"The Big Smoke's" Museums

Live installation at The Tate Britain; The Museum of London; The National Art Gallery

All museums are free, but check their websites for bank holidays. 

British Museum: This museum is one of the largest museums in London. It has such a vast collection of world history that it is easily one of the best museums in London. 

Museum of London:  I worked here and I love it. MOL is constantly opening new exhibits and has great walking tours. The museum is also right near St. Paul's Cathedral (St. Paul's Station)... kill two birds with one stone. Though not commonly known, this area of the city is full of Roman history. There are actually a few underground Roman baths that date back to the 4th century ad. 

Victoria and Albert (V&A):  The V&A is great for a number of reasons. Naturally, it is full of great English history, but it has a large collection of fashion throughout the centuries. Cases of shoes, jewelry, dresses, corsets, etc. It has a ton of other stuff, but this is something that always stands out in my memory. It is also close to the Natural History Museum. and isn't far from Kensington High Street. Along this street there a lot of quick bites - another Wagamama, a Whole Foods if you are homesick and runs parallel to Hyde Park. For orientation purposes think of Hyde Park as the strip of land that divides Notting Hill and Kensington Road. Kensington Palace is a small section within Hyde Park so you are close to the palace, which to me is more like a red house... 

The Tate Britain: This is a gorgeous art museum that holds numerous collections. Surprise, I am a fan of their pieces from the 15th century. The Tate Modern, as you would expect, is a separate museum that displays contemporary works of art and is on the South Bank. However, it all depends on your taste... both are really great. 

The Clink (Prison Museum): This museum breaks my heart. I would go here if you have children, otherwise, it is a little immature. My cousin and I learned that The Clink has more of a theatrical and Disney World feel to it. It kills me that they created such a kitchy museum here because The Clink is possibly one of the oldest prisons in England. It was in use from the early 12th century to 1780. The museum shows a lot of the tools and techniques that were used to torture people, but it is distracting when the display looks like a scene from Peter Pan. If you are history person you should go by even it is just to experience being on the spot of such great history. Either way, I am sure you'll pass it anyways as you walk on the South Bank (it's on Clink Street)

Note: Lots of museums have field trips going on during the week. Personally, I think it is kind of cute to see 6 year olds sketching a copy of a painting, but if that's not your thing and want to avoid a little extra chaos, go mid week.