Museum Mile
- Supported by:
- Camden Borough Council
- King’s Cross Business Forum
- Holborn
A walk along Museum Mile provides a fascinating insight into London, past and present. From King's Cross to the River Thames, discover 12 of the city's most extraordinary museums and galleries and their equally diverse collections.
Take in the beauty of Van Gogh at The Courtauld Gallery and Shakespeare's First Folio at the British Library. Marvel at 400 years of anatomical history at the Hunterian Museum and witness the forefront of medical science at the Wellcome Collection. From the intimate to the iconic, the local and global collections that make up Museum Mile promise inspiring discoveries for all.
Jump to:
- The British Library
- British Museum
- Brunei Gallery, SOAS
- The Charles Dickens Museum
- The Courtauld Gallery
- The Foundling Museum
- The Hunterian Museum at The Royal College of Surgeons
- The Library and Museum of Freemasonry
- London Transport Museum
- Sir John Soane’s Museum
- UCL Museums and Collections
- Wellcome Collection
- Getting to Museum Mile Download the podcast Find out about Walking Tours Print version
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
+44 (0)20 7412 7332
admission free
Discover Magna Carta, the Lindisfarne Gospels, Leonardo's notebooks, Mozart's handwritten scores and the Gutenberg Bible alongside beautiful sacred texts, maps, manuscripts, sound recordings and stamps from over the centuries and around the world.
An introduction to the British Library
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mp3
About the Magna Carta
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British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
+44 (0)20 7323 8299
admission free
Founded in 1753, the British Museum's remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. Six million visitors every year experience the collections from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Ancient World, including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.
An introduction to the British Museum
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mp3
About the Rosetta Stone
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Brunei Gallery, SOAS
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
+44 (0)20 7898 4915
admission free
Dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, culture, history and contemporary contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East through a changing programme of visiting exhibitions and events, with a permanent rotating display of SOAS's own collections shown in the Foyle Special Collections Gallery.
An introduction to the Brunei Gallery
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mp3
About the portrait of David Livingstone
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The Charles Dickens Museum
48 Doughty Street
London WC1N 2LX
+44 (0)20 7405 2127
admission charge
Explore original manuscripts, furniture, paintings and other items relating to Britain's most popular novelist in the house in which he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. Please note that the Museum will be closed temporarily for refurbishment from mid 2011. Please check opening prior to your visit.
An introduction to the Charles Dickens Museum
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mp3
About Dickens' reading desk
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The Courtauld Gallery
Somerset House, Strand
London WC2R 0RN
+44 (0)20 7848 2526
admission charge
Come face to face with worldfamous art by artists such as Rubens, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and Cézanne. The magnificent collection ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century and is best known for its outstanding Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces.
An introduction to the Courtauld Gallery
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mp3
About Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
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The Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square
London WC1N 1AZ
+44 (0)20 7841 3600
admission charge
Discover the stories of the Foundling Hospital, London's first home for abandoned children, revealed through poignant artefacts. The Hospital's art collection features paintings by Hogarth, Gainsborough and Reynolds displayed alongside Handel's will and a fair copy of Messiah.
An introduction to the Foundling Museum
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mp3
About tokens left by mothers
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The Hunterian Museum at The Royal College of Surgeons
35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
London WC2A 3PE
+44 (0)20 7869 6560
admission free
Revealing 400 years of medical history, from one of the oldest anatomical collections in the world to the latest advances in minimal access surgery. Highlights include surgeon John Hunter's collection of human and animal specimens, Lister's first antiseptic spray and Winston Churchill's false teeth.
An introduction to the Hunterian Museum
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mp3
About the Crystal Gallery
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The Library and Museum of Freemasonary
Freemasons’ Hall
60 Great Queen Street,
London WC2B 5AZ
+44 (0)20 7395 9257
admission free
Discover one of the world's finest collections of Masonic material housed at the home of English freemasonry, including pottery, porcelain, glass, silver, furniture, clocks and regalia. The ceremonial areas of the amazing Art Deco Freemasons' Hall are also available to view.
An introduction to the Freemason Museum
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About an 18th-century Lodge
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London Transport Museum
The Piazza, Covent Garden
London WC2E 7BB
+44 (0)20 7379 6344
admission charge
Discover the story of London's transport system and how it has shaped the lives of people living and working in London. Showcasing original artworks and advertising posters, historic vehicles including the iconic Routemaster bus and the world's first Underground steam train. Train simulators and interactive exhibits make the visit enjoyable for all ages.
An introduction to the London Transport Museum
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About the Design for travel gallery
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Sir John Soane’s Museum
13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
London WC2A 3BP
+44 (0)20 7405 2107
admission free
Step back in time with a visit to Sir John Soane's Museum – virtually unchanged since his death in1837. Behind an elegantly severe façade lie architecturally stunning interiors which contain world-class collections of art, sculpture, furniture, antiquities, casts, stained glass, books and models – all artfully arranged as Soane left them, 170 years ago.
An introduction to the John Soane's Museum
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About the Egyptian burial crypt
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UCL Museums and Collections
UCL, Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
+44 (0)20 7679 2884
admission free
University College London (UCL) houses unique collections of art and artefacts spanning a range of subjects, time periods, materials and styles. See a dress older than the pyramids at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, extinct species specimens at the Grant Museum of Zoology and an art exhibition at the Strang Print Room.
An introduction to the Grant Museum
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mp3
About a skull of a 'Tasmanian tiger'
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Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE
+44 (0)20 7611 2222
admission free
Part gallery, part museum, and incorporating an extraordinary library and events, Wellcome Collection explores the links between medicine, life and art, placing science in the broad context of health and wellbeing.
An introduction to the Wellcome Collection
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About a plastinated body by Gunther von Hagens
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Getting to Museum Mile
- Tube
- Covent Garden,Euston, Euston Square, Goodge Street, Holborn, King's Cross St Pancras, Russell Square, Temple, Tottenham Court Road, Warren Street.
- Rail
- Euston, King's Cross, St Pancras International.
- Bus
- Numerous. 59, 68, 91, 168 and 188 run along Museum Mile.
- Car
- Limited metered parking. National Car Parks at Holborn, Drury Lane, Russell Court and Brunswick Square.
- Walking
- The best way to discover London is on foot.
- Access
- Most of the museums listed have wheelchair access to part or all of their collections. Please contact the specific museums prior to your visit to ensure your needs are met.
Download the Museum Mile Tour
Download the podcast to enjoy a self-guided walk around Museum Mile. Voices include some of the passionate people involved with the museums, and local historian and tour guide Aly Mir, who pops in a fact or two about the historic area.
Visit the Museum Mile website to download the podcast to enjoy a self-guided walk around Museum Mile. Voices include some of the passionate people involved with the museums, and local historian and tour guide Aly Mir, who pops in a fact or two about the historic area.
Museum Mile Walking Tour
Walk the Museum Mile with Inmidtown's Walks Guide, Aly Mir. There are half-day and full-day options and all walks are free.
For full details, including dates and times
visit www.inmidtown.org.
Advance booking required either online or call +44
(0)20 7078 7077. Inmidtown is proud to support Museum Mile.
Please note that the mp4 files for objects contain a still image of the object for illustration purposes.