Top 100 best museums in England

The British Museum is home to one of the largest collections of works and artefacts coming from all over the world. The museum was opened in 1759 and is dedicated to human history, art, and culture. The museum has ten departments with various collections, including artefacts dedicated to indigenous

Also known as Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, The Tower of London was one of the many castles built as part of the Norman Conquest of England. It has been extended several times in the past and has always played a major role in English history. For some time, the Tower was used as a prison.

The National Gallery is an art gallery that is housed in a neoclassical building built in 1838. The gallery holds an art collection of over 2.600 pieces which contains European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The highlights include paintings by El Greco, Jan van Eyck, Rembrandt, Ruben

The Victoria and Albert Museum holds the largest design and decorative art collection in the world, with over 2.27 million objects. The museum houses collections that span 5,000 years of art, from ancient times to the present day. Through these collections, visitors explore historical and contempora

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of British monarchs. Originally built as a townhouse, Buckingham Palace was turned into a private residence for Queen Charlotte in 1761. The palace was reconstructed and enlarged during the 19th century and it has been used as a residence of the British mo

Located in both of the twin towers, the exhibition is dedicated to the history and construction of the well-known suspension bridge the Tower Bridge. Apart from various short films and interactive displays, visitors can also see some of the original designs of the bridge and visit the Victorian engi

In the Churchill War Rooms visitors can discover the original Cabinet War Rooms, the wartime bunker that sheltered Churchill and his government during the Blitz. Explore the historic rooms to experience the secret history that lives on underground. Discover the stories of those who worked undergroun

The National Railway Museum (NRM) is devoted to telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. The museum holds the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and collections of other artefacts and written and pictorial records, of social, technical,

We’re on a conservation mission at Chester Zoo. And education is vital to that mission. We want everyone to know more about Earth’s incredible wildlife – and the dangers it faces. That’s the key to inspiring more of us to look after the planet’s precious biodiversity.

The York Castle Museum is located on the site of York Castle, housed in prison buildings, built in the 18th century. The castle itself was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068. In the York Castle Museum interactive galleries hold thousands of historic objects that bring the past to life

Shakespeare's Globe is a modern replica of the theatre where some of Shakespeare's plays were staged for the first time. The original theatre was built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's playing company. It was located roughly 250 metres from where the Globe Theatre stands now. The

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is a significant landmark located on the banks of the Thames in the London district of Westminster. This historic building serves as the seat of the British Parliament, making it a central hub of political activity in the United Kingdom. Its location offers visitors a picturesque view of the Thames, adding to the overall appeal of the site.

Chatsworth House is a museum in Bakewell. The museum features exhibits related to: architecture and fine art. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: jorge lewinski, nancy mitford, gainsborough, rembrandt, van dyck and freud.

The Natural History Museum in London is divided into four zones, each with a common theme. Follow the Red Zone if you're interested in geology. Learn about the history of the Earth and the forces that change it. The Green Zone focuses on birds and fossils, while the Blue Zone is devoted to human bio

Bath Abbey is a museum in Bath. The museum features exhibits related to: costume and textiles, archaeology, archives, decorative and applied art, fine art and religion.

Hampton Court Palace was home to some of England's most famous kings and queens from Henry VIII (1509-47), its first royal resident, to George II (1727-60), its last. Hampton Court Palace features exhibits related to: fine art and architecture. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include:

Blenheim Palace is a museum in Woodstock. The museum features exhibits related to: architecture and personalities. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: sir winston churchill.

The Museum of Liverpool is housed in a modern building with a large glass window and tells the story of Liverpool and its people, reflecting Liverpool's global significance. In the museum, visitors can explore how the port, its people, their creative and sporting history have shaped Liverpool. Divid

In The Liverpool FC Story, visitors can discover the 120 years of history of the Liverpool Football Club and see various artifacts and documents related to it. The museum holds the The Steven Gerrard Collection, a personal collection of footballing memorabilia and has all 5 European Trophies on disp

At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew visitors can explore glasshouses, landscapes and 250 years of history. Climb to the treetops on the Xstrata Treetop Walkway, delve into rainforest inside the iconic Palm House or discover more on a guided tour. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew features exhibits related to

The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) was the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856. The gallery houses a collection of portraits of historically important and well known British people. Works in the National Portrait Gallery include photographs, caricatures, paintings, drawings a

Dover Castle is a museum in Dover. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology, weapons and war and social history.

RHS Garden Bridgewater is a significant addition to the Royal Horticultural Society's public display gardens. It is situated in the charming village of Worsley, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. This location offers visitors a chance to explore the beauty of the English countryside while enjoying the meticulously designed garden spaces.

Shakespeare's Birthplace and the Shakespeare Centre is a museum in Stratford-upon-Avon. The museum features exhibits related to: costume and textiles, decorative and applied art, archives, fine art, coins and medals, social history, medicine, personalities and archaeology. Key themes, people and exh

Alnwick Castle is a museum in Alnwick. The museum features exhibits related to Weapons and War, Architecture, Fine Art and Film and Media. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include Harry Potter, Canaletto, Van Dyck and Titian.

Osborne House is a museum in East Cowes, Isle of Wight. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology, personalities, decorative and applied art, costume and textiles, weapons and war, fine art, natural sciences and world cultures.

The Roman Baths is a museum in Bath. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology, decorative and applied art, social history, archives and coins and medals. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection and beau nash.

Built in 1699, Castle Howard is one of the country's finest historic houses and is still the private residence of the Howard family. Castle Howard features exhibits related to Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Social History and Architecture. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include

Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a museum in Stratford-upon-Avon. The museum features exhibits related to Fine Art, Literature, Social History, Decorative and Applied Art, Personalities and Costume and Textiles.

Waddesdon Manor is a museum in Nr Aylesbury. The museum features exhibits related to: decorative and applied art, fine art and architecture.

The Imperial War Museum London was founded in 1917 to show the impact war had on Britain and to show the progress in war-related technology the humanity has created. It tells the stories of people’s experiences of modern war and conflict. The museum has both temporary and permanent exhibitions. Them

HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a museum in Portsmouth. The museum features exhibits related to: maritime, personalities, weapons and war and social history. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: history of the georgian navy, the battle of trafalgar and admiral lord h

Colchester Zoo, located in Essex, Colchester, has a rich history dating back to 1963 when it was first opened as Stanway Hall Park Zoo. The zoo has since grown and evolved, becoming a beloved destination for both locals and tourists alike. It offers a unique opportunity to explore a diverse range of animal species in a safe and educational environment.

Museum of Science and Industry is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: industry, social history, costume and textiles, photography, archives, science and technology, aviation, land transport, trade and commerce, decorative and applied art and personalities. Key themes, pe

Royal Pavilion is a museum in Brighton & Hove. The museum features exhibits related to: architecture, social history, music, personalities, archives, fine art, costume and textiles and decorative and applied art. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection.

Brunel's ss Great Britain is a museum in Bristol. The museum features exhibits related to: trade and commerce, land transport, science and technology, maritime, industry and social history.

The Wallace Collection is an art collection that is housed in the Hertford House, the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford. The collection consists of of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Especially the holdings in the collection of 18th-century

Beamish - The Living Museum of the North is a museum in Beamish. The museum features exhibits related to: land transport, agriculture, social history, costume and textiles, industry, architecture and archives. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection, masonic hall

The Arsenal Museum is situated opposite turnstile E in the Northern Triangle Building. The museum holds many exhibits that were donated by former players who hold a special place in Arsenal’s history. Highlights include Jens Lehmann’s goalkeeper gloves that he wore in the season 2003/4, Michael Thom

Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers, is now a vibrant heritage attraction. Step back in time to experience the stories of the extraordinary achievements of the men and women who worked here. A place of exceptional historical importance, Bletchley Park is also

Historic Dockyard Chatham is a museum in Chatham. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology, social history, weapons and war, personalities, science and technology, archives, maritime, fine art and land transport.

Manchester United Museum is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: sport. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: football.

Stonehenge is a museum in Amesbury. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology.

The Merseyside Maritime Museum is a museum about the seafaring importance of Liverpool as a gateway to the world. The city’s seafaring heritage is brought to life within the historic Albert Dock. The collections held by the museum include objects associated with the social and commercial history of

Brooklands Museum features exhibits related to Land Transport, Design, Fine Art, Costume and Textiles, Social History, Sport, Archives, Aviation, Weapons and War, Industry, Science and Technology and Personalities. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include The Duller/Straight Duesenberg,

Heligan is one of the most mysterious estates in England. Lost to the brambles of time since the outbreak of WW1, this Sleeping Beauty was re-awakened in 1990 to become Europe’s largest garden restoration project. Today Heligan’s 200 acres are a paradise for the explorer, wildlife, plant lover and g

The National Motor Museum is a museum in Brockenhurst. The museum features exhibits related to: social history, costume and textiles, land transport, archives and personalities. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection.

The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Our world famous collections are extraordinarily diverse, representing most of the world’s great civilisations, with objects dating from 8000 BC to the present day. Among many riches we have the world’s gr

SEA LIFE Brighton, located in the vibrant city of Brighton, holds the distinction of being the oldest operating aquarium in the world. It first opened its doors to the public as Brighton Aquarium in 1872, and since then, it has continued to captivate visitors with its diverse marine life and historic charm.

The Science Museum in London was founded in 1857 and currently holds over 300 000 exhibits, including famous exhibits as the first prototype of the 10,000-year Clock of the Long Now, documentation of the first typewriter, the oldest surviving steam locomotive, a working example of Charles Babbage's

World Museum is the largest and oldest of the National Museums Liverpool, founded in 1851 when the 13th Earl of Derby left his substantial natural history collection to the city. Here you can discover treasures from around the world, explore outer space and meet live creatures. The collections of th

High on a cliff above the seaside town of Whitby are the gaunt remains of Whitby Abbey. Founded in 657 by St Hilda, Whitby Abbey has over the years been a bustling settlement, a kings' burial place, a home of saints and inspiration for Bram Stoker, author of Dracula. In the interactive visitor centr

The flagship garden of the RHS, Wisley captures the imagination with richly planted borders, luscious rose gardens and the state-of-the-art Glasshouse. Gifted to the Society in 1903, Wisley has evolved over time into a world-class garden. In the trials fields, the finest flowers and vegetables are

Black Country Living Museum is a museum in Dudley. The museum features exhibits related to: archives, land transport, industry, costume and textiles, social history, science and technology, personalities and inland waterways. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: historic buildings,

Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden features ruins that are best known as the home of Robert Dudley, the great love of Queen Elizabeth I. Dudley created an ornate palace here to impress his Queen in 1575. Follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I in the authentically recreated Elizabethan Ga

By Norman times, Lincoln was the third city of the realm in prosperity and importance. In 1068, two years after the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror began building Lincoln Castle on a site occupied since Roman times. For 900 years the castle was used as a court and prison with many being

Leeds Castle is a museum in Maidstone. The museum features exhibits related to Social History and Weapons and War.

Royal Armouries is a museum in Leeds. The museum features exhibits related to: weapons and war and archives.

The Mary Rose is a museum in Portsmouth. The museum features exhibits related to: personalities, medicine, weapons and war, social history, decorative and applied art, science and technology, coins and medals, music, maritime, costume and textiles and archaeology. Key themes, people and exhibits in

St Michael's Mount is a museum in Penzance. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology, fine art, weapons and war, costume and textiles, maritime and decorative and applied art.

The Courtauld Gallery is situated in Somerset House and houses the art collection of the Courtauld Institute of Art. The collection contains over 500 paintings, over 25,000 drawings and prints, various sculptures and other objects from medieval to modern times. The most famous pieces in the collect

IWM Duxford is Europe’s largest air museum with over 300 aircraft and objects on display. Get up close to Spitfires and Hurricanes; see a portion of the original Wright Brother plane; walk through Concorde, feel dwarfed by the size of a B-52 and stand in awe of Europe’s only SR-71 Blackbird – the fa

Coventry Transport Museum houses the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles in the world, and tells the fascinating story of Coventry and its people through the rise and fall of its biggest industry. Get within touching distance of some of the most amazing vehicles ever invented.

Bolton Abbey is in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales on the banks of the River Wharfe. With just under 30,000 acres of beautiful countryside, over 80 miles of footpaths and ample space to run around and enjoy the fresh air, there is something for all ages. Explore the ruins of the Priory and discover

Royal Air Force Museum, London is a museum in London. The museum features exhibits related to: social history, archives, personalities, costume and textiles, weapons and war, science and technology and aviation.

The Treasurer's House in York was bought by the grandson of a wealthy industrialist, Frank Green, in 1897 who made it a lavish show home out of it. He built a large collection of fine antiques, art and furniture. The house along with the complete collection and the garden is now owned and managed by

Blists Hill Victorian Town is a museum in Telford. The museum features exhibits related to: social history, archives, costume and textiles, medicine, land transport and science and technology. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection.

The Manchester City F.C Museum and Stadium Tour is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: personalities, sport and social history. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: history of manchester city football club.

The HMS Belfas is a light cruiser that has been converted into a museum permanently moored on the Thames. Visitors are invited to explore the warship and learn what it was like to live on board from the Second World War to 1963. Visitors can explore all 9 decks of the ship and the museum includes in

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery holds a collection of Pre-Raphaelite art that includes around 2000 fine and decorative pieces, from oil paintings, tapestries, drawings, sketchbooks, stained glass and related cartoons, to prints, illustrated books, watercolours, ceramics, and archive material.

Warwick Castle is a museum in Warwick. The museum features exhibits related to Social History, Architecture and Weapons and War.

The Tank Museum is a museum in Bovington. The museum features exhibits related to Science and Technology, Coins and Medals, Land Transport, Costume and Textiles, Photography, Social History, Personalities, Archaeology, Weapons and War, Fine Art and Archives. Key themes, people and exhibits in the mu

Cistercian abbey, Georgian water garden and medieval deer park.

National Football Museum is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: world cultures, design, social history and architecture.

Tate Britain is the national gallery of British art from 1500 to the present day. Tate Britain houses an extensive collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times, and is known for its large holdings of the works of Turner. Other artists include David Hockney, Peter Blake and Francis B

The Fitzwilliam Museum houses over half a million artefacts and art from around the world. See everything from Egyptian coffins to Impressionist masterpieces; illuminated manuscripts to Renaissance sculpture; rare coins to Asian arts. Its internationally renowned collections are complemented by majo

Mary Arden's Farm is a museum in Stratford-upon-Avon. The museum features exhibits related to: decorative and applied art, social history, music, natural sciences and land transport.

Imperial War Museum North is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: aviation, social history, weapons and war and maritime.

National Coal Mining Museum for England is a museum in Wakefield. The museum features exhibits related to: archives, fine art, industry, natural sciences, science and technology and social history.

Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort is a museum in Hexham. The museum features exhibits related to: archaeology.

Lord and Lady Armstrong used their wealth, art and science in a most ingenious way, and Cragside house was the first in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. Cragside features exhibits related to: costume and textiles, decorative and applied art, weapons and war, natural sciences, maritime, scien

Birmingham Back to Backs is a restored 19th-century courtyard of working people's houses. It is Birmingham's last surviving court of back to back housing. The story is told through the experiences of the people who lived and worked here and covers four different periods, from 1840 to 1977. The desig

North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a museum in Pickering. The museum features exhibits related to: coins and medals, land transport and archives.

700 years of history to be discovered at this 13th century double moated romantic castle, once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and housing an important collection of Tudor portraits, fine furniture, tapestries and artefacts. The natural and formal gardens include Italian Gardens with a magnificent

Wollaton Hall and Park is a museum in Nottingham. The museum features exhibits related to Archives, Science and Technology, Personalities, Decorative and Applied Art, Social History, Fine Art and Natural Sciences.

Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves is a museum in Torquay. The museum features exhibits related to Archaeology. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include Geological formations and significant prehistoric finds and Palaeolithic caves.

The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is the largest tennis museum in the world and is located on the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. The museum contains a large collection of items and clothes, some of which date back to the 16th century. These items, ranging from many famous players from V

Pitt Rivers Museum is a museum in Oxford. The museum features exhibits related to: photography, world cultures, costume and textiles, music, religion, toys and hobbies, agriculture, weapons and war and archaeology. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: the museum's displays contain

The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising is devoted to the history of consumer culture from Victorian times to the present day. The collection of the museum consists of over 12,000 items, including domestic everyday products, such as packaging, toys, posters, games, and more that show how bra

Swanage Railway is a six-mile heritage railway running from Swanage past Corfe Castle to a park & ride at Norden. It is primarily a steam-hauled service.

Lanhydrock is a museum in Bodmin. The museum features exhibits related to: fine art, archives, decorative and applied art and social history.