Best Museums in London: Free World-Class Collections

London is home to one of the world's greatest concentrations of free world-class museums — a legacy of Victorian civic ambition that gives every visitor access to extraordinary collections without spending a penny. The British Museum in Bloomsbury holds 8 million objects spanning two million years of human history — the Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles, and Lewis Chessmen are among the highlights. The Natural History Museum in South Kensington is a cathedral of science: its blue whale skeleton, dinosaur gallery, and earthquake simulator make it essential for all ages. The Victoria and Albert Museum next door holds the world's greatest collection of decorative arts and design — from Islamic geometric tiles to Versace gowns to Japanese samurai armour. The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square holds the UK's national collection of Western European paintings from 1250 to 1900 — Van Eyck, Vermeer, Caravaggio, Monet, Seurat. The Tate Modern in a converted Bankside power station is the world's most visited modern art museum, with works by Rothko, Picasso, Warhol, and a permanent turbine hall installation that changes annually. The Science Museum covers everything from the Apollo 10 command module to Babbage's Difference Engine.