Museum

British Museum

The British Museum in London is free to enter, and at weekends the Families Desk hands out activity backpacks and explorer trails that give children a route through the galleries.

Typical visit
Ages
Booking
Price
General admission is free; book your ticket online.
Opening hours
Daily 10.00–17.00, Fridays until 20.30; last entry 16.45 (Fridays 20.15).
Closed
The Museum is closed 24–26 December.
Families Desk
Open weekends and school holidays, 10.00–12.30 and 13.15–16.30.
Family trail
The Smurfs and Bastet trail runs through six galleries and takes about 45–60 minutes.
Baby changing
Baby changing facilities are marked on the Museum map.
Food
The Court Cafés on the ground floor of the Great Court serve sandwiches, snacks, salads, cakes and hot and cold drinks.
Getting there
Tottenham Court Road tube is a 5-minute walk; Holborn and Russell Square are 7 minutes away.
OUR FAMILY ASSESSMENT

Family Intelligence

Entry costs nothing, but it is booked as a timed slot, and during busy periods ticketholders are let in ahead of the queue, so booking matters more here than the price suggests. Visitors with accessibility needs can tell a Visitor Welcome colleague at the Main entrance and skip the queue, a step-free route is available there, and most lifts are wheelchair accessible. A paper sensory map and ear defenders can be picked up at the Information Desk.

The trade-off is what you can bring in: wheeled cases, sports equipment and large luggage are not allowed on the premises, and bags may be searched. The cloakroom is close to the Main entrance on Great Russell Street and stops taking deposits one hour before closing.

Accessible toilets are marked on the Museum map; there is no Changing Places toilet on site, and the nearest is at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The pizzeria offers gluten-free bases and vegetarian and vegan pizzas. The Audio app includes 65 free gallery introductions, with fuller tours sold per language.

Family FAQ

How much does British Museum cost?

General admission is free; book your ticket online.

What are the opening hours of British Museum?

Daily 10.00–17.00, Fridays until 20.30; last entry 16.45 (Fridays 20.15).

Is there baby changing at British Museum?

Baby changing facilities are marked on the Museum map.

Why kids will love it

Children get their own way into the collection. At weekends the Families Desk lends activity backpacks and explorer trails, a Smurfs and Bastet trail links several galleries into one adventure, and during school holidays there are playful workshops built on stories from the collection. The exhibition programme is free for under-16s when they come with a paying adult, and the Korea exhibition, running from 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, comes with a Korea-themed museum sleepover on various dates.

Plan your visit

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