Note – this is the 2019 article, for Museums open over Christmas in 2022, click here.

Lots of museums are open over the Christmas period, but with opening hours as erratic as Aunt Norra on her 3rd sherry of the day – so here is a list of known opening hours.

Caveat – the list is based on the information compiled by a fallible human using the venue’s own websites. Where a venue is not listed it’s because they are either closed entirely, or more likely, haven’t updated their website, so I am not going to guess what they are doing.

Some museums have also shorter opening hours over the Christmas period.

Museum Fri
20		 Sat
21		 Sun
22		 Mon
23		 Tue
24		 Wed
25		 Thur
26		 Fri
27		 Sat
28		 Sun
29		 Mon
30		 Tue
31		 Wed
1
Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Anaesthesia Heritage Centre ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Bank of England Museum ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Battle of Britain Bunker ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Benjamin Franklin House ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Bethlem Museum of the Mind ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Brent Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
British Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Brooklands Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Bruce Castle Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Brunel Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Canal Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔
Cartoon Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Charles Dickens Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Churchill War Rooms ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Clink Prison Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Cutty Sark ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dennis Severs’ House ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌
Dorich House Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Down House ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dr Johnson’s House ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Dr Who Museum and Shop ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌
Dulwich Picture Gallery ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ❌
Eltham Palace ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Fan Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Fashion and Textile Museum ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ❌
Florence Nightingale Museum ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Foundling Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Freud Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Grant Museum of Zoology ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Handel House Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Heath Robinson Museum ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
HMS Belfast ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Honeywood Museum ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Horniman Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
House of Illustration ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Household Cavalry Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Imperial War Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Jewel Tower ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Jewish Museum London ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Keats House ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔
Kensington Palace ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Kenwood House ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
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 ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
National Army Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
National Gallery ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
National Maritime Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
National Portrait Gallery ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Natural History Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Osterley Park and House ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
Queen’s House ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
RAF Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Rainham Hall ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Royal Institution (inc Faraday Museum) ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Royal Observatory ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Science Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Sherlock Holmes Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Sir John Soane’s Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔
Somerset House ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
The Design Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
The Queen’s Gallery ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Tower Bridge ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Valentines Mansion ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Vestry House Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Victoria and Albert Museum ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Wallace Collection ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Wellcome Collection ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Wellington Arch ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Whitechapel Gallery ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔

 

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One comment
  1. Gloria May says:
    25 December 2019 at 10:02 am

    This is the only useful website I’ve found – trying to look for something which isn’t loud and brainless to do in London isn’t easy at Christmas – this listing is a great help. Thank you

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