There are many museums across the UK, some of which are world-famous and others borrowed from empires. You should choose one according to your interests. If you love history, you might enjoy visiting the Chipping Norton Museum in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, UK. The museum features an old Victorian brewery, and tours are free of charge. You can also sample some of its famous beers.
The V&A
When planning a trip to London, visit the V&A museum. This free museum is located in South Kensington and can be reached from various tube stations. You can see the museum by taking the District, Circle, or Piccadilly lines. The museum is free to enter, but expect to wait in line. The museum is trendy during the summer holidays and long weekends, so plan your trip accordingly. To avoid long queues, try to visit the museum on a weekday off-season.
When you visit the V&A, make sure to spend time perusing the museum gift shop. It has a great selection of postcards, prints, and fashion items. You can find things in different price ranges, so there’s something for everyone.
In the art galleries, you can view works by British and European artists and enjoy results from other countries. You can also explore the museum’s collection of Asian imports, including porcelain, cloth, and wallpaper. You’ll find a variety of famous artists and designers, including works by Sir James Thornhill, Josiah Wedgwood, and William Thomas Beckford.
You’ll love V&A’s fashion collection if you’re into fashion. This collection spans five centuries and includes clothing, hats, and bags. It even has a Jane Austen gown preserved in its original form. It’s a fascinating piece to explore, allowing you to imagine who would wear it.
There’s also a special section devoted to wallpaper. The museum’s Prints and Drawings study room has over 500,000 items, including works by Rembrandt, William Hogarth, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, and Sir Edwin Henry Landseer.
The Natural History Museum
If you’ve ever wanted to see the evolution of life on Earth, the Natural History Museum might be the place for you. With a unique, interactive exhibit called the Cocoon, visitors can see scientists in action while learning about the science of collecting specimens. The show includes specimens of tarantulas, butterflies, and beetles. In addition to a great view of evolution, you can see the museum’s collections of jarred specimens from the region.
The museum was founded in 1754 and moved to its current location in 1881. The original British Museum had outgrown its collection of natural history items, and Sir Hans Sloane helped fund a second museum to hold these pieces. Today, the museum is home to more than a million natural history items, drawing five million visitors annually. It is considered one of the top three museums in London.
Among the many highlights of this museum is the Diplodocus, a 292-bone plaster-cast replica of the sauropod, one of the museum’s most famous exhibits. Though Dippy left Hintze Hall last year, another renowned exhibit is Hope the blue whale, an 82-foot blue whale cast from the same bones as Dippy.
Membership benefits include priority entry into the dinosaur gallery, guest passes, behind-the-scenes tours, and meetings with scientists. Adult membership costs PS61, while joint adult memberships cost PS79. A family membership costs PS85. You’ll also get a free app to check out upcoming events and exhibits.
The exhibits in the Natural History Museum are divided into four different zones. Each zone focuses on a particular topic. For example, the Green Zone features exhibits of birds and insects, while the Red Zone is all about the Earth, planets, and universe. Finally, the Orange Zone displays dinosaurs and other mammal bones.
The Science Museum
The museum is packed with excellent exhibits, such as the Command Module from Apollo 10, which has traveled around the Moon and is way beyond our current capabilities. Other shows include the Dollond transit telescope, a model Sputnik and a display of astronomy.
The Science Museum is part of the South Kensington complex, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. Victoria and Albert are a must for art, sculpture, and design lovers. You can easily reach the museum by tube. If you are coming from the West End, you can take the Tube to South Kensington and walk up Museum Road. You can also use the underground tunnel that connects the museum with the Natural History Museum.
Another fascinating museum is the British Museum. This museum is home to the Rosetta Stone, which contains a decree written in Greek, Demotic and Egyptian hieroglyphics. It is also home to the world’s most extensive decorative art collection. It also features free permanent exhibits and a mini pet cemetery.
The British Museum is home to many fascinating, mostly dead exhibits. For example, a 2,000-year-old snail was once stuck to a cardboard display for four years. But in 1842, zoologist William Baird noticed that the snail was producing mucus membrane, which meant it was still alive. He rescued the snail from its cardboard captivity and rehoused it with a living partner, where it lived until it died in 1852.
The National Motor Museum
The National Motor Museum in the UK is one of the most fantastic car museums in the world. There are a variety of vehicles on display, including classic cars from every era. There are also many interactive features, including mini cars and story corners. If you have children, this museum is definitely for them. Featuring over 30,000 exhibits, the museum has something for every age group.
There are plenty of vehicles to view here, from a 1948 HRD Vincent Black Lightning to a 2007 Honda CBR1000 Fireblade Superstock. Visitors will also have the chance to check out some of the world’s fastest cars. During the lockdown, the museum staff was kept busy.
There are 400 cars on display, including many modern and vintage vehicles. While you’re here, take a trip down memory lane with cars from Austin, MG, Morris, and Dodge. Modern classics like the Jaguar E Type and the AC Cobra are also stylish.
Another fun part of the museum is the posh garage where you can see cars, not in the main museum. These cars are parked side-by-side and surrounded by exciting information. The Smallest Child didn’t want to stay in the museum long!
The British Motor Museum is home to the world’s most extensive collection of historic British cars. The museum has over 400 vehicles on display, and interactive features such as ‘Time Road’ let visitors explore the history of motoring throughout the decades. Free guided tours are available for visitors.
The National Motor Museum is located near Paddington Station, an easy walk from the airport. This museum houses a vast private collection of vintage, classic, veteran vehicles and motorcycles. One of its most notable exhibits is a 1937 Bentley owned by Donald Campbell.
The Coffin Works Museum
If you want an excellent museum experience, the Coffin Works Museum in Scotland may be your place. This museum focuses on coffin making and features elaborate brass fittings that were once used to make coffins. Victorian England was a hotbed for funeral rites, so funeral services were big business.