Localada’s free The British Museum audio guide is part of the London audio guide: the story of The British Museum, practical visiting tips and a route map, narrated in 15 languages. It opens in your browser, with no app download and no tour group.
Listen to the The British Museum audio guide, free →
Opens the London guide in Localada, where The British Museum is one of the stops. A free account takes a few seconds.
The British Museum: key facts
- Time to allow: 2–3 hours
- Hours: 10:00–17:00 (open daily)
- Address: Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
- Nearest transport: Tottenham Court Road station · 5 min walk (Central,Elizabeth line,Northern)
- Localada perk: 5% OFF
- Free entry, no ticket needed
- Open late on Fridays until 20:30
- Galleries close on a rolling schedule for maintenance
- Last entry 45 minutes before closing
The story of The British Museum
Hans Sloane was a physician who sailed to Jamaica in 1687, came home with plants, and then spent the rest of his life buying things. By the time he died in 1753 he owned seventy-one thousand objects.
He left them to the nation on one condition: that Parliament pay his daughters twenty thousand pounds. Parliament raised the money by running a lottery. Six years later the British Museum opened as the first national public museum anywhere in the world, free to anyone curious enough to come in.
It has been free ever since. Not discounted — free, every day, no ticket.
The Great Court you walk into is younger than almost everyone assumes. Until 2000 this was a courtyard filled with bookstacks and closed to the public for a century and a half. Norman Foster roofed it with 3,312 panes of glass, no two the same shape.
At its centre is the Reading Room where Karl Marx wrote most of Das Kapital, on a reader's ticket he had to apply for like everybody else.
Some of what is here is disputed, openly and loudly — the Parthenon sculptures above all.
Do not try to see it all. Choose three rooms and give them an hour each. That is a better day than eight rooms at walking pace.
Listen to the The British Museum audio guide, free →
Tips for visiting The British Museum
- Choose three rooms instead of covering everything — the Rosetta Stone is room 4
- Enter from Montague Place at the back to avoid the main gate queue
- Friday evening is the calmest time inside the building
- Check the day’s gallery closures online before you set out
- The Great Court is free to walk through even if you skip the collection
5% off The British Museum tickets and tours
Book through Localada and GetYourGuide takes 5% off at checkout, on experiences worldwide. No code needed.
More audio guides in London
- The Tower of London · 2–3 hours
- Westminster Abbey · 1.5–2 hours
- St Paul's Cathedral · 1.5–2 hours
All stops in the London audio guide →
The British Museum audio guide: frequently asked questions
Is the The British Museum audio guide free?
Yes. The The British Museum audio guide is part of Localada’s free London guide: create a free account and open it in your browser, no app download needed. Tickets for The British Museum are bought separately; booking through Localada’s GetYourGuide links gives 5% off.
How long should I spend at The British Museum?
Allow 2–3 hours for The British Museum.
What are the opening hours of The British Museum?
10:00–17:00 (open daily). Hours can change on public and religious holidays, so check on the day.
Can I get a discount on The British Museum tickets?
Yes. Book The British Museum tickets and tours through Localada’s GetYourGuide links and GetYourGuide applies 5% off at checkout.
Which languages is the The British Museum audio guide available in?
Narration and text are available in 15 languages: English, Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.