Because many London museums are world-famous (and charge no admission fees) many visitors to the city seek out these institutions of art, history and culture. Three in particular are known as being the most popular: The British Museum, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum. All are worth seeing, but in a city with over 200 museums to choose from, it’s fair to give a little more press to other museums that have so much to offer.

Imperial War Museum

Founded during the First World War, the Imperial War Museum houses an impressive collection of historical artifacts and war machinery. All wars that Britain participated in are chronicled in great detail through flawless exhibitions – a must-see is the 2-floor Holocaust Exhibition. The museum has five other locations in London, including the Churchill War Rooms in Westminster.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Ironically one of the world’s largest museums, the Victoria and Albert Museum is often overshadowed by its close proximity to the Natural History Museum. With a unique collection of nearly 5 million objects of furniture, textiles, sculptures, glass and metalwork, works range from 500-year-old Chinese kitchenware to King James II’s wedding suit and a Chihuly blown glass chandelier.

Courtauld Gallery

Located in Somerset House – a once-noble residence now part museum, university and art gallery – visitors have more than one reason to pay the £6 entrance fee (free admission on Mondays from 10am-2pm). But the real reason to visit is the amazing collection of impressionist paintings, and Van Gogh, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec and Modigliani for $9 - a price any art lover should be willing to pay.

National Maritime Museum

Greenwich – an important town for ocean navigation once called home by Henry VIII and Captain James Hook – is the perfect location for the National Maritime Museum. The collection includes maritime art, maps, ship models, war trophies and a planetarium at the Royal Observatory, as well as a portrait gallery rivaled in size only by the collection at the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square.

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Homage to the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes was founded in the form of a museum in at “221B” Baker Street. The house number is used by special permission from the city to stay true to the detective novels, and is located on the north end of Baker Street. It’s easily accessible from the Baker Street Tube station – the wall tiles of which bear the famous outline of Holmes smoking a pipe.

With so much to explore and learn, book now and save big on cheap flights to London!

Do you have a favorite museum in London? Comment here and discuss!

Image Credit: Nick Papa (author)