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Visitors inside the British Museum's Great Court, with its glass-and-steel roof designed by Norman Foster
🏛️ LONDON MONUMENT GUIDE

British Museum Guide: Hours, Free Admission & What to Know

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Practical Visitor Info & Tips

💶 Box Office Price

£0.00

🕒 Opening Hours

Sat-Thu: 10:00 - 17:00 · Fri: 10:00 - 20:30 (hours vary — see full schedule below)

📋 Entry Rules

Not mandatory for general admission — a free ticket can be booked in advance to guarantee entry, especially for Friday late-opening hours; walk-up entry is subject to capacity and possible queueing at busy times.

🗓️ Seasonal Opening Hours
Standard Sat-Thu 10:00 - 17:00
Late opening Fri 10:00 - 20:30

Closed On: Closed 24-26 December.

Ticket Options & Pricing
OptionPriceReservationBooking
General Admission (permanent collection) Free Recommended for guaranteed entry Online or walk-up

Ticket Options

Official Ticket

£0.00

City Pass

Check whether a city pass already covers this attraction before buying separately.

See pass compatibility below ↓

Overview & History

The British Museum's permanent collection is free admission for everyone — no ticket price, no pass needed. Paid loan/special exhibitions exist separately from time to time as a distinct product.

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Location & Google Maps

📍 British Museum Open in Google Maps

Pass Compatibility

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The permanent collection is already free, so a city pass adds no monetary saving here regardless of whether the museum appears in any pass's marketing list.

Go City London All-Inclusive Pass

Not included. Base admission is already free (GBP 0) — a pass creates no monetary saving here regardless of whether the museum appears in any pass's marketing.

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Data Provenance

Source British Museum (official; free-admission fact corroborated via secondary source after the official domain blocked this session's automated fetch)
Last Verified 2026-09-14

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the British Museum really free?
Yes — the permanent collection has no ticket price for anyone. Only paid loan/special exhibitions, which run separately from time to time, cost extra.
Do I need to book in advance?
Not strictly, but a free ticket booked in advance guarantees entry — walk-up admission is subject to capacity, with queueing possible at busy times, especially on Friday evenings.
Is the museum open late any day?
Yes — Friday hours extend to 20:30, versus 17:00 on other days.
Does a city pass save me money here?
No — since general admission is already free, no pass can reduce the cost below free. Passes that list the British Museum are including it for completeness, not offering a discount.
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