Visit the British Museum
The British Museum is one of the world’s leading museums. The British Parliament originally founded the museum in 1753. You can admire beautiful architecture inside and out. It boasts an impressive collection of around 8 million objects. It is family friendly and based in central London. You should definitely consider visiting this amazing attraction. Entry is free, but you do need to book online to visit. This article will highlight some items to view and explain in detail some practical information about how to plan for your trip and also your British Museum luggage storage options.
Famous Items
The museum often runs temporary exhibits with items on loan from other institutions, but here are some of the most famous items that are generally on display throughout the year.
Rosetta Stone
This important artifact was crucial for unlocking the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. French soldiers in Napolean’s army discovered the stone accidentally in Egypt in 1799. The stone itself dates back to 196 BC. It is a fragment and has 3 languages inscribed on it. The stone weighs about 760kg (1676 lbs). It has been on nearly constant display in the British Museum since the early 1800s. You can find the Rosetta Stone in Room 4.
The Parthenon Sculptures
Transport yourself back to ancient Greece and admire many Greek marble friezes, metopes, and pediment figures from the Parthenon temple in Athens, which was completed in 432 BC. You can view these works of art in Room 18.
Ancient Egyptian Artifacts
Step into the ancient world of Egypt with their many displays of sculptures, mummies, and more. With over 100 human mummies and many animal mummies on display, the British Museum’s most iconic mummy is nicknamed “Ginger” because of his reddish hair, and it is estimated that he dates back to approximately 3400 BC making him the oldest mummy on display in the museum. You can view these mummies Rooms 62-63.
The colossal statue of Ramessess II is also quite impressive. Even in its incomplete state, it towers 2.5 metres (8 feet) high weighing over 7 tons. You can find this statue in Room 4.
Sutton Hoo Helmet
Native to Britain, this Anglo-Saxon warrior helmet dates back to 625 AD, which came from a famous burial ship. It displays the expert craftsmanship of medieval Britain and is one of the most impressive archeological artifacts native to the UK. You can find this helmet in Room 41.
Ancient Assyrian Relics
The British Museum offers one of the world’s best collections of ancient Assyrian artifacts with historical items from places like Nineveh, Nimrud, and Khorsabad. You can discover Assyrian power, art, and ordinary life. The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III records 31 years of military conquests, which stands about 2 metres (6.5 feet) tall.
The Siege of Lachish Reliefs come from Sennacherib’s palace in Nineveh, which display the capture of the Judean city of Lachish mentioned in the Bible in 2 Kings 18. It shows the brutal Assyrian violence, captives, and spoils, which offer an unusual visual record of an ancient military campaign. You can view these items in Rooms 6-10.
This short list is only scratching the surface of the vast number of amazing items on display at the British Museum.
Entry
Free Entry
Entry is free, but you must book online to get into the museum. You can book here.
2 Museum Entrances:
- Great Russell Street (main entrance)
- Montague Place
If you’re travelling via Holborn Underground Station or Tottenham Court Road Underground Station, then the main entrance on Great Russell Street is closest.
If you’re travelling via Russell Square Underground Station or Goodge Street Underground Station, then the closest entrance on Montague Place is closest.
Opening Hours
Daily 10:00 – 17:00 (20:30 close on Fridays)
Last entry 16:45 (Fridays 20:15)
Bags & Suitcases & Pushchairs
All bags, rucksacks, packages, and personal items may be searched prior to entry.
Items Not Allowed in Museum
- Any bag that is larger than 40cm x 40cm x 50cm (16in x 16in x 20in) and heavier than 8kg
- Wheeled suitcases of any size
- Sports equipment
- Adult scooters
- Skateboards
- Musical instruments
- Folding bicycles
Do you need storage for a restricted item? Book luggage storage less than 5-minutes walk from the British Museum.
Getting There
Address
British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Underground Stations
You can easily access the British Museum via the Piccadilly Line, Northern Line (via Charing Cross), or the Elizabeth Line. There are 4 nearby stations:
- Tottenham Court Road: Central, Northern via Charing Cross, & Elizabeth Lines (6-minute walk, 450 metres or 0.3 mile)
- Russell Square: Piccadilly Line (7-minute walk, 500 metres or 0.3 mile)
- Goodge Street: Northern Line via Charing Cross (9-minute walk, 650 metres or 0.4 mile)
- Holborn: Central & Piccadilly Lines (10-minute walk, 700 metres or 0.4 mile)
Bus
There are several bus options. The 14 Bus takes you directly to museum’s main entrance. To view all of your bus options, you can visit the Transport for London (TfL) website.
New Oxford Street: 1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242
Tottenham Court Road (northbound) / Gower Street (southbound): 14, 24, 29, 73, 134, 390
Southampton Row: 59, 68, X68, 91, 168, 188
Taxi
There is a taxi rank on Great Russell Street by the main entrance. This is reserved for black cabs. If you plan to book a ride sharing option, you can be dropped off nearby the museum in other areas, but they cannot use the taxi rank.
Car
There are no parking facilities at the British Museum, but there is limited Blue Badge parking for those who need access. To request a space, you can email the British Museum tickets@britishmuseum.org or call at +44 020 7323 8181. You should allow at least 2 working days notice for your request.
Bicycle
There are bicycle racks outside of the main entrance on Great Russell Street. Folded bicycles are not allowed inside the premises.
Do you need storage for your folding bicycle? Search for nearby CitySpareSpace storage locations. Book your bicycle storage with our nearby location from only £7 for the whole day.
If you’re hiring a Santander bike, there is a docking station only a 1-minute walk from the main entrance on Great Russell Street. Want to hire a Santander bicycle? Book Santander Bicycle hire.
Accessibility
There is step-free access at the main entrance on Great Russell Street. There are also a limited number of wheelchairs available to borrow when you arrive. If you’d like to reserve a wheelchair, then contact the British Museum: tickets@britishmuseum.org or +44 020 7323 8181.
Family Information
Pushchairs / Prams / Buggies
You can bring these items into the museum, which should be kept with you at all times. If your pram folds up, you can leave this item with their cloakroom free of charge. The space is limited, so it is not guaranteed that this will be available. The cloakroom is near the main entrance.
Changing & Feeding
There are changing rooms available throughout the facilities. Parents are welcome to feed their children throughout the museum, and if you wish more privacy, there is space to feed your baby.
British Museum Cloak Room Storage
Members of the British Museum can use this cloak room free of charge, otherwise, you will need to pay to store your items here. Prices vary per item, and there are several items that you cannot store here.
The cloak room is accessible immediately to your left after going through the main entrance from Great Russell Street. Storage space in the cloak room is limited, so it’s not guaranteed to be available for you.
Cloakroom Prices
- £4 for bags up to 4kg (9lbs)
- £6 for bags 4-8 kg (9-18lbs)
- £3 for coats
- £2 for umbrellas
- Free for fold up pushchairs
Items Not Allowed in Museum
- Any bag that is larger than 40cm x 40cm x 50cm (16in x 16in x 20in) and heavier than 8kg
- Wheeled suitcases of any size
- Sports equipment
- Adult scooters
- Skateboards
- Musical instruments
- Folding bicycles
Bag Storage near British Museum
Euston Station, Kings Cross Station, and St. Pancras Station all have luggage storage facilities inside the station. The prices are all the same per item:
£10 for 0-3 hours
£15 for 3- 24 hours
Euston Station 1.1km (0.7 mile) walk
St. Pancras Station 1.4km (0.9 mile)
King’s Cross Station 1.7km (1.1 mile)
CitySpareSpace offers a British Museum cloakroom alternative, which can save you up to 50% on British Museum luggage storage. We provide luggage storage in trusted shops and hotels all over the world. You can conveniently use our bag storage service, which is less than a 5-minutes walk to the British Museum.
Customers must pay online. From only £7 per item, you can easily leave your suitcase, rucksack, pram, and more. Unlike other luggage storage websites, we do not charge hidden booking fees at checkout.
Are you not sure of your timings for your visit? CitySpareSpace luggage storage is completely flexible, so you can pick up anytime during opening hours – even if it’s different to your booked time.
Photo Credits
(1) British Museum photo by Tomasz Zielonka on Unsplash
(2) Rosetta Stone photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash
(3) “Marble frieze slab from the Nereid Monument of Xanthos showing an embassy of elders approaching the Persian satrap, carved about 390–380 BC, British Museum, London” by Carole Raddato, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
(4) “Egyptian animal mummies on display at the British Museum, London” by Mario Sánchez, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
(5) “Sutton Hoo helmet (front view, 2015 photo)” by Geni, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
