5D/4N Backpacking London Without A Tour – Free & Easy (Part 14) : A Night at the British Museum (Opening Hours, Basic Info & More)

It was the film “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” that sparked our interest and gave my sister and I a valuable insight into the world-renowned British Museum in London. From there, we aspired to visit the British Museum to widen our knowledge as we travel back in time while browsing through the astonishing artefacts of ancient civilisations on display. 😉

Opening Hours & Basic Info

Admission to the British Museum in London is free regardless of one’s nationality. However, do take note that the museum may charge for entry to some temporary exhibitions and events. The British Museum is open all year round except during Christmas (24, 25 and 26 December), New Year (1 January) and Good Friday.

The museum galleries are open from 10:00 to 17:30 every Monday to Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On Fridays, the opening hours is extended until 20:30. The Great Court, including the Information Desk, is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00 and until 20:30 on Fridays.

Besides the galleries, there are cafes, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops within the British Museum too. For your info, visitors to the British Museum are not allowed to bring in any large luggage for safety reasons. Storage for large luggage is available at major train stations, including Euston, King’s Cross and Charing Cross.

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-in-London-1 — A night visit to the British Museum in London, UK

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-in-London-2 — The spacious interior of the British Museum in London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-in-London-3 — Various galleries and artefacts on display at the British Museum in London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-in-London-4 — The priceless artefacts on display at the Asia Gallery in the British Museum, London

Getting to the British Museum

Our preferred mode of transport in London, United Kingdom is the London Underground. The nearest Underground stations to the British Museum are Tottenham Court Road and Holborn. Russell Square and Goodge Street stations are located within a short walking distance from the museum too.

Besides that, the British Museum is also accessible by bus. For more info, kindly visit the British Museum’s official website here. My sister and I happened to visit the British Museum on a Friday evening/night where the museum is open until 20:30. We were pretty excited to visit the museum at night and experience something different for a change. 😀

We made our way to the British Museum after having a scrumptious Chinese dinner in Chinatown, London. It took us about 20 minutes to get from Chinatown to the British Museum. There were many people at the museum when we arrived, but it was not packed.

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Egyptian-Mummies-in-London-1 — Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus on display at the British Museum, London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Egyptian-Mummies-in-London-2 — A section of the Ancient Egypt Gallery at the British Museum, London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Egyptian-Mummies-in-London-3 — The various stages of Egyptian mummification on display at the British Museum, London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Egyptian-Mummies-in-London-4 — An Egyptian mummy on display at the British Museum, London

Night at the Museum – Of Egyptian Mummies, Huaxtec Deities & Interesting Discoveries

My sister and I tried to see as much as we can during our short visit to the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London. We started off at the lower ground and made our way up through various galleries and sections of the museum. 🙂

The galleries are divided into separate continents and themes namely Africa, Americas, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Our favourites were the Egyptian mummies, Aztec/Huaxtec stone sculptures and European medieval gold and silver coins.

We also enjoyed browsing through the Ancient Greece and Rome section and had a close look at the different types of unique clocks and watches on display – some which are really complicated and impressive looking. We even searched high and low for the elusive “Garuda” statue featured in the “Night in the Museum” film, but were not able to find or see it. 🙁

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Huaxtec-Deities-Statues-in-London-2 — Aztec and Huaxtec deities on display at the Americas Gallery in the British Museum, London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Huaxtec-Deities-Statues-in-London-1 — Several stone sculptures on display at the British Museum, London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-Huaxtec-Deities-Statues-in-London-3 — An intricate Aztec/Mayan stone carving on display at the British Museum, London

ErikaEvaTohTravels-Night-at-the-British-Museum-in-London-12 — A traditional tribal totem on display at the British Museum, London

In a Nutshell

It was a unique experience to visit the British Museum at night for seeing the priceless artefacts on display under the moonlight and/or special lights added a hint of mystery and even eeriness in the air. 😛 Overall, we really enjoyed our visit to the British Museum in London.

In fact, my sister and I have agreed to visit the British Museum again, but this time we will visit it during the day to get a different feel/experience instead. If you are visiting London, be sure to add the British Museum to your list.