket with an arrival time. At the British Museum booking is recommended and gives priority entry, at the National Gallery a free ticket gives fast-track entry, and at the Natural History Museum it skips the weekend and holiday queue; elsewhere you can walk in. sciencemuseum.org.uk · britishmuseum.org · nationalgallery.org.uk · nhm.ac.uk
Which London museums are open late on Friday?
The V&A until 22:00, the National Gallery and Tate Modern until 21:00, and the British Museum until 20:30. Tate Modern also stays open until 21:00 on Saturdays. vam.ac.uk · nationalgallery.org.uk · tate.org.uk · britishmuseum.org
Are London museums open on Monday?
Yes, almost all of them open every day, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, the V&A, the Science Museum, both Tates, the Wallace Collection and IWM London. Sir John Soane's Museum is the exception: it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except on bank holiday Mondays. britishmuseum.org · nationalgallery.org.uk · soane.org
Do London museums have audio guides in my language?
The National Gallery's free audio guide, on your own phone, covers English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. The British Museum's is in English, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French, Korean, Japanese and German, at £6 per language. The Wallace Collection's free digital guide includes 13 languages, and the Natural History Museum's free audio guides are in English. nationalgallery.org.uk · britishmuseum.org · wallacecollection.org · nhm.ac.uk
Checked against the museums' own pages on 21 October 2026.
Hear the labels in your language
- Point at the label. Hold your iPhone steady and tap. You can also choose a photo you already took.
- Listen in your language. The label is translated and read aloud in a natural voice, in any of twelve languages, and each sentence lights up as it is read.
- Learn more. Key terms explained in plain words, and a few interesting facts with their sources.
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