British Museum What’s On

The Great Court Emerges

The departure of the British Library to a new site at St Pancras, finally achieved in 1998, provided the space needed for the books. It also created the opportunity to redevelop the vacant space in Robert Smirke’s 19th-century central quadrangle into the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court the largest covered square in Europe which opened in 2000. The ethnography collections, which had been housed in the short-lived Museum of Mankind at 6 Burlington Gardens from 1970, were returned to new purpose-built galleries in the museum in 2000.

The museum again readjusted its collecting policies as interest in “modern” objects: prints, drawings, medals and the decorative arts reawakened. Ethnographical fieldwork was carried out in places as diverse as New Guinea, Madagascar, Romania, Guatemala and Indonesia and there were excavations in the Near East, Egypt, Sudan and the UK. The Weston Gallery of Roman Britain, opened in 1997, displayed a number of recently discovered hoards which demonstrated the richness of what had been considered an unimportant part of the Roman Empire. The museum turned increasingly towards private funds for buildings, acquisitions and other purposes.

Tate Britain Commission: Hew Locke: The Procession

British sculptor and contemporary visual artist Hew Locke has created a new and exciting large-scale installation for the 2022 Commission

And Exclusive Members Rooms

Cycle hire docking stations are located on Millbank Tower , Rampayne Street near Pimlico Tube station Vauxhall Bridge and Regency Street Westminster . Find availability on Transport For London.

To park your own bike, parking spots are available near the Manton entrance on Atterbury Street. See all parking spots on Active Things.

Route 87 stops on MillbankRoutes 88 and C10 stop on John Islip StreetRoutes 2, 36, 185, 436 stop on Vauxhall Bridge Road.

Check TFL before you travel for any changes to their services.

Charing Cross 2,100 metres approx.Waterloo 2,253 metres approx.London bridge 3,500 metres approx.

Check TFL before you travel for any changes to their services.

Pimlico: Victoria Line, 600 metres approxVauxhall: Victoria Line, 850 metres approxWestminster: Jubilee, District and Circle Lines, 1,200 metres approx

Check TFL before you travel for any changes to their services.

You can also use this webapp to make your journey during quiet times.

Travel direct between Tate Britain at Millbank Pier and Tate Modern at Bankside Pier with the Tate to Tate RB2 service.

The RB2 service runs every 30 minutes. Check Thames Clipper for the latest timetable.

A drop off / pick up point is situated on Millbank, just outside the main entrance.

There is limited pay and display parking in the streets around Tate Britain during weekdays. It is free at the weekends and after 18.30 on weekdays.

Use this map to locate local electric car charging points.

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What’s On At The British Museum In 2022

‘Next year we will explore some of our deepest history, from ancient Britain, the story of feminine power across the ages, through to the unlocking of ancient Egypt’s written history. These world-class shows will explore familiar stories anew, reaching into the past to bring to life the origins of where we come from. Our exhibitions programme allows us to collaborate with museums and communities from across the world, share skills and knowledge and learn more about the Museum’s collection. We look forward to welcoming you to the Museum soon.’ Hartwig Fischer, Director.

Get a taste of what’s on in 2022 below. Check back here for further updates, or to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.

Get unlimited exhibition entry for a whole 12 months as a Member and save money year-round. Plus, you’ll get exclusive viewings, events and discounts only available to Members.

There’s a Membership for everyone bring guests, get additional cards and enjoy a discount if you’re under 26. Find out more and join today.

Colossal Granite Head Of Amenhotep Iii

What is it? A gigantic head of Amenhotep III, a pharaoh who ruled between 1390 and 1325 BC, originally part of the temple of Mut, in Karnak, Egypt. The features were later recarved for Ramses II to represent his own ideals. That included thinning the lips. The head is wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

How did it come to the British Museum? The head was discovered sometime before 1817 and purchased by the museum in 1823 from British archaeologist Henry Salt who found it in a warehouse in Cairo.

Where to see it: See it in Room 4 on the Ground Floor.

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Who Is Context Travel

Context is a network of PhD level scholars and other experts living in cultural capitals around the world. They are passionate teachers who guide visitors on an experiential journey.

Below is one of my from outside the British Museum. After the tour, I sat for about 30 minutes and just took in what I had learnt. I felt enlightened and even a bit emotional. It wasnt overwhelming, it was liberating.

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Department Of Greece And Rome

The British Museum has one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive collections of antiquities from the Classical world, with over 100,000 objects. These mostly range in date from the beginning of the Greek Bronze Age to the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire, with the Edict of Milan under the reign of the Roman emperorConstantine I in 313 AD. Archaeology was in its infancy during the nineteenth century and many pioneering individuals began excavating sites across the Classical world, chief among them for the museum were Charles Newton, John Turtle Wood, Robert Murdoch Smith and Charles Fellows.

The Greek objects originate from across the Ancient Greek world, from the mainland of Greece and the Aegean Islands, to neighbouring lands in Asia Minor and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean and as far as the western lands of Magna Graecia that include Sicily and southern Italy. The Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean cultures are represented, and the Greek collection includes important sculpture from the Parthenon in Athens, as well as elements of two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesos.

Highlights of the collections include:

• Tomb of Payava,
• Bilingual Decree of Pixodaros,

Temple of Zeus, Salamis in Cyprus

• Marble capital with caryatid figure standing between winged bulls,

Wider collection

Etruscan

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Must See Artefacts At British Museum In London

You have probably heard of the British Museum and its collections.

If youre visiting London, the museums in that city should be high on your list of things to see. Not only are they some truly remarkable institutions with fascinating exhibits from all over the world and from pretty much all fields and historical periods, but most of them are also completely free to enter! Obviously, there may be some special exhibitions in them that will require you to purchase a ticket, but the majority of these huge buildings will still remain accessible. They may ask you for a small donation, though, but thats still way below what youd expect to pay to visit a museum of this level of quality.

Abundant Historical Significance

Chief among these institutions is the British Museum, a place famous all over the world for its abundance of spectacular items of crucial historical significance. I was in London recently and couldnt wait for an opportunity to go and visit it. It is an absolutely enormous building with so many different items that you could easily spend days there and still not see everything. Still, some exhibits are more impressive than others . So heres a list of ten things you really have to see in the museum. Hopefully, it will help you experience the museum in its full glory if youre short on time or maybe have just one day in London.

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Purpose Of The British Museum

Since it was first founded, the British Museums main goal has been to provide the public with access to exhibits that span over two million years. It also aims to provide a place where people from different cultures can learn from each other.

The museum hosts many classes on world history for both children and adults, designed to provide an interesting and educational experience for visitors of all ages.

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Where To Eat In The British Museum

After all of these years, one thing we have yet to do is dine in the Great Court Restaurant . The museum stays open until 8:30 p.m. on Fridays so it would be nice to tour it before or after dinner here under the magnificent glass roof. They also serve afternoon tea and lunch.

The central rotunda also has a simpler, grab-and-go Court Café with tables at which to sit and eat among the impressive interior architecture. We have grabbed several items from there over the years, especially drinks, and have always been more than satisfied.

And, the Pizzeria is a new addition off of room 12.

However, there are also quite a few places to eat within walking distance of the British Museum including many fish and chips shops in Bloomsbury. Last time, we tried Alens, and it was great.

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Whats Your British Museum Visiting Strategy

Youll need one. Without a guide, the British Museum is overwhelming. The building was completed in 1852, and since has had alterations with levels and galleries added. The result is multiple levels across different halls. Simple navigation can be a complicated exercise as not all staircases and elevators go to all levels.

We had three hours together and I wanted to make the most of every second. So, we started off in the Enlightenment Gallery. First stop is the bust of Hans Sloane and a brief history of his bequeathment that lead to the establishment of the British Museum.

Take your time to explore the Enlightenment Gallery. Its the period of time where learning flourished across Europe.

Its here you can find a replica of the Rosetta Stone. Caroline explains the history of the Rosetta Stone, its role in the modern understanding of Egyptians hieroglyphs and how it came to rest in the British Museum. As I listened intently, I took the chance to run my fingers over the engraved message, wondering what it must have been like to discover such an artifact.

We quickly move on.

We walk and talk. New words have begun to enter my vocabulary. Which prompts several questions. What or who is Mesopotamia? Were subsequently educated in the complicated history of Assyrian kings and the battles fought across lands of what is modern day Iraq.

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Top Exhibits And Galleries

The British Museum is huge and features tons of fascinating exhibits and galleries. When you get to the museum, spend a few minutes studying a map of the museum to give you an idea of where everything is located.

Start your visit by viewing the famous Rosetta Stone. This iconic exhibit is located in Room 4 in the Egyptian gallery, which is right near the entrance of the museum. While youre there, be sure to check out the Mummy of Katabet, a mummy with an elaborate headdress and real rings.

You also wont want to miss the Ancient Greece and Rome Galleries. These galleries are on the ground floor, and they contain ancient sculptures, vases, exhibits on Alexander the Great, and more.

The most famous sculptures in this gallery are the stunning Elgin marble Parthenon sculptures. Youll find these sculptures in Room 18.

If youre interested in European history, head to the British Museums European galleries. There, youll see objects dating back to Medieval Europe.

One of the most famous exhibits in this part of the museum is the Lewis Chessman set. These 82 chess pieces date back to the twelfth century, and theyre made out of walrus ivory and whale tooth.

The European rooms also feature antique clocks and watches, Italian Renaissance-inspired vases, and twentieth century Art Nouveau pieces.

You can also learn more about Middle Eastern history in the Middle Eastern galleries. These galleries include pieces from Ancient Iran, Ancient South Arabia, and Mesopotamia.

Department Of The Middle East

With a collection numbering some 330,000 works, the British Museum possesses the worlds largest and most important collection of Mesopotamian antiquities outside Iraq. A collection of immense importance, the holdings of Assyrian sculpture, Babylonian and Sumerian antiquities are among the most comprehensive in the world with entire suites of rooms panelled in alabaster Assyrian palace reliefs from Nimrud, Nineveh and Khorsabad.

The collections represent the civilisations of the ancient Near East and its adjacent areas. These cover Mesopotamia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, the Caucasus, parts of Central Asia, Syria, the Holy Land and Phoenician settlements in the western Mediterranean from the prehistoric period and include objects from the 7th century.

The first significant addition of Mesopotamian objects was from the collection of Claudius James Rich in 1825. The collection was later dramatically enlarged by the excavations of A. H. Layard at the Assyrian sites of Nimrud and Nineveh between 1845 and 1851. At Nimrud, Layard discovered the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, as well as three other palaces and various temples. He later uncovered the Palace of Sennacherib at Nineveh with no less than seventy-one halls. As a result, a large numbers of Lamassus, palace reliefs, stelae, including the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, were brought to the British Museum.

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Location And Visiting Details

The British Museum is free to enter, and its open from 10:00am to 5:30pm. On Fridays, the museum stays open until 8:30pm. The information desk in the Great Court opens an hour before the museum at 9:00am.

The museum gets very crowded, especially during the peak tourist season of April to October. To avoid the crowds, try to arrive at the museum right when it opens at 10:00am. This way, youll get some time alone in the galleries before the crowds arrive.

The British Museum also hosts tours in different galleries throughout the day. These tours last about thirty to forty minutes, and theyll give you an in-depth look at some of the museums fascinating galleries.

The museum also hosts free lunchtime gallery talks and Friday evening spotlight tours. You can find all of the tour times here.

The British Museum London Guided Tour

• 2 hours, 30 minutes

• 1 8 participants

On this 2.5 hour private guided museum tour, visit one of the worlds largest collections of artifacts at the British Museum. Our engaging tour guides will take you through a curated selection of cultural and artistic works, sharing the history that will help you understand and appreciate a small portion of the 8 million items at the British Museum.

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Highlights Of The British Museum

• Get to witness the Rosetta Stone that contains three languages, which helped modern scholars to translate the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
• Get a chance to witness the ancient Greek sculptures, the Parthenon marble, and get a glimpse of the early Greek culture.
• Lose yourself in the beauty of the Great Hall, the largest covered square in Europe and the heart of the British Museum London
• Get mesmerized by the enlightenment area, that was known as the Kings library which is home to more than 60,000 books and is dedicated to the 18th century.

British Museum Opening Hours And Tickets

The British Museum hours are from 10.0017.30 daily and until 20.30 on Fridays. Note the museum is closed on closed 24, 25 and 26 December, 1 January and Good Friday.

British museum tickets: Free. Advance bookings are recommended book your timeslot here. There is no charge to enter the British Museum and view the main collection however you may need to pay to view special exhibitions and a small donation is encouraged.

Tip Be prepared to queue to enter the museum. There are strict security measures in place. You may not bring large items of luggage to the museum.

More information on the British Museum website

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Egyptian Sculpture Gallery Room 4

Enter the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery, one of the most impressive rooms in the British Museum. Its filled with sculptures that span three thousand years of fascinating history.

Amongst the different monoliths and broken busts, youll find one of the most famous museum objects in the world The Rosetta Stone. This time its the real one!

Next, walk to the massive bust of Ramesses II and think of these famous lines of poetry:My name is Ozymandias, king of kings

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

Percy Shelley wrote this poem in 1818 in his despair over Europeans removing precious antiquities from Egypt.

Ramses II, who ruled from 1279 to 1213 BCE, was one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs, much so that nine further pharaohs took his name to try to cash in on his name and success!

This statue, called the Younger Memnon, flanked the entrance to the Ramesseum, a massive funerary complex at Luxor.