Museum of London

The Museum of London shows and explains the history of London from before its foundation, when it was founded by the Romans through until the present times. The lay-out of the Museum of London is very good, every part of the museum is dedicated to a certain era in London's history (following the time line), from Roman London through the dark ages until the 20th century.

We started in the part about the Roman city, where we could see a short film about excavations at 1 Poultry Street. In this film we got background information about the excavations and about the building of the copy of a couple of Roman houses in the museum. After that, we walked into the houses and could experience what London life was like in those days. Although the Romans were quite far with regards to certain technologies (like central heating), the decoration of the houses appeared to be very simple and basic. When we walked out of the last house, we saw a lot of displays with items recovered all over London. You receive information about trade and goods, weapons, household items etcetera.

After we left the Roman area, we walked into a very small area about the Vikings and King Cnut. From there on we visited several areas, each representing a certain period of time (Anglo-Saxon, the Tudors and so on). We received information about for instance the Great Fire in 1666, how it started etcetera. The effects of the the fire were visualised using a display of the area that was demolished.

After a short break in the garden (well... we needed a cigarette), we visited the areas covering the 19th and 20th century. Here we learned more about for instance the effects of World War II and the Blitz krieg. Here too, the information we received was supported by displays, photo's and film fragments.

I think this is one of the better museums and I can certainly recommend it to people who are interested in the history of the city. I think the Roman area is the best part and it certainly contains the most information. The other areas were smaller, which I think is a bit of a shame as there must be a lot more to tell about the city.

The admission fees quite low, certainly if I compare it to others we visited over the last couple of years. Admission prices are only 5 pounds for adults and children under 16 can go in for free. Remember to hold onto your tickets, as they are valid for a whole year. This is a very good deal as there is a lot to do and you probably need more than a day to see it all.

For more information visit the website of The Museum of London.

Unfortunately this museum is not covered by the London Pass. However, if you also plan to visit several other museums you might be interested in the London Pass, offering you free access to many museums and attractions.