London Museums - A treat!

London is an amazing city. It is as unpredictable as it is predictable. The weather is uncannily whimsical and capable of shelving all you had planned for the day. And if you are lucky, well the Gods sure are happy with you. The public transportation is a delight! Be it the underground, overground railways or the buses that ply with a well oiled efficiency, you will never be left askance. All that it takes is a basic knowledge of English and map reading and even if one does not possess these skills there are assistance counters at the railway stations and railway employees placed strategically at the railway stations who will willingly guide you along.

The first three days of our stay in London were marked by gloomy overcast skies that believed in sprinkling showers at every few minutes to ensure that we explored all the beautifully maintained museums of London. And believe me, museums were last on our list when we visited London, yet after the compulsory visits we are inclined to advice all visitors to London to make it a point to visit at least one if not all!

The first museum we visited was the Natural History Museum. The Museum’s iconic Diplodocus 

skeleton greets us as we enter. The Diplodocus, a plant eating dinosaur, that exixted about 150 million years ago, was one of the longest land animals that ever existed and measures more than 26 metres from tip to tail. This exhibit is a national treasure and is a resident of the museum for over a hundred years! Millionaire Carnegie arranged for a cast to be made and presented it to the Museum in 1905.

Another interesting exhibit that caught my attention was the Arsinoitherium. It lived in Africa about 35 million years ago browsing in the tropical rain forests.

Was awed by this Missouri monster, called so because it was found in Missouri in 1840 by Albert Koch. This was brought to London and bought by British Museum in 1842.

This Museum is open daily from 10.00 - 17.50 and closed between 24 - 26 December. Entry is Free.

Then we passed the fabulous Victoria and Albert Museum on our way to the Science Museum.

The Science Museum is the most visited science and technology museum in Europe. There are over 

15,000 objects on display, including world-famous objects such as the Apollo 10 command capsule and 

the oldest steam locomotive.

The Science Museum is open between 10.00-18.00 daily and entry is free.

The next morning we visited the British Museum. Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable 

collection spans over two million years of human history. The Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian 

mummies are visited by up to 6 million visitors per year. Spent almost a day there and yet managed to

see just a small part of the museum. It is indeed amazing. It is open daily between 10.00-17.30 and until 20.30 on Fridays. Entry is free.

My last Museum visit and a must go on your list too would be the Tate Modern. It has an amazing 

collection of art dating from Picasso to the very contemporary artists. The entry is free for the permanent collection and is open from 10.00–18.00, Sunday – Thursday and 10.00–22.00, Friday – Saturday.

So guys, remember if it rains when you are in London, do not despair. Visit the amazing Museums and you will not regret it!

For more information on the London Museums click here.