If you’re thinking of exploring the UK’s amazing heritage and history, then there are plenty of walk-in free entry museums available. Packed full of historical artifacts, you are instantly provided education on yesterdays world. Everything from the Aztecs through to the industrial revolution. The museums in the UK are considered as some of the best in the world. They showcase the cultural aspects of human history from around the globe.
If you are planning a trip with the family during the school holidays, or you have a true appreciation for history and culture, then the following 15 free museums are worth your attention.
The British Museum
Possibly the most popular museum world-wide and visited by many, the British museum located in Bloomsbury London is a walk-in educational and eye-opening establishment exhibiting the history of human art & culture.
The British Museum displays more than 8 million items. This makes it one of the most comprehensive museums in the world. Here, you can find artifacts from across the globe. Although the museum is now home to some amazing works of cultural art, it was founded fundamentally as a place of education.
The Tate Modern
Tate Modern is one of the most talked about museum and Art Gallery. Located in London, this building is home to Britain’s collection of contemporary art from across the globe. Situated in the Bankside area of London, it holds the broadest collection of modern art from the 1900s through to present day.
This is one of the most extensive art museums world-worldwide. Although there is no admission charge, if you want access to limited edition exhibitions, then a small fee is required. The Tate Modern has recently been voted the best free museum.
The Victoria and Albert Museum
This is the world’s largest museum and it features some amazing pieces of artworks. The V&A museum holds over 4.5 million pieces of art and sculptures. Founded in 1852, this unique space can be found in the Brompton district of London, and it is in conjunction with the Science and Natural History Museums to make up Exhibition roads. Entrance into the museum is FREE. The surrounding area is dedicated to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, who the building itself was named after.
Science and Industry Museum
Historically, Manchester was the center of the Industrial Revolution and the world’s very first industrial city. The Science and Industry Museum, which is, one of the top free museums in Manchester. It showcases the pioneering events that have occurred in the city, from now to modern day.
The museum is located on the former Liverpool Road Station, which was once the station for the world’s first inter-city railway. This location sits perfectly for a museum that is dedicated to exploring many of the world-firsts.
The Museum covers everything from the history of the textile industry and Manchester’s growth in the 19th century, the development of machines that became the predecessors of modern computers, the first Rolls-Royce motorcars, and many more ideas and inventions.
Millennium Gallery
Millennium Gallery is a museum located in Sheffield. The museum is unique to textiles, decorative and applied art, historical archives, fine art, film and media.
The millennium gallery has two contemporary exhibition spaces. The special exhibition gallery exhibits artworks from national galleries and museums such as the V&A, Tate Museum and also from the national portrait gallery. The craft and design gallery displays some of the most sought-after contemporary craft and design.
The National Gallery
An flawless art museum in the Central of London (Trafalgar square), the National Gallery was founded in 1824 and is home to more than 2,300 paintings dating back to the middle of the 13th century. The collection within the museum is owned by the the British government and is held on behalf of the general public. This is why entry to the main collection is completely free and contributes to making it one of the most popular art museums worldwide.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is in an amazing Grade II* listed building that is located over the city’s Chamberlain and Victoria Squares since 1885. With millions of visitors each year, the continuing maintenance works programme means that it has faced closure again to the general public. Plans are to fully reopen in 2024. Visitors will then be able to enjoy its impressive collections, including its Pre-Raphaelite collection, featuring more than 2,000 pieces, from oil paintings, tapestries to stained glass and ceramics by the likes of Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
The National Museum of Scotland
Not all the best museums in Britain are located in London. The National Museum of Scotland, located in Edinburgh, displays a collection of Scottish culture, history, and antique artifacts. Along with the royal museum, it has a wide range of incredible items to explore. From world culture, natural history, technology and science. Another gem of a museum with FREE entry. A great way to explore Scottish history.
The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery is home to portraits of famous and historically important people within the UK. There are many art museums dedicated to showing a vast selection of different types and styles of art, the National Portrait Gallery focus in the art world is on a specific type of art. This was the very first portrait gallery to open in the world and has moved to different locations throughout history. Today, the museum can be found off Trafalgar Square at St Martin’s Place.
The National museum of Wales
Founded in 1905, with its royal charter granted in 1907, part of the bid for Cardiff to obtain the National Museum for Wales included the gift of the Cardiff Museum Collection, then known as “Welsh Museum of Natural History, Archaeology and Art,” which was formally handed over in 1912.
The Cardiff Museum was housed in the same building as Cardiff Library, and was a sub-department of the library until 1893. The building of a new home in the civic complex Cathys Park began in 1912. Due to the first world war, it eventually opened to the public until 1922, with the official opening taking place in 1927. The architects were Arnold Dunbar Smith and Cecil Brewer.
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery is a must-visit for art lovers. Located in the City Centre, It is famous for its historic art collection, including the 19th century Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The gallery also features contemporary works alongside its established collections. This includes collection of works by L.S. Lowry, one of Manchester’s most celebrated artists. The gallery also houses several pieces by the French impressionist Pierre Adolphe Valette, who once served as L.S. Lowry’s art tutor. Manchester Art Gallery also offers exhibitions on historic costumes as well as crafts and design including a wide array of lifestyle objects, ranging from ceramics, silverware, furniture, and lighting. This gallery is a must visit if you are in the City.
The Scottish National Gallery
Showcasing amazing works of art from over the years, Scottish has their answer to the Tate Modern and the National Gallery. The Scottish National Gallery is located in central Edinburgh, and it was designed by William Playfair back in 1859. Being one of the most compelling attractions in Scotland today, the gallery houses a huge collection of fine art, exhibiting everything from international pieces of paintings from the renaissance period, to contemporary pieces from Scottish heritage.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a national art gallery also located in Scotland, in the city of Glasgow. After a three-year period of refurbishment in 2006, the museum was re-opened and since then the museum has gradually become one of the most popular attractions for the whole of Scotland, driving a huge number of visitors every year. Located very close to the River Kelvin, the original building was destroyed by a fire in the 1920s, to this day the building still maintains a charm from it’s period.
Imperial War Museum North
The Imperial War Museum North (IWM North) explores how wars in the 20th and 21st centuries have affected the lives of people in the UK and and around the world. IWM North is one of five of the Imperial War Museums. The other locations include IWM London, HMS Belfast, the Churchill War Rooms in London and IWM Duxford in cambridgeshire.
In Manchester the museum is situated in a remarkable, purpose-built building that has won multiple architectural awards. The main exhibition space takes visitors on a journey from the First World War to modern times.
Alongside the permanent exhibition, IWM North also hosts temporary exhibitions. These temporary exhibitions include free volunteer talks that bring various aspects of the collection to life. The museum also offers family events where you can meet veterans and eyewitnesses of war to learn more about their real-life experiences. The gallery maintains a busy events calendar that includes guided tours, art talks, and music performances, among other activities.
