British Museum
One Of The Largest And Most Visited Museums In The World, Founded In 1753 With Some Eight Million Objects Spanning Two Million Years Of Human History: The Rosetta Stone, The Parthenon Sculptures, Egyptian Mummies And The Sutton Hoo Treasure. Free To Enter, With Several Contested Objects Whose Ownership Is Argued Over · London, England
The British Museum in Bloomsbury holds around eight million objects from across the world and human history, and is one of the most visited museums on earth. Founded in 1753 and opened in 1759, it sits in a Greek Revival building whose glass-roofed Great Court is the largest covered public square in Europe. Famous holdings include the Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian galleries with their mummies, the Sutton Hoo ship-burial treasures, the Lewis Chessmen and the Parthenon sculptures from Athens. The Parthenon sculptures are the subject of a long dispute: Greece asks for their return, and the museum says they were acquired legally by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s and should stay in London. Entry is free, but the museum is vast, noisy and packed at midday, so do not try to see it all. Pick three galleries and give each real time. The museum is also a fine rainy-day refuge, and the free entry makes it good value.
Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, in central London, a short walk from Tottenham Court Road and Holborn stations, London, England, United Kingdom
The museum is commonly open daily, with the galleries open from about mid morning to late afternoon. Some galleries close earlier, and parts of the building can shut for works. There is late opening on Fridays in some seasons; confirm this before planning an evening. It is closed on 24 to 26 December and 1 January. General entry is free every day, with no fee for the permanent collection. Timed free tickets are recommended and are booked online, and walk-ins may be asked to wait. Special exhibitions charge a separate fee. Opening times and the ticket system change, so confirm on the official website before visiting.