Europe has a handful of museums that are very important for the value of their collections, and one of them is the British Museum or British Museum. This museum in London It is wonderful because it keeps very valuable treasures.
That is to say, its treasures come from many parts of the world so if you go on a trip to the English capital it is a very good idea to visit and meet them. Here we leave you everything you need to know to plan the visit.
The British Museum
It was founded in 1753 and holds the title of being the world's first public museum with free admission. In the XNUMXth century it was visited by about five thousand people a year and today it is estimated that it has six million visitors.
The museum was born from the impetus and interest of Sir Hans Sloane, a great collector with more than 70 thousand objects that he did not want to be lost after his death. So he donated his entire collection to King George II for £ 20. The king accepted and in 1753 the foundation of the museum was made legal. But what objects made up this private collection? Manuscripts, books, antiques, prints, medals, coins, sketches, natural specimens ...
Newly in 1759 the museum opened its doors. He did it first at the Montagu Residence, a XNUMXth century house located in Bloomsbury. At that time entry was free and it never closed its doors, even during the two world wars. Yes indeed, that first collection was greatly expanded in the XNUMXth century, the imperial century par excellence.
The imperialist presence of the United Kingdom in Africa, America and Asia earned it real treasures. Although the countries from which they come have expressed their wish to have these expropriated treasures returned to them, there is no progress in that regard. Thus, among the foreign treasures that the museum keeps are the Rosetta stone (stone that allowed the decipherment of hieroglyphs), classical sculptures and Parthenon sculptures.
The museum's natural collection moved to its headquarters in South Kesington in the late 80s and became the Museum of Natural History. If the XNUMXth century is the century of the expansion of collections, the twentieth century is that of the services offered by the museum. Educational programs were developed, halls were restored, and important permanent exhibits were installed such as Illustration: Discovery, the world of the XNUMXth century.
Ya in the XNUMXst century the museum continued to expand its treasures with Chinese ceramics, clocks of all kinds and a chapel tomb, that of Nebamun, of Egyptian origin.
Visit the British Museum
To the museum you can get there by metro, bus or bicycle. The closest tube stations are Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street and Russell Square. The buses that stop at New Oxford Street are 1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98 and 242. Those that stop north of Tottenham Court Road and south of Gower Street are 14, 24, 29 , 73, 134 and 390. The ones that stop at Southampton Row are 59, 68, X68, 91, 168 and 188.
If you rented a bike there are cycle paths inside the museum gates on Great Russell Street. The closest bike station is right outside the gates, at the corner of Great Russell Street and Montague Street.
The museum opens all year round but closes on January 1 and December 24, 25 and 26. The museum galleries open daily from 10 am to 5 pm and most close at 8:30 pm on Fridays. They begin to close from 5:20 pm and from 8:20 pm on Fridays. Open on holidays but keep in mind that guided tours and talks are limited.
The Great Court, with the information desk, is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm and until 8:30 pm on Fridays. The box office is open from 9 am to 5 pm and until 7:45 pm, on Fridays. As you will have discovered on Fridays the hours are extended.
And what is there to visit? The museum has different departments: Africa, Oceania and America, Ancient Egypt and Sudan, Asia, Coins and medals, Greece and Rome, Middle East, Prehistory and Europe, Prints and Drawings. If you do not have much prior knowledge and your idea is to learn, it is best to sign up for the tours with volunteers. These tours are for groups of maximum 25 people.
The Special Morning Tours, so they are called, they start at 9 am and last one hour, including time to take photos. Simply book online and go to the main entrance on Great Russell Street at 8:50 am with your printed booking confirmation. These tours are about the British Museum himself, or on him Ancient Egypt or about China. Tickets cost £ 30 per adult and children between the ages of 5 and 15 cost 15 pounds.
Another way to plan your visit It is for the time you plan to be inside the museum: One, three hours? With an hour alone you will not see much but it is still possible to see the Rosetta Stone, the Assyrian reliefs and the sculptures of the Parthenon, the Oxus Treasure, Royal game of Ur, Katebet mummya samurai armor, King of Ife, lewis chess set. Everything on the ground floor, the upper floor and the lower floor.
With three hours the visit is enhanced and you can add more objects: one Easter Island statue, Sloane's astrolabe, Tang ceramic figurines, Bust of Ramses the Grande, automata models, the turquoise snake, chinese vases or a cuneiform writing tablet that speaks of the flood, for example.
You can also explore human history on 100 specially selected objects, London history in 20 objects or human diversity throughout history. And if you like to play and not only see the British Museum, it offers you this great opportunity. It is possible to hold some museum objects with the help of volunteers that you can answer your questions.
This possibility is found in the EnlightenmentGallery (room 1), collecting the world (room 2), Living & Dying Gallery (room 24), Roman Britain Gallery (room 49), Money Gallery (room 68), Islamic World Gallery (room 42-43) and China & South Asia Gallery (room 33). It is always free.
Finally, it is always advisable to visit the museum's website because there you will have updated information, especially about the temporary exhibitions. Now, for example, between April 11 and July 21 there is one about Edvard Munch and from May 23 to August 26 there is another about manga, the popular Japanese comic. For both you can book online.