Note – this is the 2018 article, for Museums open over Christmas in 2022, click here.

With many people taking an extended break over Christmas, it helps to know which museums are going to be open so that you can have some ideas of where to visit.

Below is a list of the museums that I thought of, and their opening hours, where known. Maybe it’ll inspire you to visit some of the smaller museums over Christmas.

Opening hours also may vary, so if going early/late, check their website first as well.


Fri 21st
Sat 22nd
Sun 23rd
Mon 24th
Xmas Day
Boxing Day
Thur 27th
Fri 28th
Sat 29th
Sun 30th
Mon 31st
Tue 1st Jan
18 Stafford Terrace ❌ ❌ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ❌ ❌
Bank of England Museum ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Barnet Museum ❌ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Battle of Britain Bunker ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Benjamin Franklin House ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Bentley Priory Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Bethlem Museum of the Mind ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Brooklands Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ?
Canal Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓
Charles Dickens Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Churchill War Rooms ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
City of London Police Museum ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ? ❌
Clink Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Cutty Sark ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Down House ❌ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Dr Johnson’s House ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Dr Who Museum ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ❌
Dulwich Picture Gallery ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Eltham Palace ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Fan Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Fashion and Textile Museum ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌
Florence Nightingale Museum ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Foundling Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Freud Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Handel House Museum ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌
Heath Robinson Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
HMS Belfast ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Honeywood Museum ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Horniman Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Household Cavalry Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Imperial War Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Jewel Tower ❌ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Jewish Museum London ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Keats House ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Kensington Palace ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Kenwood House ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
London Mithraeum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
London Museum of Water and Steam ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
London Transport Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Museum of Childhood ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Museum of London ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Museum of London Docklands ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Museum of Methodism and John Wesley’s House ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ❌
Museum of the Order of St John ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
National Army Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
National Gallery ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
National Maritime Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Natural History Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Old Operating Theatre ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Osterley Park and House ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ?
RAF Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
Rainham Hall ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ?
Royal London Hospital Museum ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Science Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Sir John Soane’s Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Somerset House ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
The British Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌
The Queen’s Gallery ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Tower Bridge ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Vestry House Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Victoria and Albert Museum ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Wallace Collection ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Wellcome Collection ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Wellington Arch ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌
Whitechapel Gallery ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❌ ✓
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