One of the oldest and prominent cities of the world, London is an extraordinary tourist destination. Center for art, culture and history, the Britain capital city has a lot to offer. London is dotted with a plethora of museums, galleries, cultural centers and historical buildings. And there are so many of them that you might run out of time and energy to visit them all. Here are some of the top museum and cultural London’s attractions for tourists that you must have on your itinerary.
British Museum
If the facts are right, the British Museum is the first ever museum that opened to the public in 1759. The museum exhibits some of the most precious artefacts and historical specimens. While featuring historic items from various periods and locations, the British museum offers an overwhelming experience to its visitors. Some of the prominent exhibits include those from Ancient Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and the Roman era. More so, the Greek architecture of the museum is breath-taking in itself and attracts millions of admirers.
The museum offers a great historic experience and you can be a part of its many tours. Each of these tours are dedicated to the eras and houses some great artefacts.
Victoria and Albert Museum
The glorious art and design museum of London – Victoria and Albert Museum is definitely a place worth the visit. The extravagant architecture and murals of the palace are quite enticing. The museum is one of the largest art and fashion museums. Established by Prince Albert in the 1850s, the museum exhibits collections on art, design, theatre and architecture. Today, the galleries contain hundreds of exhibits spanning over centuries. So, if you are a lover of art, this is a great London’s attractions for tourists.
Imperial War Museum
In 1920, the Imperial War Museum of London opened as a memorial to the wartime efforts. The museum records the efforts and sacrifice of the people during the WW1 and WW2. Within the premises of the Georgian structure, you can find an extensive collection of war artefacts. Here, you can find some iconic vehicles of those times, like the British Mark V tank, German Heinkel He 162 jet fighter and more like these. Also, you can find many aircrafts on display at the Duxford airstrip. Alongside the British war relics, you may also find some reminders of the other side. Especially for the history enthusiasts, the museum is one of the best London’s attractions for tourists. The museum holds its great collection along with some special interactive exhibits.
London Transport Museum
From horse carriages to the modern Tube and the iconic red London Bus, London’s transportation is worth an exhibit. The London Transport Museum first started in 1980 at the Covent garden in place of a flower market. The museum showcases some amazing artefacts of London’s commute system – buses, trams and rails. You can admire the transition of the London Bus over the years. And also how the horse carriages and steam trains were substituted with modern trams and the tube trains. There are a lot of impressive exhibits for you to witness and relish. More so, for some of the exhibits you can even climb in and have a closer look at their extraordinary engineering. So, if you are exploring museums with your kids, it’s definitely a great London’s attractions for tourists with the young ones.
Design Museum
London’s Design Museum is a fascinating tourist attraction for people who love graphic, fashion and design. The museum started in Shad Thames at a warehouse in 1989. And then later relocated to Kensington at a Commonwealth Institute in 2016. The new complex with a minimalistic design is a perfect fit for the amazing exhibits of the museum.
There are various galleries in the museum that host temporary and some permanent exhibits. Designers, artists and other design contributors showcase their spectacular works. These are mainly in areas of architecture, graphics, product, fashion, furniture and transport. Overall, it is an amazing experience for admirers of art and design.
Science Museum
If you are excited to explore some of the greatest creations and achievements, you should visit the Science Museum. In 1857, Bennet Woodcroft started the museum with some exhibits from the Royal Society of Arts. But today, the museum holds some of the most amazing items from over the centuries. Like parts of the Apollo 10 command module and earliest steam engines and some of the modern marvels. The museum has a lot of segments focusing on different eras and areas. So, while you are here, take your time to ponder upon the great works of mankind and how far we have come.
While the museum entry is free, for some exhibits you might have to buy the tickets. Overall, there is a lot to see and you can easily spend hours watching those great artefacts.
