Museum of London, London

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This is quite an interesting Museum, and like many others it has free admission. There is a good and fairly cheap costing guide book for the museum. The museum depicts the story of London and there are also visiting and temporary exhibitions.

During 2011 and 2012 they gave space over to an exhibition entitled "Dickens and London"; they levied a charge for tickets. It was reasonable as exhibitions go, although it had much more of a focus on London rather than Dickens!

There is an excellent bookshop and a decent cafe.

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Anyone with even a passing interest in the history of the city they are visiting should put this museum high on their “to do” list! It was one of my favourites as a child, and it has grown and improved so much since then so now I think it’s just about as good as a museum can get – and best of all, it’s free!

The museum tells the story of London from its very earliest days in prehistoric times, through its first real development under the Romans, its growth during medieval times and on through the centuries to its role as the centre of the British Empire under Victoria. The 20th century galleries include fashion, popular culture (older visitors will remember the Swinging Sixties when London was the capital of cool!), immigration, the war years and much more.

One must-see exhibit is the diorama of the Great Fire – very effective. Another is the Lord Mayor’s stage coach, still used at the annual Lord Mayor’s Parade each November. But whatever your interest, I’m sure you’ll find something to interest you here.

When you’re tired and in need of refreshments, there are a couple of options. We recently had a very good coffee and cakes in the attractive Sackler Hall Café on the lower floor (modern galleries section), and there’s also a café on the floor above, near the main entrance. If you prefer to bring your own lunch there’s a space set aside for eating and drinking, which is especially popular with organised school groups – you have been warned!

The museum is open every day from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm (apart from 24th-26th December). And as I said, it’s totally free – though some special exhibitions may be charged for.

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I've finally got round to visiting the Museum of London after wanting to visit for a very long time. You can learn and discover how London changed over the centuries starting from the prehistoric era via Roman rule, the Medieval Times, The Civil War, The Plague and The Fire to the present day.

I enjoyed exploring the Great Fire Experience with it's visual exhibitions and interactive displays alongside the recreated streets of Victorian London and the Galleries of Modern London.

The museum overlooks the city wall remains going back to the Roman Empire.

I would highly recommend visiting this museum in order to get a deeper insight about London. The museum is free admission although donations are encouraged. The museum is opened daily from 10.00am-6.00pm.

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This is a part of the Museum of London probably missed by many visitors to London. The Museum of London Docklands is free and open all year apart from the 24, 25 and 26 December. Admission is free.

This museum looks at the period from roman Settlement through to modern regeneration. the museum is pslit over the 4 floors of the building and well worth visiting.

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...and it's absolutely free!

The Museum of London is a must-see, in my opinion. It's taken me far too long to get around to visiting and I am cross with myself about that.

The displays really are excellent, taking you from deep prehistory right through to the 20th century. You'll see some fantastic finds as well, from a truly wonderful selection of prehistoric handaxes through Roman sculptures (even a complete Roman ladder!) and Medieval shoes (very pointy!) to Oliver Cromwell's death mask, a wonderful 1700s silk dress, a Victorian street right up to squatters in the London of the 1990s.

I was hugely impressed by how the museum presents its history, and by how accessible all the displays are. The scale models for each period really help you to understand how the city has grown and changed over the centuries.

For me, the highlight was the 2000-year-old Battersea shield, an Iron Age bronze shield which was found in the Thames (near Battersea, obviously). It is simply stunning in its beuty and intricate workmanship.

So...if you want to understand London in its historical context do make sure you go to this museum. It really is worth a visit.

Photography is allowed, there is a cafe and a rather good giftshop.

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Dedicated to the history of what is not the city of London, this is a relatively small museum and is divided into time periods, starting with prehistoric, the Roman occupation, and down through the centuries.

A few unexpected items: rhinoceros and hippopotamus bones, all kinds of treasures found only by dredging the Thames.

Adjacent to the building itself are remnants of the London Wall

Admission: Free

Hours: Monday to Sunday: 10am-6pm

The Museum of London, tucked away in the city, is rather overshadowed by the British Museum. But unlike its cousin in Bloomsbury, which is called ‘British’ but displays artefacts from all over the world, the Museum of London lives up to its name, with exhibits relating to the capital only.

The galleries on the entrance level deal with the earlier period of London history, starting with the prehistoric period, ‘London before London’ and moving through Roman and Medieval London to the early modern period: ‘war, plague and fire’. The content is well-presented with a good mix of information, original artefacts, reconstructions and interactivity for younger visitors.

The Galleries of Modern London, which have recently opened are also organised chronologically: ‘1670s-1850s: Expanding City’, ‘1850s-1940s: People’s City’ and ‘1950s-Today: World City’, along with the City Gallery and the Sackler Hall. The layout of the space however means that you do not need to follow a slavishly chronological route.

The most modern section was in some ways the least interesting. Maybe I am simply in denial about my increasing age, but displaying modern tiny devices alongside their older and much larger predecessors is a rather obvious point. One exhibit in this section which did appeal to visitors of my age group was a sofa in front of a screen showing favourites from Watch with Mother: The Woodentops, Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben, alongside actual puppets.

Going back in time to the 1850s to 1940s, there is a Lyons Corner House, or at least the window of one, complete with a display of cakes and boxes of ‘Nippy’ chocolates. A cleverly-designed projection on the other side of the window gave the impression of a bustling restaurant within. At a table outside the restaurant you can read a 1939 menu. Calf's head salad followed by stewed prunes and rice, anyone?

Of course, those tucking into their calf’s head salad followed by prunes and rice in 1939 were probably aware that war was on the horizon. The war is covered through audiovisual presentations of films of the devastation and recordings of the recollections of ordinary Londoners. A further exhibit consists of open suitcases which light up to reveal the items an evacuated child might have packed, as well as letters and diary entries of evacuees.

Another highlight is the ‘Victorian walk’ – a series of recreated shopfronts displaying typical wares. As well as a toyshop, tobacconist, barber, pawnbroker, bank, post office, pub, tailor, pharmacy, milliner’s, grocer’s and ‘fancy stationer’s’ there is even a gentlemen’s urinal. No ladies’ though – Victorian ladies were not expected to require such a facility.

The centrepiece of the 1670s to 1850s section is a recreation of a London pleasure garden. I was less impressed with this than with the Victorian walk, but it was nevertheless well done, with clever projection bringing the scene to life. I was fascinated by the wooden-walled prison cell from the Wellclose Square prison, generally used for debtors. Inmates had carved their names on the walls with an impressive degree of skill in lettering. One temporary resident had even added a heartfelt rhyme:
‘The cupboard is empty, to our sorrow
But we hope it will be full tomorrow’

There is also a rather good interactive exhibit on the 'Great Stink' which made the need for a proper sewage system apparent. I won't give away too much, but don't be too trusting when invited to 'touch'.

Admission is free.

The museum covers all of London's history from as early as 450,000BC to World War 2. The exhibits and models are quite good but rather perfunctory - this would class as one of those museums the kids would be asking to leave early. That is for now................on May 28, 2010 new galleries will open in the museum and tell the story of London from 1666 to the present day - this promises to be a big new development and I will revisit.