伦敦最佳免费博物馆

最后更新:2026年6月25日
伦敦最佳免费博物馆

Free things are great, especially as the cost of nearly everything else rises around us. If you’re visiting London, you’re already looking at spending an eye-watering amount on travel, accommodation, food, and drinks. The good news is that there is plenty of free London fun if you know where to look, and that even extends to the city’s cultural highlights. 

Culture can be inspirational, informative, and eye-opening in equal measure, giving us a look back into the past, allowing us to process the present, or helping us look forward to the future. So, if you're looking for a shot of free culture to go right into your veins, free museums are just the thing. But which ones? Why, these ones, of course! Here are the best free museums in London.

Including:

  • British Museum
  • Natural History Museum
  • V&A Museum
  • Science Museum
  • Museum of London
  • and more!

British Museum

How does 2 million years of free culture sound? Well, look no further than Britain's very own museum, the British Museum! Enter a world of other worlds, with sections dedicated to many eras of our planet. 

You'll find carvings and tablets from early man, artefacts from ancient Greece and Egypt, all the way through to Renaissance paintings. And, while you'll have to pay to enter some of the exhibits, on the whole, the bulk of the museum is absolutely free.

Natural History Museum

Do you want to see freaking dinosaur skeletons? Of course you do. Head over to the Natural History Museum and see them for yourself!

Get a glimpse into the distant past as you explore creatures great and small throughout 65 million years of our planet's history. Meet giant sloths, extinct dinosaurs, and a big old blue whale skeleton that hangs over your head. And, other than a couple of paid exhibits, all of this is entirely free for you to explore. So go see some big bones, baby!

V&A Museum

A celebratory marriage of art, design, and history, the V&A Museum is one of the best free museums you can visit in London. Opened back in the 19th century, and named after then Queen Victoria and her husband Albert, the V&A Museum is an inspiring collection of over 5000 years of art artefacts.

Art-efacts? Yes. You'll discover ancient clothes, jewellery, sculptures, and prints that will give you key insight into past cultures and their people. They also have some late events, if you're more of a night owl.

Science Museum

The Science Museum is a mind-opening experience for any curious human, giving you a look back at how science and technology have changed our lives throughout history. From progress in medicine to monuments to the space race, you'll find a world of wonder within. 

There are interactive exhibits, a massive collection of scientific artifacts, and much more. And yes, other than a couple of specific paid exhibitions, including the IMAX 4D cinema, you're free to wander and wonder, free of charge.

Royal Museums Greenwich

Discover the history of humanity's relationship with the oceans at the Royal Museums Greenwich. At the National Maritime Museum, you'll discover the origins of Greenwich Mean Time and time zones, the history of Britain's sea exploration, and heaps of seafaring artefacts. 

Then, head over to Queen's House, where you can walk up the famous Tulip Stairs, marvel at all the marble, and study some fantastic paintings from notable luminaries of the brush like Turner. And yes, as you may have gathered, it's all completely free.

Museum of London

Want to get a better insight into the history of the city itself? Then head on over to the Museum of London. There, you'll discover the capital's rich history, from Roman occupation all the way through to the 2012 Olympics. 

Want to know how the Great Fire of London resulted in much of the city's redevelopment and redesign? Want to see artefacts from throughout the city's history, from Tudor dresses to medieval tapestries? Find all that and much, much more within. 

Imperial War Museum

War is a sad fact of life, and until we change as a species, that will remain the case. However, as awful as war is, it makes up a huge part of our history. So, if you want to know more about it and the people it has impacted, head to the Imperial War Museum.

Step inside, and you'll find exhibitions dedicated to the First World War, the Second World War, and the Cold War, all the way up to the “illustrious” War on Terror that has irrevocably changed the course of human history in the new millennium. Weapons of war, both big and small, artefacts from conflicts long past, and memorabilia from soldiers on the front lines are all there to be seen and experienced. 

While some rotating exhibits do cost a few quid, the bulk of legacy exhibits are completely free, making it perfect for this list. 

Museum of London Docklands

Ever wondered what life on London’s docks was like way back when? If you answered “yes”, the good news is that there’s an entire museum dedicated to dockworkers and their prowling ground. Head over to the Museum of London Docklands and learn about how boats, ships, and other sea-riding vehicles changed our lives forever. 

There are a load of free exhibitions available that explore the evolution of the docks, worldwide transportation of goods, and the technology that's responsible. If you're looking for free dockland fun, it's easily one of the best free museums in London!

Horniman Museum & Gardens

And finally, if you're looking for something a little more unusual in your free museum quest, give Horniman Museum & Gardens a gander. Inside, you'll find a comprehensive collection of anthropological artefacts, ancient musical instruments, taxidermied animals from across the globe, and much more. 

There, you'll find an intimate range of stories and showcases from filmmakers and artists, exploring the history of hair and why it matters so much to us humans. It might sound strange, but it's worth checking out. And don’t leave without checking out the Horniman Mereman - spine-shivering stuff.

 

And that's our list of the best free museums in London!. And, if you want more London fun to feast on, check out our fun guides to things around Tower Bridge and the London Eye. 

 

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Dom Bewley
Go City®旅游达人

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1 月份游览伦敦

1 月是伦敦游客数量最少的月份,这意味着通常可以找到非常划算的机票和酒店优惠。 许多人没有意识到的是,1 月份的伦敦依然充满了活力。 您不仅可以继续体验圣诞节的节日气氛,还可以在 1 月份的打折季抢购实惠商品,并与首都的华人社区一起庆祝春节。 伦敦 1 月的天气状况 1 月份伦敦的典型特征是白昼短促且天空多云。 虽然气候比北欧大多数其他首都城市温和,但气温很难达到两位数,日间最高气温约为 8 或 9 摄氏度。 几乎任何时候都可能有降雨,不过明显的降水天数仅占全月约三分之一。 首都中心地带很少降雪,积雪则更为罕见。 如果天气预报提示可能有少量降雪,那么欣赏雪景的最佳去处是市郊的景点,如里士满公园或 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew。至于保暖,请务必准备充足的叠穿衣物、一双可靠的防水靴和厚袜子。 准备好这些,您就能从容应对变幻莫测的英国天气,尽情探索伦敦引以为傲的一切——从跨年派对到著名博物馆。 伦敦的新年 伦敦的跨年夜庆典向全球进行实况转播。 尽管如此,亲临现场的体验依然是无可比拟的。 早在午夜烟花点亮伦敦眼上空之前,倒计时便已开始,各家餐厅的预订也早已爆满。 烟花表演之后紧接着是元旦大游行。 这是伦敦最新的传统之一——始于 20 世纪 80 年代后期。这场盛大的游行于中午从高档的皮卡迪利大街出发,途经特拉法加广场,最后抵达议会大厦。 1 万名参与者构成了一个多元化的阵容,包括来自各大洲的舞者、音乐家和表演者,此外还有伦敦本土特色的珍珠国王和皇后。 但这绝不是节日庆典的终点。 伦敦的圣诞节直到 1 月 6 日的第十二夜(显现节)才会正式结束。 只有到那时,圣诞灯饰才会熄灭,橱窗展示会被移除,圣诞树也会被撤走。 这一天,冬青人(Holly Man)会出现在 Shakespeare’s Globe 的泰晤士河畔。 这是一个类似于“绿巨人”的前基督教民俗人物,象征着新生命。在为河流和城市进行祝酒仪式(祝福)之前,他会受到盛装打扮的权贵们的欢迎。 淘点便宜货 就购物目的地而言,1 月的伦敦绝对是全球顶尖的选择之一。 到本月初,一年中规模最大的促销活动已经全面展开。 几乎没有商店想错过这一盛事,哈罗德百货(Harrods)和塞尔福里奇百货(Selfridges)等知名商家都在大幅降价。 虽然人潮往往在促销初期聚集,但许多最给力的折扣通常出现在月中销售接近尾声的时候。 紧随其后的是伦敦艺术博览会(London Art Fair)带来的更多购物机会。 该博览会汇集了来自 100 多家伦敦独立画廊的作品,已成为近距离考察这座首都城市新兴艺术人才的最佳去处之一。 虽然所有绘画、雕塑和摄影作品都对外出售,但也非常欢迎游客前来参观。 探索重大文化活动 如果您对一场跨年庆祝活动还不满足,1 月底(或 2 月初)将迎来另一个狂欢时刻,那就是农历新年或春节。 庆祝日期每年随新月而变。作为亚洲以外规模最大的庆祝活动,纪念活动由唐人街的街道游行拉开帷幕,届时将有一系列装饰精美的花车亮相。 随后,特拉法加广场(Trafalgar Square)将响起鞭炮声,开启为期一天的节日盛典,包括舞狮、音乐表演以及供应充足的地道街头美食。 在登高远眺中迎接新年是春节的传统,而 The View from The Shard 和 ArcelorMittal Orbit 正是体验这一传统的完美方式。 1 月的另一个重大活动是 1 月 25 日的彭斯之夜(Burns Night)。 作为苏格兰非官方的国庆日,伦敦各地的餐厅都会共同纪念《友谊地久天长》(Auld Lang Syne)的作者——诗人罗伯特·彭斯(Robert Burns)。 届时,苏格兰三文鱼、哈吉斯(羊杂碎布丁)、芜菁泥(neeps)和土豆泥(tatties)将悉数登场,最后再奉上一份加入了威士忌的奶油酥饼甜点(cranachan)。 或者,您可以跳过这款混合了树莓和奶油的甜品,直接去伦敦的鸡尾酒吧参加一场威士忌品鉴会。 打卡一两座博物馆 1 月多雨的天气正好为您提供了绝佳理由,让您可以尽情沉浸在伦敦的各大博物馆和美术馆中。 无论您的兴趣点在哪里,伦敦总能找到一处适合您的馆藏。 若想纵览人类两百万年的历史,大英博物馆绝对是不二之选,馆内的珍宝包括罗塞塔石碑(Rosetta Stone)和萨顿胡(Sutton Hoo)船葬中的盎格鲁-撒克逊宝藏。 虽然名气略逊,但同样值得您花时间驻足游览的是肯辛顿宫和 Royal Greenwich Observatory。 这座坐落在海德公园内的宫殿是维多利亚女王的出生地,目前也是威廉王子及其家人的居所。 同时,格林威治皇家天文台在过去的四个世纪里一直在测绘和计时领域处于领先地位。 本初子午线穿过此地,在这里拍照留念是全球最出片的打卡方式之一,您可以双脚分别跨在东西半球。 在游览该地区时,不妨顺便参观格林威治的其他景点,其中包括 Cutty Sark 号帆船,它是蒸汽动力普及前建造的最后一艘运茶快船。 这艘优雅的桅杆帆船曾创下在 3 个月内往返于中国港口和英格兰东南部之间的记录。在转而从事羊毛贸易之前,它仅用了 8 年时间就满足了伦敦人对茶叶的热爱。 千万不要错过使用 Go City® 节省开支的机会 一月的伦敦有许多值得一看和体验的地方。 伦敦许多顶级景点都欢迎自选包持有者,让您节省标准入场费用。 所以,如果您因为各种优惠而考虑在一月到访伦敦,别忘了将 Go City 添加到您的省钱购买清单中。
Ian Packham

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