British Museum
With a National Art Pass you get
The first ever national, public museum of the world, the British Museum in London uncovers two million years of human history and culture.
The British Museum charts the history of human civilisation through rare and precious objects from around the world. Each one tells a story: from the Rosetta Stone, which first unlocked the meaning of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, to the Holy Thorn Reliquary, purportedly containing a relic from Christ's crown of thorns.
Explore the grand galleries at your leisure or seek out the museum's map, object trails and daily tours for highlights from the resident collection of six million items. These include artefacts from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, one of the most significant discoveries in British archaeology, and the Lewis Chessmen, chess pieces made in the 12th century that are now internationally famous.
The building itself is also remarkable, with 13-metre high Greek Revival-style columns at the main entrance and the largest covered public square in Europe at its centre (best viewed from the balcony on Level 3).
Opened in 1759, the British Museum predates the founding of the United States of America. Today, it’s home to modern cafés and a restaurant, audio guides and explorer trails designed for families. It’s worth arriving early in the morning or late on a Friday when it’s quietest, or you can pay for an out-of-hours tour
Look out for The Wild Escape at museums and galleries in the next few months. Many have special events, or you can use our audio introduction to help children get involved at any cultural venue.
Visiting with children?
Why you should go
80,000 objects across more than 70 rooms
Once-in-a-lifetime special exhibitions
One of the world's oldest museums
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.
