About
The British Museum is one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. Its collections span over two million years of history and include iconic treasures such as the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, and the Parthenon sculptures. With eight million objects from all continents, it tells the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.
Free admission allows visitors to explore world-class galleries covering ancient civilizations, art, and archaeology.
Categories:
Annual Visitors (2022)
4,097,253
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings or Friday evenings
💡 Visitor Tips
- Arrive early or visit on Friday evenings when it's open until 20:30 and less crowded
- The museum is huge - focus on 2-3 galleries rather than trying to see everything
- Download the free Museum Map app before visiting to help navigate
- The Great Court is spectacular - don't miss the Reading Room at its center
- Free eye-opener tours run throughout the day covering different themes
- Bag searches at entrance can cause queues during busy periods - allow extra time
Highlights
The Rosetta Stone
Ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with decree in three scripts. The key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, dating from 196 BC.
The Elgin Marbles (Parthenon Sculptures)
Classical Greek marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, created 447-432 BC. Masterpieces of ancient Greek art showing processions, battles, and mythological scenes.
Egyptian Mummies
Extensive collection of Egyptian mummies and coffins spanning 3,000 years, including Katebet, a singer in the temple of Amun at Karnak.
The Lewis Chessmen
Intricately carved 12th-century chess pieces made from walrus ivory, discovered on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. 93 pieces from several chess sets.
Collections
The British Museum houses approximately 8 million works spanning two million years of human history. Major collection areas include Ancient Egypt and Sudan, Greece and Rome, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Britain and Europe, Americas, and Prints and Drawings. Only about 80,000 objects are on display at any one time, with the remainder in study collections available to researchers by appointment.
Ancient Egypt
World-famous Egyptian galleries including mummies, the Rosetta Stone, and monumental sculpture
📍 Rooms 4, 61-66
Greece and Rome
Classical antiquities including the Parthenon sculptures, Greek vases, and Roman portraits
📍 Rooms 11-23, 69-73, 77-85
Middle East
Mesopotamian, Persian, and Islamic collections including Assyrian palace reliefs
📍 Rooms 6-10, 34, 52-59
Asia
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South Asian, and Southeast Asian art and archaeology
📍 Rooms 33, 67, 91-94
Africa
Art and culture from across the African continent spanning millennia
📍 Room 25
Britain and Europe
From prehistory through medieval to modern times, including the Sutton Hoo ship burial
📍 Rooms 40-41, 49-51
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.