Top London Museums

Museums in London

The museums, which are found in London, one can hardly count, it would not be sufficient even a week to visit them all. Here, the range of world-known to small, devoted to specific topics. Everyone gets his money’s worth, no matter whether one is more interested in art, history or technology. Specifically, the owner of the London Pass gets are often very inexpensive or even free in the exhibition. It is worthwhile to ask who accept the London Museums Pass.

One thing to consider, however, almost always, this is the time. There is hardly a museum, are not in the long queues. Some waiting up to an hour, quite possible.

National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
In a prime location, right on Trafalgar Square, is the National Gallery. In this world-famous art gallery over 2000 paintings of all European schools of painting are on view. The oldest date from the 13th Century. The gallery was founded in 1824, 1838, the building of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square finish, but still distinctive without the dome. This was set up in 1876 at an extension. The most recent enlargement in 1991, when the building was the Sainsbury Wing, which until then the existing East, added, west and north wings.

In it are the works of Italian masters from 1260 to 1510 to be admired, so including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Raphael. In addition, you will find Old Dutch and German paintings. The west wing of the works of not less famous artists can be seen. Michelangelo, Titian, El Creco and Cranach were here vicariously.

The east wing is home to British, French, Spanish and Italian paintings from the period from 1700 to 1920. Names such as Goya, Renoir, Monet and Canaletto will certainly be familiar. The north wing is devoted to painting from 1600 to 1700. Works of the Dutch people like Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt and Frans Hals and paintings of Spaniards, Italians and French are issued in the wings. The National Gallery is open daily from 10.00 bis 18.00 Clock clock, even on Wednesdays to 21.00 clock. If you want to take a guided tour, you can clock the daily 11.30, 14.30 clock, Wednesdays and 18.30 clock.

In the immediate vicinity you can still visit the National Portrait Gallery. Here, as the name suggests, to see portraits. It is not primarily on the quality of the image, but crucial to the identity of the sitter. Across the centuries, enough to select the faces that are to be considered in the collection, started in 1856. Overall, about 10,000 portraits can be seen by British personalities.

See the special exhibitions gallery, to be paid on the regular price of a premium. Owners of the London Pass is adopted in this supplement. The National Portrait Gallery is open daily from 10.00 bis 18.00 Clock Clock, Thursdays and Fridays until 21.00 clock.

Sherlock Holmes Museum
If you consider to have lived the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in fact never will be found an amazing amount of memorabilia to them in the Sherlock Holmes Museum. One of the most famous addresses in the world is probably London’s Baker Street 221 B, in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s hero Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to live and work was always well looked after by the housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson. No matter how much reality and fantasy in this detective story is probably the most famous detective has certainly deserves a museum. This was surprisingly opened in 1990, and since it was not actually the number 221 B, this was quickly located between house numbers 237 and 239.

The house was built in 1815 and is regarded as being of architectural and historical. Until 1934 it served as Mietpension, was then maintained in private and furnished in 1990 by the Sherlock Holmes Society as a museum.

pilgrims daily from 9:30 clock bis 18.00 clock today many Sherlock Holmes fans and interested people to this building, throng the narrow staircase and into the small rooms to the carefully staged fake world to visit, Whoever the books AC Doyle knows, will find many details and facilities again. On the first floor you can see the apartment Sherlock Holmes with the labor and the bedroom and his famous identifiers such as whistle, violin, magnifying glass and deerstalker hat.

On the second floor are the bedroom of Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson and you can see the diary Watson, and extracts from the “Hound of the Baskervilles”. The third floor is an exhibition of wax figures from the tales of Sherlock Holmes reserved. We think a visit is a nice illusion and a nice change in all the London sights, although the entrance fee of 6 pounds already marks the upper limit.

If you want to also take tangible memories of the museum, one can have their pictures taken with the guard standing at the entrance Bobby acquire or in adjacent business lots of souvenirs. The imagination knows no limits because, while it is often more in the direction of kitsch and the prices are not just low. Very positive, is that you can photograph in the museum to your heart’s content. The Baker Street 221 B is located near Regent’s Park and is best reached via the Baker Street underground station.

Tate Britain and Tate Modern
Many a great entrepreneur is also an art lover and supports the public. This happy circumstance was true of the sugar manufacturer Sir Henry Tate. His gift was the basis for the Tate Gallery, which opened in 1897 in London’s Millbank on the banks of the Thames. The museum in the neoclassical building still exists today, but now it is Tate Britain, at first only meant for British Art, was shown later on international art in the directions of surrealism, pop art and impressionism.

Today is again purely British art from 1500 until 20 Th century. There is a clear structure, are either the works of art found in the halls of a special theme or they are dedicated to a particular artist. The exhibition is open daily from 10.00 bis 17.50 Clock clock, a little time getting used to. This can be achieved, the museum is best with the U-Bahn station to Pimlico. Is it anyway in central London, you can also go on foot, such as a walk along the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament to the Tate Britain.

International modern art is displayed for several years in the building of a former power station. This Tate Modern is located on the opposite bank of the Thames, next to the Millennium Bridge. It’s amazing how such an industrial building can be used for art, and just as impressive are the works shown here. We find inter alia Paintings by Monet, Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Salvador Dali, Joseph Beuys and many other representatives of modernity.

The opening times are 10.00 bis 18.00 Clock clock, Friday and Saturday even to 22.00 clock. This gallery is easily accessible by foot if you are in the center of London. Otherwise one goes best with the U-Bahn to Southwark or Blackfriars. If you want to commute between the two galleries, one can use the ferry service, which combines both. Very positive that the free admission to both exhibitions is (special events may vary).

HMS Belfast
On the Thames, about halfway between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, is now a British warship, the HMS Belfast. Who thought bad, but are wrong. The ship is fortunately only a museum and has long been out of service.

Since 1939 in possession of the Royal Navy came to the accompaniment of Arctic convoys in the 2nd World War II for use in the Allied landing in Normandy, and it played an important role in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst. With its 11 200 tons, nine decks and a crew of about 750 it was the largest light cruiser of the Royal Navy during World War II. Then the ship in the Far East was established. 1965 brought the first life of the HMS Belfast was completed. It was expanded in 1971 and is now a museum as a branch of the Imperial War Museum.

The opening times are from March to October daily 10.00 bis 18.00 Clock clock, in the remaining months to 17.00 clock. On board there is also a café. If you want to go to the museum, you should take the subway to station London Bridge.

Victoria & Albert Museum

The idea was Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He believed that it was quite useful, crafts to collect the best quality and made available to the public. In 1852 it was ready, the museum, then under the name “South Kensington Museum, was opened. Success was not long in coming, the museum has grown from year to year, so that a new building was urgently needed. Queen Victoria in 1899 laid the foundation stone for the building on Cromwell Road.

Today, the museum can make the claim to be the largest collection of decorative arts and design in the world. To 45,000 m in 145 spaces about 4 million items are shown. Among the impressive exhibits, including Reproductions of works of the Renaissance, several hundreds of plaster casts of sculptures, monuments and friezes. Particularly noteworthy are the exact replica of the Roman Column of Trajan and Raphael templates for the Sistine Chapel.

The museum should be further enhanced by a spectacular production, but the huge funds for this project are still not met. This is a pity, but now it is almost impossible to visit the museum. If you want to take all the objects in fairly reasonable inspection, you needed days.

This can be achieved Victoria & Albert Museum well by underground to station South Kensington. It is open daily from 10.00 bis 17.45 Clock clock, on the last Friday of the month and also on Wednesdays to 22.00 clock. You can also participate in guided tours that take place every day at 10.30 clock, 11.30 clock, 13.30 and 15.30 clock clock. Admission is free by the way fortunately.

The Guards Museum

The synonym for the royal bodyguard in England are the famous bearskin hats and bright red tunic. At the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace every day, crowds pushing to get a look at this event to throw. If you want to know what are the motives behind this dress code and how it has developed will find in the Guards Museum. This well-known persons are presented, which were responsible for guarding the royal family.

They are determined to know the details for the British royal family particularly interested. Whether you have but this museum must be missed, we would doubt. If one has enough time this trip is certainly very nice, some other museums are on the list of the major attractions but, above. The museum is found at the Bird Cage Walk, a major road near Buckingham Palace, is open daily from 10.00 bis 16.00 Clock clock.

Queen’s Gallery and Royal Mews
Who wants to know how the Queen and her family reside, can visit in late summer, some rooms of Buckingham Palace. Well, not everyone can come at this time to London, but on the grounds of the palace are still two very interesting museums, Queen’s Gallery and Royal Mews. That are open for a longer period of time. Queen’s Gallery can be visited from 10.00 daily clock bis 17.30 clock, but must note that the last admission 16.30 clock and is generally closed in March. Royal Mews is open from March to October, daily from 11.00 bis 16.00 Clock clock.

For art lovers, the Queen’s Gallery is a premier. Here are constantly changing exhibitions demonstrated that originate from the extensive collection, which manages the Queen fiduciary for the British. These can be paintings, for example of the Dutch old masters, but also valuable porcelain, furniture, impressive gems. Well worth a visit for sure, because no matter what is being shown, it is certainly the finest.

The admission price for adults is pounds 8.50, children under 17 years pay 4.25 pounds. Of interest is the family card to pay for 2 adults and 3 children £ 21.50. Admission is regulated by a temporal system, so you can not indiscriminately into at any time. It makes sense therefore possibly a posting on the ticket.

Lover of splendid carriages and cars come when visiting Royal Mews at their expense. Rolls Royce and Bentley have with the royal arms of each car’s heart beat faster and those who are satisfied with less horsepower, may admire the magnificent carriages of several centuries. These objects are not only museum pieces, they are still used on special occasions. The Irish state coach, the Queen Victoria in 1852, bought today brings Queen Elizabeth II on the opening of parliament. If there is a royal wedding, the couple moves into the glass coach and the coronation is the golden state coach from 1762 are used.

Some other museums in London
London has a plethora of interesting museums, some should be mentioned here. The Natural History Museum goes back to its origins in the collections of the scientist Sir Hans Sloane, which he had bequeathed to the state. After all, this was quite a large collection; addition to 10,000 animal specimens and 50,000 books were still over 300 albums to with pressed plants. This was already set up a very interesting museum. In 1881 the Museum received a new building that recalls, with its two 65 meter high towers of a cathedral.

The museum is divided into four zones, one blue, one red, one orange and one green, each zone is dedicated to a specific scientific field. Especially interesting for children should be the Department of the dinosaurs. Anyone interested in the development of man, should not miss Lucy, one of the oldest ancestor of modern man. The museum is best with the underground to South Kensington to achieve. It is open daily from 10.00 to 17.50 clock, said inlet end is at 17.30 clock. Again, the admission is free, which will be particularly pleased families with several children.

The Royal Academy of Arts is home to some gems, such as in England the only sculpture by Michelangelo. He had created the sculpture immediately after his Florentine David. From May to August, this also held a special exhibition of contemporary British artist presents. The Academy may refer to a long history, its establishment was 1768th Today it is located in Burlington House on Piccadilly. The opening times are daily from 10.00 bis 18.00 Clock Clock Clock and Fridays until 22.00.

No less impressive is the British Museum, which is devoted primarily to objects and works of art from Europe, Asia and the ancient civilizations of Assyria, Egypt and Babylonia. Even ancient Rome and Greece are represented. Among these exhibits so important as the Rosetta stone that allowed the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphics, sculptures are also of the Parthenon temple in Athens, Egyptian mummies and much more The Museum is on Great Russell Street and is connected to the subway to reach the stations Russell Square or Tottenham Court Road. It is open daily from 10.00 bis 17.30 Clock Clock, Thursdays and Fridays until 20.30 clock.