British Museum

The "BM" has been number one for a long time. It was the country's most popular museum way back in the 1750s (the fact that it was then the country's first and only public museum may have helped) and it's still the most popular, welcoming more than six million visitors every year to its grand neoclassical confines.

It was born in the age of Enlightenment and Empire, the progeny of two great British desires -- the desire for knowledge and the desire for other people's possessions. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the British upper classes traveled across the globe, uncovering the artifacts of distant civilizations, packing them in crates, and shipping them back home. Their acquisitions formed the basis of the museum's collection, which has since been built into one of the world's largest and finest.

If the museum has one central, unifying theme, it's to provide an overview of the development of human culture, illustrated with items from all of the world's major civilizations. If that sounds like a big theme, this is a big museum, covering some 2 miles of galleries, and impossible to cover in 1 or even 2 days. How you tackle it is up to you.

The collection is arranged along roughly geographical lines, so you could order your tour accordingly, taking in the Rosetta Stone from Egypt (the object that finally enabled scholars to decipher hieroglyphics), the Elgin (or Parthenon) Marbles from Ancient Greece, or the treasures of a 7th-century Saxon ship burial from Sutton Hoo, in nearby Suffolk. But there's so much more -- Babylonian astronomical instruments, giants heads from Easter Island, totem poles from Canada, mummies from Egyptian tombs, Chinese sculptures, Indian texts, Roman statues, African art . . . the list goes on. In fact, the museum has more objects in storage than it ever does on display.

And if that wasn't enough, the BM hosts a succession of blockbuster temporary exhibitions, which are often staged in the Reading Room, the former home of the British Library. It lies at the center of the Great Court, the building's central courtyard, which is topped by a giant glass roof designed by Foster and Partners, and boasts various cafes and picnic areas.

Of course you could always take the easy option, and let someone else decide what you should see. Free half-hour tours (known as "Eye Opener Tours") to different sections of the museum are given every 15 to 30 minutes from 11am to 3:45pm. The front desk can provide details and floor plans. The museum also provides plenty of extra fun for younger visitors, mostly free, including activity backpacks (free), trail leaflets (free), handling sessions (free), multimedia guides (£3), and drop-in family events.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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