20 best museums in London for 2025, from family-friendly days out to galleries filled with famous art

Independent

8 hours ago

London is considered one of the best cities in the entire world for museums that are free to enter, keeping the pursuit of knowledge, creative inspiration and fun days out accessible to all.
The UK 's capital boasts just under 200 museums, 11 of which are national, including world-famous attractions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery, which exhibit some of the rarest and most spectacular artefacts and artworks on the planet.
Aside from this, one of the most impressive aspects of London 's museums is that there is something for every visitor, from family-friendly interactive exhibitions, to historic and modern galleries for art lovers, and displays that explore science, technology and design.
Whether you are looking to fill a morning in the school summer holidays or swap a sweltering day in the heat for an afternoon deepening your understanding of the past, present or future, we have rounded up the best museums in London to visit this summer.
Best London museums to visit in 2025
1. Natural History Museum
South Kensington
The Natural History Museum is home to more than 80 million objects, some dating back billions of years, with exhibitions on prehistoric predators including displays of dinosaur bones and fossils, as well as early humans. Visitors can also learn about the animal kingdom throughout history, with exhibits on the evolution of mammals, extinct species such as mammoths and dodos, and marine invertebrates. Spend time in the sparkling section of the museum that houses raw minerals and rare gems, including the Devonshire Emerald, one of the biggest and most richly coloured emeralds ever discovered, and a meteorite originating from Mars.
Kid-friendly? Self-guided family tour
2. Victoria and Albert Museum
South Kensington
The V&A has a collection of 1.25 million objects, ranging from early European art and neoclassical furniture, to the biggest and most comprehensive collection of fashion items in the world. Spanning over 5,000 years of creativity, its exhibitions spotlight art, design and performance. Notable pieces include dresses designed by Alexander McQueen and a museum favourite, the Tippoo's Tiger, which was stolen from Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore in South India, after attacks by the British East India Company army.
Kid-friendly? Digital family trails and treasure hunts around the museum; you can also check out the Young V&A in Hackney for a child-focused experience
3. Science Museum
South Kensington
The Science Museum is one of London's major museums, covering topics from mathematics and engineering to space and everyday technology. Some of his highlights on display include the rocket launcher that sent the British Black Arrow satellite into space, one of the oldest clocks in the world and the Apollo 10 capsule module which went around the Moon. Galleries also includes the history of flight, exhibiting a complete slice of a genuine Boeing 747 jumbo jet, and objects from science and technology that have shaped the modern world.
Kid-friendly? Interactive galleries, family trails, 'Space Show' with live science experiments.
4. Imperial War Museum
Lambeth
The Imperial War Museum showcases the lives of ordinary people who fought or lived through war and conflict, with two large displays focusing on the First and Second World Wars. The galleries host thousands of objects telling the story of how these two wars impacted societies across the world, including weapons, photographs, personal items and everyday objects like ration tickets. Another permanent exhibition, the Holocaust Galleries, displays first-hand testimonies of veterans, eyewitnesses and survivors of the genocide. This sobering museum will leave you with a better understanding of the impact of war on society and how similar conflicts across the globe today are having the same effect.
Kid-friendly? Family trails around the museum, veteran family days
5. Museum of the Home
Hoxton
Found in almshouses built in 1714, the Museum of the Home does not focus on a specific event or a certain collection; instead, it tells the story of everyday lives in Britain and how the inside of people's homes reflects their stories and characters. Visitors can journey through four centuries of home life with room displays ranging from the 1630s to what a converted flat may look like in 2049. One exhibition in the Home Galleries shows a series of short films on how East London residents express their identities through what they keep in their homes, whether that's memorabilia, cultural and religious objects, heirlooms or items left behind by loved ones who have passed.
Kid-friendly? Mini playhouse, family trails, reading lounge, sensory den, sensory bags
6. London Museum Docklands
West India Quay
Soak up 400 years of docklands history at this museum, set on the dockside in a retired sugar warehouse. It showcases the expansion of trade via water with ships bringing spices, tea and silk to Britain, as well as the navy's battle for trade and territory with its rivals. One of the most important exhibitions focuses on slavery in Britain and how London benefited from the profits of trafficking people from the African continent. The gallery displays stories from some of the people affected by slavery, as well as items such as the letters of Ignatius Sancho, a British abolitionist who was thought to have been born on a slave ship, and became one of the earliest known Black people to vote in a British general election. Its current exhibition, Secrets of the Thames, looks into how mudlarking has unearthed fascinating objects from London's past.
Kid-friendly? Interactive play area, crafts, digging experience, family trail
7. British Museum
Bloomsbury
The British Museum's collection is regarded as one of the best in the world, with exhibitions covering over two million years of history across six continents, which famous artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone, ancient Egyptian objects, collections on African history and Anglo-Saxon hoards. However, it's important to note this museum has frequently faced criticism over its collections, much of which was looted during the height of the British Empire. The British Museum itself has a list of 'contested objects' that countries have asked to be returned, and also notes that parts of its collection are in the museum today due to 'conflict and colonial activity'.
Kid-friendly? Kids can take on the 'Museum Mission' challenge or the 'Museum Explorer Trail'
8. Churchill War Rooms
Westminster
This museum allows the public to get a glimpse into how British officials determined their Second World War strategy within secret underground headquarters. Among the twisting corridors are the Cabinet War Rooms, where Winston Churchill and other officials worked, ate, and even spent the night during the war. The rooms include a transatlantic communication area disguised as a toilet, Churchill's underground suite, the BBC broadcasting and switchboard room and, most importantly, the map room where some of the most crucial war decisions were made.
9. Hauser & Wirth
Mayfair
Swiss contemporary and modern art group Hauser & Wirth's London gallery has two exhibition spaces with rotating displays, alongside artists' talks, film screenings and workshops. Its exhibitions often include art such as paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and video from contemporary artists. Its current display, 'No Time for Dispair' by Michaela Yearwood-Dan, explores how community and joy can be built through the visual language of paintings and other mediums.
Kid-friendly? Families are welcome in both galleries, but ask that no one touches or climbs the artworks, and no food or drink is permitted
10. Design Museum
Kensington
Dedicated to contemporary design, the Kensington museum attracts many to its curated temporary exhibitions, such as the world of director Wes Anderson and the evolution of swimwear. 'Designer, Maker, User' is a free permanent exhibition which takes visitors on a trip through the evolution of modern design through these three roles. Almost 1,000 items from the 20th and 21st centuries – including road signs, the Tube map, Vespas, and Xbox controllers, plastic garden chairs and Ikea bags – are on display, each invoking how modern design has evolved throughout the years. Its summer exhibition 'More than Human' will explore how design could help animals, plants and other living beings thrive.
Kid-friendly? An audio feature available through an app presents objects through the lens of a group of Year 1 children aged 5 and 6; design days and camps are also planned throughout the year
11. National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
Trafalgar Square
The National Gallery is found in one of London's most famous plazas, Trafalgar Square, a fitting location to house the UK's collection of Western European paintings spanning over seven centuries. The gallery exhibits some of the world's most famous paintings, such as Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers, The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein and the Wilton Diptych. Don't forget to visit its sister gallery nearby, the National Portrait Gallery, for a curated look at portraits from past kings and queens to contemporary celebrities like Harry Styles and Marcus Rashford.
Kid-friendly? Two spaces for self-guided activities, and eating a 'Canvas Quest' is also suitable for those aged seven and older, which takes children on a hide-and-seek game throughout the gallery
12. London Transport Museum
Covent Garden
Calling all trainspotters and transport enthusiasts: there are very few museums in the capital that can top a day out at the London Transport Museum. From omnibuses, trams and early railways to the world's first underground and the creation of the Tube lines, visitors can explore London's transportation history through retired heritage vehicles, photographs and displays on how London expanded as transport grew. An area of the museum is also dedicated to Transport for London posters, exploring how commercial art and design have evolved over the years.
13. Young V&A
Bethnal Green
The Young V&A is a museum dedicated to children, young people and families that displays childhood-related objects and historic artefacts in exhibitions suitable for kids to interact with and learn from. The three main galleries, Play, Imagine and Design, allow babies to discover colours, textures and shapes at eye-level height through their exhibitions, while older kids can learn about the collections on display. Kids can also explore their creativity in the performance space and workshop areas. Some of the most loved items on display include a doll's house collection, a life-size Joey the War Horse puppet, and the original Superman costume worn by Christopher Reeve.
Kid-friendly? Absolutely
14. Sir John Soane's Museum
Holborn
One of the most celebrated architects in the country, having designed the likes of the Bank of England, has had his house turned into a museum. Sir John Soane died in 1837, but his architectural legacy lives on within the museum as well as his vast collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, models and paintings. Tours can be booked to delve deeper into Soane's Regency-era life with access to his private apartments.
Kid-friendly? Family trail and workshops
15. Fashion and Textile Museum
Bermondsey
The Fashion and Textile Museum uses its entire space to host temporary exhibitions, rotating between different periods in history, topics and stories. Its past exhibitions have included Fashion Renegades of 80s London, displaying original garments and accessories from Leigh Bowery, as well as an installation on the history of fashion label Biba, from its boutique days to the use of its clothing on film. The museum's current exhibition explores how people have interacted with textiles from prehistory to the digital age.
Kid-friendly? Museum explorer kits
16. Queer Britain
King's Cross
The first and only national LGBT+ museum in the UK, Queer Britain hosts a series of exhibitions exploring what it means to be queer through objects, images, voices and art from sectors such as activism, culture and social history. Currently on display is '20 Years of UK Black Pride', a curated exhibition that chronicles 20 years of activism and celebration of the world's largest celebration for LGBT+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent. Its permanent exhibition, 'We are Queer Britain', covers over 100 years of queer life, with items such as the historic Wolfenden Report (1957), which proposed decriminalising male homosexuality, the top hat worn by Suranne Jones in BBC's Gentleman Jack, and the museum's patron Elton John's handwritten letter to his younger self.
Kid-friendly? The museum welcomes visitors of all ages
17. The William Morris Gallery
Walthamstow
The William Morris Gallery's main collection holds the world's largest collection of Morris' works as well as a history of his political activism, poems and a space inspired by Morris & Co. workshops. Among the exhibitions on display is 'Morris Mania', which looks at how his legacy has penetrated the modern day, from shower curtains to phone cases. For Morris devotees, a separate museum at the William Morris Society in Hammersmith may also be of interest, at Kelmscott House, where Morris once lived, which holds his original Albion printing press. Entry is £3.50 for the society museum.
Price: Free
Kid-friendly? Hands-on and interactive exhibits, 'Mini Morris' craft and play sessions and 'Morris Explorer satchels', including a sensory map and a story for during the visit
18. Tate Modern
Bankside
Found in the former Bankside Power Station on the River Thames, the Tate Modern is loved by children and adults alike. Its ongoing exhibition features artists' responses to mass media and technology, such as the monumental Babel by Cildo Meireles, a towering cylinder of radios each tuned into a different station. Other artworks touch on how society works, surrealist paintings, and the use of the body in art. The gallery also features works from world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein and Henri Matisse, to name a few.
19. Horniman Museum
Forest Hill
The Horniman Museum and Gardens aims to allow people to learn more about the world without leaving the country, a legacy left by Frederick Horniman, an MP for the Liberal Party and social reformer, who built the museum to 'bring the world to Forest Hill'. Among its thousands of items are musical instruments, textiles, religious and cultural objects, insect specimens and fossils, all collected from around the globe, which are on display, while live animals such as rabbits and alpacas can be found outside. Its extensive gardens also feature a pavilion, a prehistoric garden and a meadow. The large collection, however, was built on the back of the colonial wealth produced by the tea merchant Horniman Family, a history and context that the museum continues to work to shed light on. The Natural History Gallery is currently closed for redevelopment.
Price: Free; the Aquarium, Butterfly House and Robot Zoo have a fee
Kid-friendly? Family craft Saturdays, school workshops, and an all-around family-friendly day out
20. The Postal Museum
Clerkenwell
The Postal Museum is best known for its 'Mail Rail' ride: a small train that runs underground, which was initially designed to transport mail, but now carries visitors to tunnels deep below the sorting office for an audio-visual show about the railway's 1930s heyday. After a trip on the Mail Rail, visitors can gaze at exhibitions showcasing 500 years of postal history with hands-on exhibitions and objects such as the world's first adhesive stamps and retired postbuses.