
20 best museums in London for 2025, from family-friendly days out to galleries filled with famous art
The UK 's capital boasts just under 200 museums, 11 of which are national, including world-famous attractions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery, which exhibit some of the rarest and most spectacular artefacts and artworks on the planet.
Aside from this, one of the most impressive aspects of London 's museums is that there is something for every visitor, from family-friendly interactive exhibitions, to historic and modern galleries for art lovers, and displays that explore science, technology and design.
Whether you are looking to fill a morning in the school summer holidays or swap a sweltering day in the heat for an afternoon deepening your understanding of the past, present or future, we have rounded up the best museums in London to visit this summer.
Best London museums to visit in 2025
1. Natural History Museum
South Kensington
The Natural History Museum is home to more than 80 million objects, some dating back billions of years, with exhibitions on prehistoric predators including displays of dinosaur bones and fossils, as well as early humans. Visitors can also learn about the animal kingdom throughout history, with exhibits on the evolution of mammals, extinct species such as mammoths and dodos, and marine invertebrates. Spend time in the sparkling section of the museum that houses raw minerals and rare gems, including the Devonshire Emerald, one of the biggest and most richly coloured emeralds ever discovered, and a meteorite originating from Mars.
Kid-friendly? Self-guided family tour
2. Victoria and Albert Museum
South Kensington
The V&A has a collection of 1.25 million objects, ranging from early European art and neoclassical furniture, to the biggest and most comprehensive collection of fashion items in the world. Spanning over 5,000 years of creativity, its exhibitions spotlight art, design and performance. Notable pieces include dresses designed by Alexander McQueen and a museum favourite, the Tippoo's Tiger, which was stolen from Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore in South India, after attacks by the British East India Company army.
Kid-friendly? Digital family trails and treasure hunts around the museum; you can also check out the Young V&A in Hackney for a child-focused experience
3. Science Museum
South Kensington
The Science Museum is one of London's major museums, covering topics from mathematics and engineering to space and everyday technology. Some of his highlights on display include the rocket launcher that sent the British Black Arrow satellite into space, one of the oldest clocks in the world and the Apollo 10 capsule module which went around the Moon. Galleries also includes the history of flight, exhibiting a complete slice of a genuine Boeing 747 jumbo jet, and objects from science and technology that have shaped the modern world.
Kid-friendly? Interactive galleries, family trails, 'Space Show' with live science experiments.
4. Imperial War Museum
Lambeth
The Imperial War Museum showcases the lives of ordinary people who fought or lived through war and conflict, with two large displays focusing on the First and Second World Wars. The galleries host thousands of objects telling the story of how these two wars impacted societies across the world, including weapons, photographs, personal items and everyday objects like ration tickets. Another permanent exhibition, the Holocaust Galleries, displays first-hand testimonies of veterans, eyewitnesses and survivors of the genocide. This sobering museum will leave you with a better understanding of the impact of war on society and how similar conflicts across the globe today are having the same effect.
Kid-friendly? Family trails around the museum, veteran family days
5. Museum of the Home
Hoxton
Found in almshouses built in 1714, the Museum of the Home does not focus on a specific event or a certain collection; instead, it tells the story of everyday lives in Britain and how the inside of people's homes reflects their stories and characters. Visitors can journey through four centuries of home life with room displays ranging from the 1630s to what a converted flat may look like in 2049. One exhibition in the Home Galleries shows a series of short films on how East London residents express their identities through what they keep in their homes, whether that's memorabilia, cultural and religious objects, heirlooms or items left behind by loved ones who have passed.
Kid-friendly? Mini playhouse, family trails, reading lounge, sensory den, sensory bags
6. London Museum Docklands
West India Quay
Soak up 400 years of docklands history at this museum, set on the dockside in a retired sugar warehouse. It showcases the expansion of trade via water with ships bringing spices, tea and silk to Britain, as well as the navy's battle for trade and territory with its rivals. One of the most important exhibitions focuses on slavery in Britain and how London benefited from the profits of trafficking people from the African continent. The gallery displays stories from some of the people affected by slavery, as well as items such as the letters of Ignatius Sancho, a British abolitionist who was thought to have been born on a slave ship, and became one of the earliest known Black people to vote in a British general election. Its current exhibition, Secrets of the Thames, looks into how mudlarking has unearthed fascinating objects from London's past.
Kid-friendly? Interactive play area, crafts, digging experience, family trail
7. British Museum
Bloomsbury
The British Museum's collection is regarded as one of the best in the world, with exhibitions covering over two million years of history across six continents, which famous artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone, ancient Egyptian objects, collections on African history and Anglo-Saxon hoards. However, it's important to note this museum has frequently faced criticism over its collections, much of which was looted during the height of the British Empire. The British Museum itself has a list of 'contested objects' that countries have asked to be returned, and also notes that parts of its collection are in the museum today due to 'conflict and colonial activity'.
Kid-friendly? Kids can take on the 'Museum Mission' challenge or the 'Museum Explorer Trail'
8. Churchill War Rooms
Westminster
This museum allows the public to get a glimpse into how British officials determined their Second World War strategy within secret underground headquarters. Among the twisting corridors are the Cabinet War Rooms, where Winston Churchill and other officials worked, ate, and even spent the night during the war. The rooms include a transatlantic communication area disguised as a toilet, Churchill's underground suite, the BBC broadcasting and switchboard room and, most importantly, the map room where some of the most crucial war decisions were made.
9. Hauser & Wirth
Mayfair
Swiss contemporary and modern art group Hauser & Wirth's London gallery has two exhibition spaces with rotating displays, alongside artists' talks, film screenings and workshops. Its exhibitions often include art such as paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and video from contemporary artists. Its current display, 'No Time for Dispair' by Michaela Yearwood-Dan, explores how community and joy can be built through the visual language of paintings and other mediums.
Kid-friendly? Families are welcome in both galleries, but ask that no one touches or climbs the artworks, and no food or drink is permitted
10. Design Museum
Kensington
Dedicated to contemporary design, the Kensington museum attracts many to its curated temporary exhibitions, such as the world of director Wes Anderson and the evolution of swimwear. 'Designer, Maker, User' is a free permanent exhibition which takes visitors on a trip through the evolution of modern design through these three roles. Almost 1,000 items from the 20th and 21st centuries – including road signs, the Tube map, Vespas, and Xbox controllers, plastic garden chairs and Ikea bags – are on display, each invoking how modern design has evolved throughout the years. Its summer exhibition 'More than Human' will explore how design could help animals, plants and other living beings thrive.
Kid-friendly? An audio feature available through an app presents objects through the lens of a group of Year 1 children aged 5 and 6; design days and camps are also planned throughout the year
11. National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
Trafalgar Square
The National Gallery is found in one of London's most famous plazas, Trafalgar Square, a fitting location to house the UK's collection of Western European paintings spanning over seven centuries. The gallery exhibits some of the world's most famous paintings, such as Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers, The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein and the Wilton Diptych. Don't forget to visit its sister gallery nearby, the National Portrait Gallery, for a curated look at portraits from past kings and queens to contemporary celebrities like Harry Styles and Marcus Rashford.
Kid-friendly? Two spaces for self-guided activities, and eating a 'Canvas Quest' is also suitable for those aged seven and older, which takes children on a hide-and-seek game throughout the gallery
12. London Transport Museum
Covent Garden
Calling all trainspotters and transport enthusiasts: there are very few museums in the capital that can top a day out at the London Transport Museum. From omnibuses, trams and early railways to the world's first underground and the creation of the Tube lines, visitors can explore London's transportation history through retired heritage vehicles, photographs and displays on how London expanded as transport grew. An area of the museum is also dedicated to Transport for London posters, exploring how commercial art and design have evolved over the years.
13. Young V&A
Bethnal Green
The Young V&A is a museum dedicated to children, young people and families that displays childhood-related objects and historic artefacts in exhibitions suitable for kids to interact with and learn from. The three main galleries, Play, Imagine and Design, allow babies to discover colours, textures and shapes at eye-level height through their exhibitions, while older kids can learn about the collections on display. Kids can also explore their creativity in the performance space and workshop areas. Some of the most loved items on display include a doll's house collection, a life-size Joey the War Horse puppet, and the original Superman costume worn by Christopher Reeve.
Kid-friendly? Absolutely
14. Sir John Soane's Museum
Holborn
One of the most celebrated architects in the country, having designed the likes of the Bank of England, has had his house turned into a museum. Sir John Soane died in 1837, but his architectural legacy lives on within the museum as well as his vast collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, models and paintings. Tours can be booked to delve deeper into Soane's Regency-era life with access to his private apartments.
Kid-friendly? Family trail and workshops
15. Fashion and Textile Museum
Bermondsey
The Fashion and Textile Museum uses its entire space to host temporary exhibitions, rotating between different periods in history, topics and stories. Its past exhibitions have included Fashion Renegades of 80s London, displaying original garments and accessories from Leigh Bowery, as well as an installation on the history of fashion label Biba, from its boutique days to the use of its clothing on film. The museum's current exhibition explores how people have interacted with textiles from prehistory to the digital age.
Kid-friendly? Museum explorer kits
16. Queer Britain
King's Cross
The first and only national LGBT+ museum in the UK, Queer Britain hosts a series of exhibitions exploring what it means to be queer through objects, images, voices and art from sectors such as activism, culture and social history. Currently on display is '20 Years of UK Black Pride', a curated exhibition that chronicles 20 years of activism and celebration of the world's largest celebration for LGBT+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent. Its permanent exhibition, 'We are Queer Britain', covers over 100 years of queer life, with items such as the historic Wolfenden Report (1957), which proposed decriminalising male homosexuality, the top hat worn by Suranne Jones in BBC's Gentleman Jack, and the museum's patron Elton John's handwritten letter to his younger self.
Kid-friendly? The museum welcomes visitors of all ages
17. The William Morris Gallery
Walthamstow
The William Morris Gallery's main collection holds the world's largest collection of Morris' works as well as a history of his political activism, poems and a space inspired by Morris & Co. workshops. Among the exhibitions on display is 'Morris Mania', which looks at how his legacy has penetrated the modern day, from shower curtains to phone cases. For Morris devotees, a separate museum at the William Morris Society in Hammersmith may also be of interest, at Kelmscott House, where Morris once lived, which holds his original Albion printing press. Entry is £3.50 for the society museum.
Price: Free
Kid-friendly? Hands-on and interactive exhibits, 'Mini Morris' craft and play sessions and 'Morris Explorer satchels', including a sensory map and a story for during the visit
18. Tate Modern
Bankside
Found in the former Bankside Power Station on the River Thames, the Tate Modern is loved by children and adults alike. Its ongoing exhibition features artists' responses to mass media and technology, such as the monumental Babel by Cildo Meireles, a towering cylinder of radios each tuned into a different station. Other artworks touch on how society works, surrealist paintings, and the use of the body in art. The gallery also features works from world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein and Henri Matisse, to name a few.
19. Horniman Museum
Forest Hill
The Horniman Museum and Gardens aims to allow people to learn more about the world without leaving the country, a legacy left by Frederick Horniman, an MP for the Liberal Party and social reformer, who built the museum to 'bring the world to Forest Hill'. Among its thousands of items are musical instruments, textiles, religious and cultural objects, insect specimens and fossils, all collected from around the globe, which are on display, while live animals such as rabbits and alpacas can be found outside. Its extensive gardens also feature a pavilion, a prehistoric garden and a meadow. The large collection, however, was built on the back of the colonial wealth produced by the tea merchant Horniman Family, a history and context that the museum continues to work to shed light on. The Natural History Gallery is currently closed for redevelopment.
Price: Free; the Aquarium, Butterfly House and Robot Zoo have a fee
Kid-friendly? Family craft Saturdays, school workshops, and an all-around family-friendly day out
20. The Postal Museum
Clerkenwell
The Postal Museum is best known for its 'Mail Rail' ride: a small train that runs underground, which was initially designed to transport mail, but now carries visitors to tunnels deep below the sorting office for an audio-visual show about the railway's 1930s heyday. After a trip on the Mail Rail, visitors can gaze at exhibitions showcasing 500 years of postal history with hands-on exhibitions and objects such as the world's first adhesive stamps and retired postbuses.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Kate Nash showcases her sleazy side: best podcasts of the week
Dig out the American Apparel dress, liquid eyeliner and Wayfarer sunglasses – the late 00s' indie sleaze movement is being celebrated for all its messy glory. Kate Nash – an OG sleazer – hosts this nostalgic new series about the scene, speaking to the likes of the Cribs' Ryan and Gary Jarman, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Razorlight's Johnny Borrell. It's enough to make you want to cut in a badly judged chunky fringe again. Hollie Richardson BBC Sounds, available from Monday 28 July This honest, conversational podcast breaks down taboos by talking to people about the loved ones they've lost. Host Jason Davidson is a social worker and in the latest episode Michael Palin (pictured right) talks to him about trying to come to terms with his wife's death – and why he feels it almost impossible to say 'I' instead of 'we'. It's a thoughtful look at his grief. Alexi Duggins Widely available, episodes weekly This enjoyably chatty look at the everyday products we take for granted combines history with product design. It opens with a look at the 'fabulous innovation' of the tin opener, running from how it wasn't created until 100 years after food tins were invented to its potential future: a luxury item, like 'the craft beer' of can-opening. AD Widely available, episodes weekly Keir Starmer may be in power now (and enjoying varying levels of success, depending on your views), but what of the Labour leaders of old? Izzy Conn of the University of London digs deep into the red team in this comprehensive pod, which begins after the second world war with Clement Attlee and the beginnings of the welfare state. Hannah J Davies Widely available, episodes weekly Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Widely available, episodes weekly This new podcast from Tortoise Investigates is about mothers who – like Australia's Kathleen Folbigg, whose case sets off this series – have been accused of murdering their children, and whether the experts are always right. The content is highly charged, but the questions it poses around the use of statistics in a court of law feel vital. HJD Widely available, episodes weekly


The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘They're rowdy. They're vibing. I rip my shirt off': the exploding career of Hanumankind, India's hottest rapper
Two weeks ago, halfway through his first ever UK show, Hanumankind instructed the crowd to mimic him by hopping to the right then to the left, back and forth, in unison. But the rapper from India slipped and fell, limping to the end of the gig in evident pain, kept upright by his DJ and inspired by the audience's singalong familiarity with his catalogue. 'We were ready to have a good time,' he sheepishly grins from an armchair at his record label's offices three days later. It turns out he has torn a ligament. 'It was a battle of internal turmoil. The show was like a fifth of what it was meant to be, but I gave it my all. London has a beautiful energy which gave me strength.' Even without the leg injury, the 32-year-old star, who was born Sooraj Cherukat, has reached a testing threshold in his short, explosive career. His tracks Big Dawgs and Run It Up, helped by action-movie music videos, have made him one of the most talked-about MCs in the world. A$AP Rocky and Fred Again are among his recent collaborators. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi even invited Cherukat to perform at an event in New York last September. But as a rare south Asian face in globally popular rap, he feels a certain responsibility. 'The past year has been hard,' he says. 'I'm trying to navigate through it.' What's more, although he expresses a deep pride about life in India, 'a lot of things are off. There is a mob mentality. There's a lot of divisiveness because of religion, background, caste. It doesn't sit well with me. I'm in a unique space to change the way people can think within my country.' Born in Malappuram, Kerala, which he remembers as a 'green, beautiful environment', Cherukat spent his childhood following his father's work abroad, from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia to Britain. 'We'd traverse different countries and I'd sing songs in whatever language I was picking up,' he says. 'Wherever I went, I had to get involved and be ready to leave. I learned to connect with people. That's why the power of the word is so important to me.' At the age of 10, he landed in Houston, Texas, and found a rare stability. It was the early 2000s and the city was an engine room for rap innovation. Cherukat's set his accent to a southern drawl. Already a fan of heavy metal – which makes sense given his grungy, rockstar leanings today – he became hooked on the local chopped-and-screwed subgenre pioneered by DJ Screw, Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat. In his teens he was 'burning CDs full of beats, riding around smoking blunts and hitting hard freestyles'. He returned to south India just before hitting 20. 'The only place I had roots,' he says. He completed a university degree in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, before working a corporate job in the tech hub of Bengaluru. Seeing rap as 'a party thing, a way to de-stress and stay connected to the art form', he performed at open-mic nights, softening his US accent and perfecting his stage show for an Indian audience. 'Friends would come to watch and be like, 'Dude, you're not bad. You should lock in.'' So he did. At the end of 2019, Cherukat played his first festival: NH7 Weekender in Pune, Maharashtra. The crowd went wild, quickly morphing from a small handful into a packed moshpit. 'They're rowdy and they're fucking vibing,' he says. 'I rip my shirt off. I'm like, 'OK, I can do this!'' He quit his job and began plotting his next move, filling notebooks with lyrics throughout the pandemic. These are a blend of cheek and grit delivered with a flow that keeps respawning at different speeds and scales. Soon, Cherukat was signed by Def Jam India. Part of a movement to reject the remnants of British colonialism in favour of local expression, the proud, rebellious patchwork of Indian hip-hop encompasses the vast country's 'hundreds of languages, each as deeply rooted as the next', Cherukat explains. 'Someone who speaks Hindi or another regional language will give you a vast amount of depth and detail in what they're doing.' His decision to rap mostly in English therefore came with risks of being perceived as inauthentic at home, but it has certainly helped his global crossover. Besides, he has found other ways to communicate a homegrown aesthetic. Run It Up marches to the beat of Keralan chenda drums, while its video features martial artists from disparate corners of India. Cherukat performed it with a band of drummers at Coachella festival, his debut US gig. 'Most people don't know what is going on in my country,' he says. 'Maybe I can open up some doors, open up some eyes, break out of these bubbles and stereotypes.' Although not religious, Cherukat has a divine figure woven into his performing name. Over recent years, Hanuman, the simian-headed Hindu god of strength and devotion, has been employed everywhere from the car stickers of hypermasculine Indian nationalism to the bloody, satirical critique of Dev Patel's 2024 thriller, Monkey Man. Where does Hanumankind fit into this: traditionalist or progressive? 'I need to make music for myself first,' he says simply. 'But when you have a platform, you can bring about change through your words and actions.' Some fans were disappointed that he accepted the New York invitation from Modi – whose Hindu nationalist government has been accused of democratic backsliding and Islamophobia. Cherukat has defended his appearance, describing it as 'nothing political … We were called to represent the nation and we did that.' But today he claims his 'political ideology is pretty clear' to anyone who has been following his career. In one of his earliest singles, 2020's Catharsis, he rails against systemic corruption, police brutality and armed suppression of protest. 'I'm not just trying to speak to people who already agree with me,' he says. 'I'm trying to give people who are otherwise not going to be listening a chance to be like, 'OK, there is some logic to what he's saying.'' Monsoon Season, his new mixtape, is just out. It features the mellow likes of Holiday – performed on the massively popular YouTube series Colors – as well as raucous collaborations with US rap luminaries Denzel Curry and Maxo Kream. It is less a narrative album, more a compilation, with songs gathered over the years before the spotlight shone on him. 'I have a lot of memories of coming into Kerala during the monsoon,' says Cherukat of the project's name. 'You can have days where things are absolutely reckless, flooded, out of control. There can be days where you get introspective and think about life. There are days where you love the rain: it feels good, there's that smell in the air when it hits the mud, the soil, the flowers. Your senses are heightened. You can fall in love with that. Or it can ruin all your plans and you hate it.' Cherukat's knee will take some time to recover before he embarks on a North American tour later this year. It's clear he needs a break: not just to heal, but to continue processing fame, adapt to its changes and return to the studio. 'I'm still adjusting,' he says. 'The attention, the conversation, the responsibility, the lifestyle, all this shit. Things have been a little haywire. So I just want to go back to the source – and make music.' Monsoon Season is out now on Capitol Records/Def Jam India


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Sacha Baron Cohen, 53, admits to using Ozempic to help him achieve his revenge body for new Marvel role
Sacha Baron Cohen claimed he used Ozempic to help him achieve his ripped physique. The actor, 53, who is starring as Marvel's newest supervillain Mephisto, underwent an incredible body transformation for his role, which he revealed this week. As he showed off his chiselled abs in the new issue of Men's Fitness UK, Sacha, who split with Isla Fisher in 2023, after more than two decades together, re-shared the photoshoot to his Instagram Story and got candid about how he achieved his results. He wrote: 'Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, some use personal trainers. I did all three.' Sacha's representatives later insisted to MailOnline that the Borat star was 'only joking' and his new buff physique 'all down to hard work'. In a second post, Sacha added: 'This is not AI. I really am egotistical enough to do this. Debuting my new character. Middle aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes.' Sacha then thanked his personal trainer, writing: 'Thanks @theangrytrainer for doing the unthinkable - putting up with me for 25 minutes a day.' He revealed he had just three weeks to get into superhero shape, putting in the 'hard work' ready to portray Mephisto, a devil-like figure who makes Faustian bargains. Speaking to Men's Fitness UK, the actor revealed he turned to Matthew McConaughey to get the phone number of celebrity trainer Alfonso Moretti, who has well-established reputation for transforming physiques on impossible deadlines. Sacha went on to have a FaceTime meeting with Alfonso, who got him to strip down to his underwear during their first chat. Due to the short time frame and Alfonso workout methods, Sacha was tasked with being 'consistent' by doing '100 push ups a day'. Sacha's incredible transformation was far from marathon workouts and extreme dieting, as they concentrated on short workouts and a diet high in fibre and protein as well as low in sugar. He said: '25-minute workouts that were sustainable. Even while filming, the workouts happened. In the past, I would've thought you needed hour-long sessions'. He admitted at the beginning of the regime he 'had the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish... but the short sessions made it so much easier to stay consistent - even with the demands of being on set.' By the two-week mark, Sacha's wardrobe team had to spend $5,000 (£3,600) altering costumes because his body had changed so significantly. He was leaner, stronger, and fitter than ever before. His trainer also shared the magazine's photos to Instagram and wrote that he 'could not be more proud' of Sacha after working out with him. In a recent press conference, Marvel chief Kevin Feige confirmed that Sacha will be portraying MCU character. Sacha first rose to fame in the 1990s with his Ali G character, the infamous spoof wannabe gangster who became a comedy star. He also starred as Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan, and played the role of flamboyant Austrian fashionista Bruno. The actor made his Mephisto debut in the finale of miniseries Ironheart earlier this month, marking the first appearance of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after years of speculation. One of Marvel's key villains, Mephisto is a demonic entity who acquires souls by making pacts with mortals and has battled the likes of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.