Small lovely museum, funded mainly by donations with lovely staff. Educational and mind opening…read moreexperience. I hope the museum gets the opportunity to expand and have more exhibits. When we came they had an exhibit about menopause. I think more people need to learn about the vagina in general and as a whole and understand what it is like to have one and all the burdens that come along with it and without it in the end.

A soon as I saw the name on the sign outside I HAD to go in. They have a wide variety of products…read moredisplayed from information pamphlets, books and jewellery that looks like ummm well I'm not sure what word Yelp will consider PC or risqué so just read the name of the business and you'll know exactly what I'm messing. You can wear them on your ears with a knitted sweet or on a chain around your neck made of an plastic type material, they had bold showing every size, shape and colour. You can also get t-shirts. The staff stayed behind the desk but they were friendly and greeted everyone that entered. I realised like myself most people seemed to be coming in out of curiosity and don't make any purchases but b they staff took that in stride and continued greeting everyone with the same courteous smile. Kudos to this company for celebrating woman so boldly

The Brits plundered many fascinating archeological artifacts from around the world, and the…read moreBritish Museum displays some of the most famous, such as the Rosetta Stone. Admission: free Time budget: minimum 4 hours Free WiFi is available Plenty of clean bathrooms Caution: The museum has no air conditioning. I visited during a rare heat wave, and the museum was a sweat box. Also, if you don't like crowds, you won't like this museum. It gets packed early. Pre-opening tour: The museum offers for UK $35 various pre-opening tours. I took the Greece pre-opening tour. Pros: Small group of 20 before the unwashed masses crowd into the museum. Tour guides are knowledgable. Guides may offer extra time at no charge (e.g. 15-20 minutes extra). Cons: My tour guide did not enunciate or project his voice, so much of the tour was unintelligible.

Late Saturday afternoon in the summer:…read more The Good: *Admission is free! *No cattle crowd lines for security check, I basically walked up. *The new (compared to the original) Grand Courtyard is stunning and a fantastic photo op. *Enlightenment Room 1 is literally the coolest place in the summer. *The Rosetta Stone, Room 4 is a don't miss. *ditto the Tang dynasty figures and China history which was eye-opening in Room 33. Jade story was interesting too in Room 33a. The Bad: *Probably because it's free, the place is super crowded with students, elderly, tourists and large tour groups of all stripes. *The security line was empty because everyone was already inside. *Most of the rooms are hot in summer. I was sweating and clammy. I was surprised people weren't fainting due to the stuffy air. *You have about 10 seconds to see the Rosetta Stone due to the crowd who also don't want to miss it. *Enlightenment Room 1 was filled with people sitting and resting and cooling off in the library-like space. *Special exhibition-Declaring Independence, USA 250 was super small but I guess appropriate given the British lost the war. Room 3. I forgot I had already been to the British Museum 12 years ago. I think I've seen enough but maybe return in the midweek and when it isn't so hot. Sometimes the museum closes early due to the heat.

We stumbled into Hackney museum after taking shelter from a particularly nasty rainstorm and what a…read moresurprise it was! It's not huge but is really interesting. It really opened our eyes to the history of our local area and is a very well-curated museum. Highly recommend if you are passing.

We were in London during a heat wave and decided a museum day was in order, to entertain our…read morechildren away from the scorching sun. We settled on the Natural History Museum, and by the time we realized it would provide but faint relief, it was too late to go somewhere else. The Natural History Museum is one of London's spectacular free museums, a beautiful building on Exhibition Road in South Kensington. We were not, apparently, the only family who decided to visit on this hot Thursday afternoon in July, and we ended up waiting in a long, slow line, completely exposed to the sun. They might have put up some umbrellas, but I guess the weather was atypical. Once we were in, we learned that the museum is an old, historic building without much in the way of air conditioning. It was crowded and steamy in there, though still preferable to being outside. There were also a few newer exhibition halls that had proper AC. Thankfully, my three-year-old has a lifelong fascination with fans, and there were dozens of these on display, giant machines designed to ventilate large spaces. He was, in fact, more into these than he was into the dinosaurs, which scared the bejeezus out of him. The museum was definitely top tier, with tons of interesting exhibits to entertain both children and adults. We entered right into Hintze Hall, where a full blue whale skeleton hung suspended over our heads. We also admired a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite, dating back to the beginning of our solar system. The dinosaur hall was excellent, even if the animatronic T-rex made my little boy cry. We fell prey to one of the photo op stops, and I definitely paid for the downloads like a sucker--what, was I not gonna own the silly green screen pictures of my family among dinosaurs, and more importantly, looking at a camera at the same time? The mammal hall was cool, though I have to say, I missed the grand diorama displays of the mammal halls I've seen back home. We went into a newer exhibit on how to fix our broken planet, mostly for the air conditioning. My kids were less into the conservation stuff than the dinosaurs and fans, but I thought it was quite well done. I actually stopped buying beef treats for my dog as a result of one of the placards, which talked about the impact on the planet of using beef for pet food. We went to two gift shops, the one by the dinosaur hall and the main one near the entrance, and both were quite nice, with lots to look at for our kids. We allowed them to buy stuffies, and our three-year-old bought a tiny dodo and a tiny ankylosaurus (on theme, good job), while our six-year-old bought a flamingo to add to his flamingo collection. If there was a flamingo display at the museum, we missed it, though I suppose I wouldn't be surprised. I can tell by looking at the map now that we missed plenty. We spent a little time in the cafe, for fans and beverages, and I realized as we were leaving that I'd left my sunglasses there over an hour earlier. I was pleasantly surprised to find it at the register waiting for me. We take the kids to natural history museums at home, and I have no doubt we'd make good use of this one if we were raising them nearby. It's a wonderful place, expansive and educational, a truly amazing free resource to anyone spending time in London.

Lots of bones! Plenty of old stuff! Great turn-of-the-century over-the-top ornate architecture!…read morePlan on an hour unless you're hardcore. Ride the escalator into the middle of the earth to find out what music is playing inside. See extraordinary taxidermy handiwork. Even see a fake dodo bird thought to be an adjacent species that didn't exist. And if you like dinosaurs this is your Mecca. Just don't dare sit anywhere like on some stairs in the corner or some overzealous guard will kick you right out. But otherwise you'll have a great time. Also enjoy the outside grounds for a stroll, and hit up the West entrance for zero lines while the hoards line up on the other side.

I waited for a while to write this review as I wanted to parse this experience a little more in my…read moremind. In general, this place was reasonably well designed to tell the Jack the Ripper saga at a level for the casual observer. In other words, for those who want to learn the historical significance of the events on a basic level, it was perfect. I was afraid that it might be overly gimmicky and touristy. And there was some dramatic effect pervasive in the audio guide (extra cost), but it was not overdone. While the museum is housed in the Whitechapel neighborhood where the murders occurred, the structure itself has no documented connection to any of the homicides or murder suspects. The museum is well chosen, however, as it features five floors where they stage scenes relevant to the telling of the Ripper saga. The ground floor was informational, while the next level was set up as one of the first murder scenes where a victim was found. The second floor (third level) was staged as the apartment of one of the prime suspects Walter Sickert. There were actually a period overcoat and derby in that room to try on for a photo op. The third floor was set up to be a likeness of the police station with actual police artifacts from the investigator who was working the case. The top floor was constructed as a shanty apartment from one of the last victims. The basement (last in the tour on the recommended sequence) was a scene from the Ten Bells Tavern which seemed to be a seminal hunting location for the Ripper. The museum was well presented and the audio guide and displays presented the right amount of drama to tell the story without crossing the "hype" border. If you want to leave out most of the drama, you could forgo the audio guide. I thought it was a nice added dimension. But the artifacts and the signage by themselves give a very good basic history of the events associated with the Ripper. The backgrounds of the victims were quite interesting. Likewise fascinating were the identities and backgrounds of the lineup of suspects that had been pegged as possible culprits by various contemporaries as well as scholars and JtR buffs since that time. What particularly interested me was the status of Whitechapel within London's social environment at that time. It was clearly very different from the current standing of the community, which has really only changed in the past 20 or 30 years from what I could glean. This area was clearly rife to present opportunities for a psychopath like the Ripper to find his victims. These unfortunate women were victimized first by society and by their own poor choices before becoming ultimate victims for the Ripper. It was an intriguing dive into London's social history. Because of the iconic and enduring nature of the mystery behind these killings and its inextricable tie to the City of London, this museum is probably worth seeing if you have the time (and I emphasize the word "IF"). Given the number of worthwhile sights in London, I'd be hard pressed to urge most people to prioritize it. This was my fifth or sixth trip to London, and the third in which I've had my wife with me, so we were in a situation where we were on second tier sights, making this one easier to prioritize. We were also staying in Shoreditch. Hence, the proximity was working in our favor as the museum was walkable. On the other hand, if you are a crime buff or a mystery buff in addition to being interested in social and cultural history, you might elevate this sight to a must-see. It is done well enough to be both entertaining and informative.

I didn't take a lot of pictures of this great little museum because that would ruin it for those…read morewho like these types of places. Nice little souvenirs to take home. Museum takes you through the whole Jack the Ripper murders. Mind you it is a three story museum and more information in the basement. Lots to look at, and it brings you closer to what happened.

I don't know what this place is like in person but the online offerings are great and affordable…read more So many interesting lectures and talks. I hope there are more coming ondemand so I can catch up on what was missed. Enjoyed the 4 week magic class.

Viktor Wynd is a freak…read more And I say that in the kindest most honest way possible. The erotic novel, "An Enema for Emilia" is displayed in one of the many display cases found deep below the bar via a golden winding staircase. This sounds like both a dream and a nightmare, and it is. The Last Tuesday Society is a dark taxidermy lab in which you pay to learn how to stuff your favorite animal/pet. I'm coming back to stuff a crow. Seriously. The drinks are yummy and unique and the service is well above par. I enjoyed perusing the museum while trying to find the oddest most offensive thing. Sebastian Horsley in the throws of passion with a limbless lady was up there. Definitely worth visiting if you're a freak. And I am most definitely a freak, so it was right up my alley.

Art museums aren't generally my highest interest, so it took me several visits to London to make it…read morehere. This collection is fascinating for its variety and depth. The explanations provided are insightful without being dense. I can't help but think how many great churches in Italy must be missing their beautiful medieval altars...because they're here. Great Rodin sculptures. A Japan collection that is deep and very well explained. Some truly amazing tapestries, and even a couple entire grand English rooms that were moved here entirely. The building it's all housed in is wonderful as well, take a break in the central courtyard. Supposedly it has air conditioning but other than the English section, it felt warm on a day that was 80F. They were preparing for a hot week with upper gallery closures.

This is kind of a placeholder review until I go back to London and give the Victoria and Albert…read moreMuseum a proper visit. I went for the first time with my family last month, for a quick peek after an afternoon at the Natural History Museum. We didn't think our kids would be as interested in the V & A, but we had time to kill before dinner, and entry was free. Truly incredible that all these iconic museums are free and open to the public. Makes them easy to enjoy, even for fifteen minutes. Which is about all the time we got at the V & A, as we arrived at 5:15. The exhibits started closing while we studied the map, deciding what we might like to see. By the time we got to the Japanese lacquer display, which was close enough to the lobby I thought we might be able to take a peek, we were no longer allowed entry. Even the gift shop was wrapping up for the day. We were able to walk in and do a speed lap, but wouldn't have had time to shop in earnest. We did get to admire the building and the grand entry hall, with its domed ceiling and enormous Chihuly chandelier. But all the treasures within were out of reach, at least this time around. I found myself wishing I'd had a day to explore the collection, as well as the ticketed Schiaparelli and contemporary Asian art exhibits. The V & A is a top priority next time I'm in London.

This was such a unique and fantastic "still-life drama" visit. If you are looking for an obscure,…read moreyet artsy experience, this is the place to see. Each room is pretty narrow and you'll be walking up about 6 flights of stairs so wear comfortable shoes. You'll use all of your senses when you walk through this house and, imagined how people lived during the early 18th century based on economic means. Costs 10 GBP per person for a general visit and they take cash only. I used an Uber to get here and decided to Google Maps my way through the town of Shoreditch afterward which, was also a fun adventure.

I really wanted to love this experience. I loved the idea of it all - a home frozen in time,…read morestripped of anything modern, oozing history and story and questions. I even loved the way I discovered it: I just zoomed into our hotel's location and moved the map on my screen to see what was nearby and intriguing. On the whole, it was an interesting experience. There were a few other people making their way through the floors of the residence, and some of them (one group in particular) clearly wanted to be anywhere but inside those walls. Still, we took our time with each room, trying to put ourselves in the time, forget the world outside, become immersed in the experience. There are four floors, and you're not supposed to talk, which made finding the right "next room" a bit of a challenge. I think I tried to enter rooms out of order on three of the four floors (and only got the fourth floor right because there was only room available). They have people working the space, but none of them pointed in the right direction or gave even the slightest hint that you were headed the wrong way until you'd already committed to walking into a room. Each room had a different "story" attached to it. You walk in, take a moment to gather your senses and get a feel of the place (no modern technology, so everything's candle and fireplace lit), then you're meant to understand everything that was going on right before you walked in. There are small cards scattered throughout the dioramas, which encourage you to ponder a certain piece, question the placement of a chair, or absorb a scent. They go out of their way to ensure accuracy and make the rooms feel authentic. Yes, that really IS a bedpan with something that looks suspiciously like wee floating in it (I couldn't bring myself to check on that one). Maybe I was just too tired to really appreciate what they did there. I am glad that we went - it was different and maybe a bit odd - but I don't know that I'd recommend it to anybody who doesn't have an appreciation for history or strange. They don't allow photos (follow their Instagram page if you're interested in getting a sneak peek of the space), so you're going to have to rely on your ever-fading memories and snapshots in your mind. Or maybe that's just me.

Stopped by the National Gallery yesterday, and honestly, this place is amazing. It's way bigger…read morethan I expected -- room after room packed with artwork from all the famous painters you learn about in school. And the vibe is super chill. Every room has benches so you can sit down, relax, and actually enjoy the art instead of rushing through. The best part? It's completely FREE to get in. You just walk in and suddenly you're face‑to‑face with pieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and a ton of others. You could easily spend hours here and still not see everything. There's just so much to take in -- colors, details, history, all of it. It's the kind of place where you keep saying "okay, just one more room" and then an hour goes by. If you're in London, this is a must‑visit. Beautiful art, relaxed atmosphere, and again... it's FREE. Absolutely worth your time.

The National Gallery is a must see on your visit to London. We went on a Friday night because they…read morewere opened until 9:00 pm. We thought that evening might be a quiet time to go, but the Gallery was packed with art lovers. The Gallery is huge and free to visit, although donations are emcouraged. The building is Greek Revival with a modern addition that serves as the visitor entrance. Ornate domes, marble and granite staircases and beautiful woodwork add to the grandeur. The complex is made up of galleries of art organized by time period, several cafes and gift shops. Maps throughout the complex are very helpful. The Museum houses the most extensive collection of Masters that I've ever seen. There is an entire gallery of spectacular Rembrandt paintings. I enjoyed comparing his style between the different works. Four galleries are filled with Impressionistic greats including a room devoted to Monet's water lily pieces. I saw so many Van Gogh's that I had never seen before. Beautiful benches in each room were inviting to sit and take in the art. There is so much to see that you can't see it all in one day. I ordered free tickets on-line but they were not checking tickets during my visit. I did go through security and they check bags. Rest rooms are sparse, expect to wait in a line to use the facilities. There are lots of stairs with a few elevators available.

Battlebridge Basin is one of the larger basins on the Regent's Canal, located just north of King's…read moreCross station. It's home to the London Canal Museum, housing and offices, as well as the brand new 'Kings Place' office and cultural centre. The Regents Canal opened from Paddington to Camden in 1816 and throughout to the basin at Limehouse in 1820. Battlebridge Basin, originally called Horsfall Basin, was opened in 1822. Like the other basins, it was originally intended for the trans-shipment of goods to and from the canals. Among the unusual cargoes carried were ice - imported from Norway from the 1820s - used for making (among other things) ice cream. The former ice warehouse is now the London Canal Museum. Over the years, goods traffic declined, due largely to competition from the railways and then the roads, although some traffic continued until the late 1960s. The canal basin was privately owned until 2000 when it was purchased by British Waterways. The basin has since been redeveloped and gentrified, and provides moorings as well as an attractive urban space. Since 1989 it has been the home of the London Canal Museum, and in 2008 the Kings Place development opened, with a cafe, restaurant, art gallery space and two auditoriums for music recitals and concerts. NB: The main towpath is on the other side of the canal from the basin. Access (except by boat) is easiest via the Canal Museum, as most of the moorings are private. For information about boat moorings, contact British Waterways' London Office on (020) 7985 7200. The museum itself opened in 1992 and is based in a former ice warehouse, dating from the 1860s. The main hall includes a view down into one of the two large circular ice stores. The museum tells the story of canals in general, and in particular how the canal network developed around London. There's a small section of a narrow boat which illustrates how the canal families lived, a small tractor used from the 1940s onwards in place of horses on some of the London canals, and a wide range of smaller canal items. The upstairs is largely given over to exhibition space, showing newsreels from the 1920s-50s depicting canal life in London, wildlife in canals and the story of canal restoration. Downstairs there's access to the side of the Battlebridge Basin, from where the museum runs canal trips in the summer. By the entrance there's a small shop selling books and souvenirs. Staff a friendly and very knowledgable. A diverting hour or so if you are in the Kings Cross area.

I'm glad we stopped in this museum. It was very interesting! Bonus points for the opportunity to…read morestep outside onto the canal walk. Make sure you watch the video upstairs for some rare peeks at the canal and area long ago (humor included).