Visiting London

[Thingsthatgo]

We went to the british museum yesterday and it was absolutely rammed. The last time I went was 15 years ago, and I wasn't prepared for how completely packed it would be. We couldn't get near a lot of the exhibits.
I was hoping to take the children to some London galleries next week - will they be the same? Tate modern, national portrait gallery?
Ps I am aware this post comes across as naive - but please don't bash me for it. It's just been a while since I visited London!

You did pick one of the top 10 museums to visit at the peak of tourist season. The galleries will be the same, although the Turbine Hall in the Tate is cavernous so might feel a bit better. Look for some smaller venues, sites like Time Out or Londonist usually have lists of quirky museums to visit which might help.

All will no doubt be the same. Consider somewhere outside central London, Horniman Museum for example.

They will be pretty busy, yes. I tend to try and go to things pretty early when they first open as it tends to be quieter then.

London in August is a nightmare, holidays everywhere, tourists are not very sensible and some museums are just badly laid out.
Be there when it opens.

We went recently to the National Portrait Gallery for the Six Wives exhibition, only saw a bit of the other rooms but it wasn't too bad.

I would look for quirky and less known museums. If you are only there for one day just choose one and I wouldn't venture too far into the suburbs, the journey takes a lot of time. Saying that if you are into art, then Dulwich Picture Gallery may be worth it but I don't know how to get there easily by public transport.

Frameless is a good one for art if you're interested in that because it can be quite busy but it doesn't stop you interacting with the galleries

Hi! British Museum is probably the busiest of them so you jumped straight into the fire there! Whilst the places you mention are popular you could take the kids and not experience such crowds.

Currently Tate Modern has a huge interactive painting station in the turbine hall, the wait is usually 10-30 minutes according to my followers. Just wear clothes you don’t mind getting paint on!

NPG has fantastic free family workshops running next week, I’d just suggest getting there first thing for them as they do limit capacity. The good news is they don’t feel rammed once you’re in.

And the National Gallery has Summer on the Square in Trafalgar Square, which runs free art workshops. It might have a short wait but there’s usually space to join in with the making.

If you want somewhere quieter but Central, Tate Britain is quieter than Tate Modern, and has a free drop in painting studio for kids over the summer.

And if it’s a Friday, the Courtauld Gallery never gets that busy and runs family trails on a Friday in school holidays.

There are more art ideas with kids in this post: https://museummum.com/summer-london-2023/#anchor-4

Hope that helps!

The British Museum has crazy long queues nowadays. I think it changed quite recently, because I used to just wander in with my children without a second thought. Not sure what's changed.

Of the big free museums the Natural History has always been rammed with tiny children and huge queues to get in, the Science Museum is busy but manageable, Tate Modern has loads of visitors but is big enough to take them, Tate Britain is a bit unknown so not too bad, and V&A is full of fashionable international twenty-somethings nowadays but very civilised. The British Museum and the Nat Hist are by far the worst.

The paid state / charity run attractions, (eg Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Churchill War Rooms) are busy but manageable. The paid privately run attractions I avoid on principle.

Imperial war museum and maritime museum weren't too busy last week when we went. Both fascinating and both my kids were entertained (ages 6 and 8)

RAF museum is a bit off the beaten track and it's never rammed (as it's so big!) but Colindale Station is currently closed so it's not as accessible anyway.

Also the Horniman is a good shout.

We pop into the Tate Modern if we're on the South Bank but leave if its too busy.

Other than that we avoid most of the main museums and galleries in the summer holidays (they are manageable in the other breaks but summer is just a nightmare! Especially NHM and British Museum as PP mentioned and I find if NHM is very busy then the overspill go to the Science Museum and that ends up really busy too!)

@Thingsthatgo I took my 2 DC with a friend and her 2, in Feb half term. It was hideously busy. We left after probably less than an hour my DC are young and holding their hands while shuffling in a crowd wasn't what I was hoping for

I will take them out of school for the day to have a proper visit. It was disappointing as people always say "you can spend all day in there!"

I think the issue is that you can spend a day there but not with children. You can if you go in winter, under the week, be prepared to sit quitely somewhere for a break and drink overpriced coffee.

We went to museums with DD since she is born and I found in the last 17 years a lot has changed. I love that they put on more family friendly things to do but it does cause mayhem, especially in Summer when you have the tourists as well coming.

We are spoilt as the big ones are free, if you go anywhere abroard, you pay easily the equivalent of £20-30+ as entry fee. I think the Met in New York was $40 last year.

@HonestMistake we ended in the V&A by accident as we had visitors who wanted to go to the NH but DD didn't. She was 5 and we had a great time, there is a lot to do and see.

Agree with the suggestion to go further out. Dulwich Picture Gallery is a good shout and is ten minutes’ walk from West Dulwich station (trains from Victoria, Brixton or Blackfriars) plus there’s Dulwich Park and Dulwich Village nearby, which are worth exploring. It’s also not too far from the Horniman Museum, which is great.

Yes the IWM is great if your DC are that way inclined and never too busy. Greenwich Maritime Museum is great for all children, and a gorgeous location, not too crowded because it's a fair way out of town.

The other big free "out of town" options are London Museum of Docklands and Young V&A in Bethnal Green - but I haven't been to either for ages.

Go first thing when it opens or last thing before it closes…..if it’s raining likely to be far busier….so if you get a really sunny day , go then

Young V&A in Bethnal Green is fantastic. I wandered in a couple of weeks ago and it was not busy.

also Foundlings Museum which is quite small, Museum of London in Docklands.

The Wallace Collection just north of Oxford Street has great workshops for children and is much quieter.

I agree the Docklands Museum is worth a visit, and big enough that never feels crowded. You can pop over to Greenwich on the dlr afterwards.

Also, if your children are old enough and would appreciate it, try visiting some City churches. There's a lot to see in All Hallows by the Tower and St Bride's Fleet Street, for example. They won't be busy, unless there happens to be a group visiting.

also in the City, the Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman amphitheatre (and very nice loos!)

@Thingsthatgo

How old are your children, OP?