Friday night’s in London are usually sacred. The end of the week means relaxing at home after hectic days at work, or any number of after-hours activities. You’re never short of things to do in London, especially if you are visiting for a short time.
That said, allow me to suggest ‘Friday Lates’ at the British Museum. And, when I say lates, it’s only 8:30 pm late. You’ll still have time for dinner afterwards and a night on the town. Add a bit of culture Friday evenings when the museum hosts a nice range of lectures, discussions, film screenings, and special music and dance performances. Most of the activities revolve around current exhibitions at the British Museum, so check what’s on before you go.
Do keep in mind not all galleries are open during late hours at the British Museum, but rest assured you won’t be disappointed. Included below is the list of the galleries opened late on Fridays. Feel free to download the list to take along with you during your visit.
Why visit the British Museum on Friday night? First of all, you’ll avoid the crowds. With over eight million exhibits in the museum, it’ll be difficult to see it all and even more so with thousands of other visitors. During the late opening, you can take your time whilst drinking in the vast amount of artefacts.
The Egyptian collection is one of the finest (and largest) in the world. When you have the museum to yourself, you’ll have the time to absorb the specially curated treasures. You’ll discover stone tablets from the ancient Library of Alexandria, reliefs of lions from Assyria dating back to the seventh century, sculptures from the Parthenon, the first depiction of Jesus as well as artefacts recovered from the Sutton Hoo Viking ship burial.
The beauty of visiting the British Museum on a Friday night is you’ll avoid the throngs of people who nonsensically whip out their mobile phones for a selfie with the Rosetta Stone. And if you are a consummate selfie-taker, you’ll have no fear of photo bombers. Just don’t climb the Parthenon for your next viral selfie. All joking aside, you can walk through one of the finest collections of humanity and enjoy your time in peace.
I think your visit to the British Museum deserves the enriching experience you’ll have with few others around. Walk through all the world’s continents and ancient eras of human development and civilisations.
I’ve visited the museum on several occasions after normal hours. Each time I’ve captured interesting images of the Great Court, which is fascinating all by itself. On this night, I basically had the British Museum to myself.
British Museum
Directions :
Located on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London. The entrance is a short walk from the Holborn and Tottenham Court Road Underground stations.
OPENING TIMES
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily Fridays Open Till 8:30 pm
British Museum GPS Coordinates : 51.5194° N, 0.1270° W
Map Showing Location of the British Museum ::
List of British Museum Galleries Open Late on Fridays ::
Africa
Africa
The Sainsbury Galleries
Room 25
Americas
North America
Room 26
Mexico
Room 27
Ancient Egypt
Egyptian sculpture
Room 4
Egyptian life and death: the tomb-chapel of Nebamun
The Michael Cohen Gallery
Room 61
Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies
The Roxie Walker Galleries
Room 62-63
Early Egypt
The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery
Room 64
Sudan, Egypt and Nubia
The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery
Room 65
Ethiopia and Coptic Egypt
Room 66
Ancient Greece and Rome
Greece: Minoans
The Arthur I Fleischman Gallery
Room 12a
Greece: Mycenaeans
The Arthur I Fleischman Gallery
Room 12b
Greece 1050–520 BC
Room 13
Greek Vases
Room 14
Athens and Lycia
Room 15
Nereid Monument
Room 17
Greece: Parthenon
Room 18
Halikarnassos
Room 21
Alexander the Great
Room 22
Greek and Roman sculpture
Room 23
Greek and Roman life
Room 69
Roman Empire
The Wolfson Gallery
Room 70
Etruscan world
Room 71
Ancient Cyprus
The AG Leventis Gallery
Room 72
Greeks in Italy
Room 73
Asia
China, South Asia and Southeast Asia
The Joseph E Hotung Gallery
Room 33
India: Amaravati
Room 33
Chinese Jade
The Selwyn and Ellie Alleyne Gallery
Room 33b
Europe
Clocks and watches
The Sir Harry and Lady Djanogly Gallery
Room 38-39
Medieval Europe 1050–1500
The Sir Paul and Lady Ruddock Gallery
Room 40
Sutton Hoo and Europe, AD 300–1100
The Sir Paul and Lady Ruddock Gallery
Room 41
Europe 1800–1900
Room 47
Europe 1900 to the present
Room 48
Roman Britain
The Weston Gallery
Room 49
Britain and Europe 800 BC-AD 43
Room 50
Europe and Middle East 10,000–800 BC
Room 51
Middle East
Assyrian sculpture and Balawat Gates
Room 6
Assyria: Nimrud
Room 7-8
Assyria: Nineveh
Room 9
Assyria: Lion hunts
Room 10a
Assyria: Siege of Lachish
Room 10b
Assyria Khorsabad
Room 10c
Ancient Iran
The Rahim Irvani Gallery
Room 52
Ancient South Arabia
The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery
Room 53
Ancient Turkey
The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery
Room 54
Mesopotamia 1500–539 BC
The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery
Room 55
Mesopotamia 6000–1500 BC
The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery
Room 56
Ancient Levant
Room 57-59
Themes
Enlightenment
Room 1
Collecting the World
Room 2
Living and Dying
The Wellcome Trust Gallery
Room 24
Money
The Citi Money Gallery
Room 68