Brittish Museum

INFORMATION

The Museum was founded 250 years ago as an encyclopedia of nature and of art. Today it no longer houses collections of natural history, and the books and manuscripts it once held now form part of the independent British Library. The Museum nevertheless preserves its universality in its collections of artefacts representing the cultures of the world, ancient and modern. The original 1753 collection has grown to over thirteen million objects at the British Museum, 70 million at the Natural History Museum and 150 million at the British Library.

The Round Reading Room, which was designed by the architect Sydney Smirke, opened in 1857. For almost 150 years researchers came here to consult the Museum's vast library. The Reading Room closed in 1997 when the national library (the British Library) moved to a new building at St Pancras. Today it has been transformed into the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Centre. This contains the Paul Hamlyn Library of books about the Museum's collections, which is open to all visitors.[29]

With the bookstacks in the central courtyard of the museum now empty, the process of demolition for Lord Foster's glass-roofed Great Court could begin. The Great Court, opened in 2000, while undoubtedly improving circulation around the museum, was criticised for having a lack of exhibition space at a time when the museum was in serious financial difficulties and many galleries were closed to the public. At the same time the African and Oceanic collections that had been temporarily housed in Burlington House were given a new gallery in the North Wing funded by the Sainsbury family.

HOW TO VISIT

opening hours
daily 10.00–17.30

by car

The Museum is within the Congestion Charging Zone and there is very little parking in the area. There is limited parking in the Museum’s forecourt for disabled users only. To reserve a parking space (for disabled users only), telephone the Information Desk on +44 (0)20 7323 8299.

For the quickest route to the Museum go to Transport for London’s
Journey Planner.


by London underground

Holborn (Central line and Piccadilly line)
Tottenham Court Road (Central line and Northern line – Charing Cross branch)
Russell Square (Piccadilly line)
Goodge Street (Northern line – Charing Cross branch)
Covent Garden (Piccadilly line)
Euston (Northern line and Victoria line)

www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk