London Museums

More on London -

Museums are aplenty in this wonderful city and most are free! I barely scraped the surface of museums to visit during my stay, but here are a few of my favorites.

The Victoria and Albert Museum
FREE

A fantastic collection of decorative arts. They are currently updating section of the museum. The theater section, previously located in Covent Garden, is now open in the main museum. The glass section was recently re-done and now features the objects on glass shelves with mirrored walls and a glass balcony complete with a glass staircase and railing. The ceramic section was getting ready to open, but wasn't quite ready when I was there. Don't miss the massive Bed of Ware - attracting sightseers for a few hundred years or the "hippy" manuta dress that will leave you wondering how the lady who wore it walked through doorways.

If you get hungry, head to the cafeteria. The food is very good, if a little expensive. I don't mind paying a little more for lunch here as it goes to support the decorative arts. Even if you don't eat in the cafeteria, at least stop in and see the tiled walls in the dining rooms.

The special exhibitions are not free. If you have a student ID you can get into a few of them for a discount or free. Right now they have a fantastic Grace Kelly fashion exhibition up (Discount with Student ID). Clothes from the Princess of Monaco are on display along with some of her accessories. There's a smaller Strawberry Hill exhibition on right now as well (Free with Student ID), it was ok, but I can't recommend paying to go see it. There's also a quilting exhibition which I didn't see (quilts torment me and give me nightmares). For what's currently on display and more information, click here.

The V&A crest on one of the gates

The courtyard - don't miss the placards on the side of the building

marking where several curators have buried their beloved pets.

The British Museum
FREE

You could spend months in this place. Located in the Bloomsbury neighborhood (Tube Station: Holborn), right off Tottenham Court Road, if the British Museum isn't on your list of things to see and do it should be. In the list of top places to see in London, on official lists (not just mine!) it's right up there. I love the Enlightenment Room, the Egyptian section (with mummies! Now who doesn't love a mummy or two?), the European section, and the Clock room.

I'd recommend printing out a map of the museum from the website or using one from a guide book (most of the guide books include them) as the museum will charge you for a map. If you want to eat something before or after, I can't recommend eating there - but if you head out of the museum, turn right, and walk a few blocks you'll run into Eve's Cafe. Their English breakfast is second to none and very well priced. The people who work there are just about the nicest people you'll ever meet.

Special Exhibitions will cost you, currently on display is an exhibition on Africa which is headed to the VFMA in the states next. Also up is Italian Renaissance Drawings. For the British Museum website click here.

The enclosed courtyard at the British Museum

The main entrance

The Museum of London
FREE

I've been here twice and, sadly, just missed the opening of the 20 million pound Modern London Galleries by two weeks. The upper floor (and galleries that have been open for a while) features the history of the city of London from Roman times to 1666 - the great fire. I find the Roman exhibition a little dry, but enjoy the section "War, Plague, and Fire." You can even pick up a family fun activity sheet on "War, Plague, and Fire." I had a good laugh in the lobby, I think the people manning the front desk thought I was crazy. Don't miss the actual original Roman London Wall featured outside through one of the windows.

The museum is located in London city proper - Londoners call this area "The City" and it's primarily a business district, very quiet on the weekends. The museum (Tube station: St. Paul's) in hidden back behind St. Paul's and you really have to look for it to find it. On your way there don't miss Aldersgate St. - feel free to peek into the little park area located just off the street and you'll find a wall dedicated to people who died saving others, many of which are children.

Up in the lobby, they have a fantastic exhibition. Photographs of different people who work at the museum posing in different eras of costume in places or with objects of different time periods. They are amazing! Ex. A museum employee wearing a 18th century on a motor scooter.

Although the new galleries weren't open, I did lean over the banister and peer down into the lower area. It looked like they had quite the collection on display. I saw an early 20th century car and three outfits from the 1960s from my advantage point. I hope to return sometime in the near future to poke through the new galleries.

Check out the free StreetMuseum application for your phone - It allows you to interact with historic information as you walk through the London area.

Entry to the museum, which way to go?

More soon . . .