Lots of museums are open over the Christmas period, but often 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.

Opening hours also may vary, so if going early/late, check their website first as well. Also, many venues need you to book a ticket in advance at the moment. Please check.

Quite a lot of museums are closed entirely still, or having a long Christmas break.

In light of the ever-changing situation with the lockdowns, check the venue’s websites before making a special trip – two museums changed their opening dates between when I compiled this list and published it.

Museum Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat 1 Sun 2 Mon 3
Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Bank of England Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Battle of Britain Bunker ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
Bethlem Museum of the Mind ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Bow Street Police Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
British Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Brooklands Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Bruce Castle Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Brunel Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Canal Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌
Cartoon Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Charles Dickens Museum ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
Churchill War Rooms ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Cutty Sark ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dennis Severs’ House ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Down House ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Dr Who Museum and Shop ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ? ✔ ❌
Dulwich Picture Gallery ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
Museum Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat 1 Sun 2 Mon 3
Eltham Palace ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Fan Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌
Fashion and Textile Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Foundling Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Freud Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌
Garden Museum ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Guildhall Art Gallery ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Hampton Court Palace ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Heath Robinson Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌
HMS Belfast ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Hogarth’s House ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
Horniman Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Household Cavalry Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Imperial War Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
James J Fox cigar museum ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
Jewel Tower ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌
Kensington Palace ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Kenwood House ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
London Mithraeum ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
London Museum of Water & Steam ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔
London Transport Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌
Museum of London ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Museum of London Docklands ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Museum of the Home ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌
National Gallery ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
National Maritime Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Natural History Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Novelty Automation ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Museum Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat 1 Sun 2 Mon 3
Old Royal Naval College ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Osterley Park and House ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Queen’s House ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Royal Academy of Arts ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
RAF Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔
Royal Observatory ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Science Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Sir John Soane’s Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Somerset House ✔ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
The Design Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
The Queen’s Gallery ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Tower Bridge ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Victoria and Albert Museum ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌
Wallace Collection ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Wellington Arch ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ❌ ❌ ✔ ❌
Whitechapel Gallery ❌ ❌ ❌ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ❌

* – Opening if volunteers available

? – Unable to confirm

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One comment
  1. Hazel Frampton says:
    19 December 2021 at 2:12 pm

    Hi Ian
    Thanks for a very useful list. Am I right in thinking we read it 24/12 – 3/1 left to right?
    Merry Christmas
    Hazel

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