Free Fun
Free Museums
Free admission as standard. Pay for the gift shop.
Free admission at every national UK museum is one of the country's best-kept tourist secrets. The British Museum, Tates, National Gallery, V&A, Science Museum — all free, all permanent, all open most days of the year.
These are the museums and pass schemes worth knowing. The Art Fund pass adds 240+ regional museums and pays for itself in a single weekend trip.
Where to look
5 vetted links
- Art Fund National MuseumsFree entry to 240+ UK museums and galleries with the pass.
- British MuseumFree permanent collection. Pre-book a free ticket for busy days.
- TateTate Britain, Modern, Liverpool, St Ives — all free.
- National GalleryFree permanent collection in Trafalgar Square.
- Museums AssociationDirectory of every UK museum, with free-entry flags.
Articles
2 stories
The free museums outside London that rival the capital's
Kelvingrove, the Walker, St Fagans, the Ashmolean — national-quality collections with free admission, and not one of them within 100 miles of South Kensington.
24 May 20264 min read
Free museums worth an entire Saturday
The UK runs some of the best museums on earth and charges nothing to walk in. A short guide to the ones that reward a full day, not a quick lap.
19 Apr 20262 min read