London Must See Museums - The British Museum

Although the name may suggest that the museum is all about Britain it is in fact a historical journey around the world with exhibits and galleries covering the Americas, Egypt, ancient Greece and Rome as well as Asia and the Middle East. The museum itself was founded in 1753, and was the first national public museum in the world and opened to the public on 15 January 1759. It was first housed in a seventeenth century mansion, Montagu House, in Bloomsbury on the site of the present building. Among the fantastic offerings are: •The Sloane Astrolobe, a mechanical map of the heavens. •The Rosetta Stone, the key tablet to deciphering hieroglyphs. •The Lewis Chessmen, the most famous chess set in the world. •A stone chopper from Tanzania, the oldest exhibit in the museum. •The Sutton Hoo burial ship and treasures from Saxon England. •A mosaic of Christ, the oldest image of Christ found in Britain. Of course there is so much more to enjoy, as well as special short term exhibitions which are well worth looking out for there are also opportunities to get to handle objects and to attend film showings, lectures and lunchtime talks. My only criticism is a that there is so much to see and do so a little advanced planning is advised especially if there are specific exhibits that you want to see, find out where they are and see them before you get distracted elsewhere. A good tip is to join one of the free eye opener gallery tours which take between 30 - 40 minutes each which will give you a great insight on what the museum has to offer. I suggest doing a few of those if it is your first visit, that way you will know your way around a little better if you decide to visit again. Situated in Great Russell street in the heart of London and as the area is within the London congestion zone and has very little parking I recommend that you take the 'Tube', the underground system to get there, and the nearest underground stations are Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Russell Square or Goodge Street. For more information and details of special events you should check out The British Museum website at http://www.britishmuseum.org. Steve Tallamy is a Freelance writer and if you would like to read more of his work or find out more about how he could help you with your own article, blog, review or newsletter writing visit his website which is at http://www.stevetallamy.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Tallamy