Must See London Museums VOL.1
Welcome to Astor’s inaugural, what’s the big deal London blog series? Each post we will look at a different side of London that is sometimes over looked by some guests. Then seek to inspire you with some insight into the awesome experiences you might have if you give it a go.
This week we are going to have a roundup of some of the iconic artefacts in London’s museums. This way you can make a list some of the worlds big ticket items to check off during your visit. The first place to visit is one of London most Iconic destinations.
British Museum – Free (some paid collections)
This museum is world-famous and boasts works of civilisations from prehistoric to modern times, from all around the world. The museum has many fascinating collections including Parthenon sculptures and the mummies from Ancient Egypt, though one of the most iconic pieces in the museum has to be the famous Rosetta stone.
The Rosetta stone is a granodiorite stele inscribed with 3 different scripts in 196 BC, that’s over 2200 years old. The upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. These three scripts read the same passage in each inscription with some minor differences among them, which allowed historians and linguists the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs and better shaped our understanding of ancient Egypt.
This Museum boasts some of the world’s biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. Within the complex they have the state-of-the-art Darwin Centre Cocoon where, on a self-guided tour, you can see hundreds of fascinating specimens and look into laboratories where scientists are hard at work.
If you thought the Rosetta stone was old you should see of the things at the Natural History. You can set your eyes on a 40-million-year-old spider. You can also see a life-sized blue whale which weighs 10 tons and some 25 m long. It is said during construction, workmen left a serest door within the whale’s stomach, which they used for cheeky cigarette breaks. Before the door was closed, coins and a telephone directory were placed inside, this soon growing to an urban myth that a time capsule was left behind.
Still wanting more!
The two above great examples of the many Museums there are to see in London. Other great recommendations include; London Transport Museum, Museum of London, Imperial War Museums and Victoria and Albert Museum. All these are great locations are waiting for you to explore for one day or a week.