A guide to the best museums to check out for those visiting the Marble Arch area of London.
One of the many interesting things about London is the fascinating history constantly surrounding you with majestic buildings and intriguing museums, and the Marble Arch area is no exception. This part of the capital has a number of excellent museums that will captivate and delight visitors with their extraordinary collections and memorable architecture.
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM – GREAT FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES!
The collections in this national favourite will interest the whole family and is well worth devoting a good portion of your time to enable you to enjoy the displays at leisure. The dinosaur section is a must-visit area for most people and has animatronic models that bring the era to life. Another great display is the Earth’s Treasury with it’s glittering array of gems, crystals and precious metals.
THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM – A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT
This splendid building is one of the London’s most famous with the foundation stone laid by Queen Victoria herself back in 1899 and now hosting a vast quantity of applied art. You can lilterally lose yourself over 7 floors and 150 galleries that hold all manner of textiles, jewellery, paintings, dresses, glass, ceramics and furniture. Certain key things to factor into your visit include some cartoons that were painted by the famous artist Raphael as tapestry designs for the Sistine Chapel, and the Fashion Galleries that give a historical walk through dresses from the 18th century up to modern times.
SCIENCE MUSEUM – FOR THOSE WITH AN ENQUIRING MIND
This museum also suits all ages and has seven floors of displays with many interactive and enjoyable exhibits such as the Apollo 10 Command and also a flight simulator. A new gallery has opened and in the ‘Information Age’ there are lots of exciting displays that cover recent developments in communications technology across the globe as well as range of other award-winning exhibitions and tales of amazing scientific achievements.
FOR BUDDING DETECTIVES EVERYWHERE – THE SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM
As it’s name suggests this museum is dedicated to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so is built around his fictional characters as opposed to the factual collections of the other museums. Nevertheless, the much-loved detective Holmes and his sidekick Watson draw in crowds of all nationalities, and there are very entertaining displays of films, books, fan stories and video games that represent this major part of British culture and identity.
Therefore, if you are staying in London make sure you visit the Marble Arch area to see a concentration of some of the finest museums in the capital. There are a host of great accommodation options such as the Royal Lancaster London that will ensure you enjoy your trip in style and comfort. Whatever your reasons for visiting London you will be assured of a rich blend of history, culture and architecture at the museums in this area of the city.
When in London don’t miss Camden Market, the capital’s most energetic London market with shop stalls and street food, open every day.
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