LONDON WEEKEND BREAKS - British Museum

The British Museum was foundered in 1753 and occupies an imposing building on Great Russell Street. The museum houses a vast collection of historic artefacts from the Empires of the Aztecs, Chinese, Romans and the Greeks through to the modern day.

The collection is unsurpassed in the world of antiquities and amounts to the greatest and largest single collection of its kind in the world.

You can explore the museum independently with or without an audio guide, or you can take a formal guided tour with a knowledgeable, but in the eyes of many, boring, museum guide. The latter is definitely for history and museum buffs and the information will be detailed and extensive, but heavy going for those who just want a nice half day out.

What to see in the British Museum

The British Museum is big and there is a lot to see. Many visitors are drawn to the Egyptian section with mummies and artefacts that are associated with school history and more recently movies. The Rosetta Stone, in particular, always draws a crowd and many photograph takers.

Even so, the exhibits from the Greek and Roman empires are every bit as fascinating as those from Egypt and the British artefacts paint an incredible picture of Britain's evolution over time.

The main departments of the museum cover ancient Egypt and the Sudan, the Middle East, the Greeks and the Romans, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, Europe and pre-history, coins and medals and there are libraries and sections covering conservation.

The exhibits range from sculptures and relics, to freizes and reliefs. Famous elements of this massive collection include the likes of, the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone and Indian Temple carvings.

The various displays span a period dating back over 3,000 years and chart the development of all aspects of human life and civilization around the globe.

How long to allow for a British Museum visit is a pondering question. Many visitors pinpoint the areas that hold the greatest interest to them and scan or bypass those that do not. If this is your museum approach, then you may get around the building in three to four hours. If you really want to explore all that the collections have to offer, and you want to take in the audio tour and the information surrounding each display, you may be better advised to allow a full day.

Location and entry

The British museum is situated on Great Russell Street and the closest Tube station is Tottenham Court. Admission is free, although special displays that are on loan or from external sources may incur an entry charge.