Sights · Our pick in London
The British Museum
Two million years of human history
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout The British Museum
The British Museum, founded in 1753, fills a vast Greek Revival building on Great Russell Street. Its collections span human history across every continent, from the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian mummies to the Sutton Hoo treasure and the Lewis Chessmen. At its heart, the Great Court, roofed in glass by Foster + Partners, surrounds the old Reading Room. Booking a timed entry slot online is recommended, and exhibitions are ticketed. Tottenham Court Road, Holborn and Russell Square stations are nearby.
Why it's on our list
- Rosetta Stone
- Great Court
- Egyptian galleries
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The British Museum before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to The British Museum, as the crow flies.
- Kimpton Fitzroy London0.2 mi5 min walk
- Covent Garden Hotel0.3 mi7 min walk
- Rosewood London0.4 mi7 min walk
- The Soho Hotel0.5 mi10 min walk
- One Aldwych0.6 mi12 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from The British Museum are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- Russell SquarePiccadilly0.3 mi6 min walk
- Tottenham Court RoadNorthernCentralElizabeth line0.3 mi6 min walk
- Goodge StreetNorthern0.3 mi7 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Great Russell Street0.2 mi3 min walk
- Taxi rank, Bedford Avenue0.2 mi4 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- Covent Garden0.5 miWalk 11 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Leicester Square0.6 miWalk 13 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Trafalgar Square0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- London Eye1.2 miWalk 23 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Westminster Abbey1.4 miWalk 28 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Buckingham Palace1.4 miWalk 29 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 14 min
- The Shard2.0 miWalk 41 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Harrods2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Tower of London2.3 miCycle 15 minCar or taxi 20 min
Main rail terminals
- Euston0.7 miWalk 14 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 8 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Charing Cross0.8 miWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 9 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)0.9 miWalk 17 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Waterloo1.3 miWalk 25 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Victoria1.7 miWalk 35 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Liverpool Street1.9 miWalk 39 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 17 min
- London Bridge2.1 miWalk 41 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Paddington2.1 miWalk 42 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 19 min