Museums in London

No one can really tell you how long you wlll spend in any given museum. It all depends on many factors, how long do you have to spend in a museum, if you really like what you are seeing you may spend longer than another museum that doesn't interest you as much. How big the floor plan is and how many floors each museum has. I have stayed in several museums most of a day sometimes, but that also depended if the museum had a nice cafe to have lunch in. I would tour a gallery then when I got hungry, eat at the cafe and then tour some more.

Usually I can stay up to 3 hours to 4 hours and then I am done. You can just see so much and then it is not interesting or fun any longer. What does help me stay as long as possible is: wearing good shoes, checking my coat and day bag so that I am not burdened with stuff to lug around while touring the museum, wearing comfortable clothes and if short sleeves, a light sweater just in case the galleries are cold, sometimes the galleries are cold on purpose or if emply less, people, colder rooms, so I need to be comfortable and not cold or hot to tour and stand for hours looking at the paintings and being able to sit down and rest and have a nice lunch.

Now I understand you want to know how long you may stay in each musuem based upon how big the musuem is but even that no one can really say, as some times even a small museum you may stay a long time to see everything because what they offer you love and want to really stand there and see it for a while. But I would at least average 2 hours per museum and that is the least amount of time and given if you like it, well then more time maybe needed. I am a huge musuem person and have toured many museums so I too have asked those same questions of myself when planning a vacation where there are a lot of museums involved. My advice is to make your list as you have done so already, start with the one you really want to see and work your way down the list, and if you don't get to a museum or two, then you don't see it. But you have given the musuems you have seen quality time and really saw that musueum. Better to see a museum you like and enjoy and really give it the time it deserves than to rush through all the musuems just so you can check them off your list and really not get to appreciate the musuems you saw.

Not my business but you did not add the Victoria and Albert museum ( that is the first on my list).

I know that it really doesn't help you right now, but when you starting touring these museums you will understand what I mean.

Have a great time!!!

Since your question is so individual, i would say just prioritize your choices.
They are all wonderful. What u miss u can see another trip.

Check out the websites for each one and see what it is you want to see as well as any special exhibitions they have. I have been to all those museums and I would say no less than 2 hours for a run through of selected areas. Not the whole thing mind you, just the areas we choose for that visit. And that doesn't include a fortifying tea room stop. A necessity for me!

One of my children is an archeology student and she could spend years in the Natural History or the British Museum communing with her artifact friends. But, she chooses what she is going to see each visit, sees it, and leaves knowing she can come back later in the trip or on another trip!

So, my advice would be to decide how much time you would like to devote to museums, make a plan of what you want to see in each one that fits that time limit, don't try to see all of each of them, and plan to be back!

My favourite is also the V and A. Oh, and the Museum of London.

Yes I am also planned to visit some of the museums in the list. Now I got more information and it will useful for my visit to the museum! Thanks.

I agree with everyone else's comments, but would like to add that these two practices will substantially increase the time needed in any museum--I'd guess by at least 1/3:

• Renting the audio guide
• Reading explanatory material posted near the displays

When I can do so inexpensively, I often split my visit to a large museum over two days, because of museum fatigue. It's often physical; those floors are hard! I tend to walk through every room, because you just never know, but in some cases I don't even slow down.

And here's another vote for the V&A.

Someone here made an interesting comment about the Natural History Museum (which as a mineral lover I do like) not too long ago, something to the effect that natural history museums tend to be fairly similar. I hadn't thought about that before, but I believe it's true. I live one mile from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, so I'm moving a return visit to the London museum down my priority list. But if you're traveling with children, this museum would probably be a top priority.

The beauty of these museums is that they are free, so even if you are just passing by with a spare 30 minutes or hour, you can pop in, see a few masterpieces, and have gotten a great value! I did exactly this on a recent trip to London...had a free hour on a Saturday afternoon near Trafalfar Square so I visited the National Portrait Gallery and saw a few specific portraits I was interested in.

An art historian taught me that trying to see everything in a museum just makes people tired and crowds out the true masterpieces in their minds and memories. Putting this advice into practice has made visiting museums more enjoyable and less guilt-provoking.

Another vote for the V & A. My absolute favourite.

Another tip, have a look at the London Walks website walks.com. They do 2 hour walks round the highlights of the British Museum, The National Gallery and the V & A. Make a good first visit.

Katy

Miranda, personally I have a limited attention span, of about 2 hours, even less, when it comes to art museums which are basically room after room of paintings, even true masterpieces, hanging on walls. If the art forms are more diverse, I can last longer. Often I enjoy taking a docent tour of museum highlights, if available. Otherwise, I find it is a good idea to study the collections a little in a good guide book, like the RS guides, and then seek out certain masterpieces or master painters, rather than just going to room after room, which I find tiring.
I have a greater attention span when it comes to more diverse displays in archeological, ethnographic, history, natural history, etc. museums.
One excellent museum not on your list is the Treasury Gallery at the (free) British Library, with a limited collection of about 200 items like the Magna Carta, Guttenburg Bible, etc. Many unique items. I really enjoyed reading the original scribbled draft of the lyrics of a Beatles song while simultaneously listening to the song in headphones. The gallery takes about an hour. When I was there in 2015 I also visited a special exhibit on the 500th anniversary of the Magna Carta (not free).
I have not yet visited the Museum of London, but many have recommended it.

No idea about an average, and I haven't been to the Tate Modern. I spent half a day in the Portrait Gallery last fall, taking a sort of historical tour of the UK through its prominent people's portraits. Spent a few hours in the National Gallery doing what others recommend against, i.e. charging through room after room looking for my favorites -- and I wouldn't do it that way again. Spent about two hours in the Tate Britain focused on Constable and Turner. Spent just a little time in Natural History, which seemed oriented more for kids -- acraven has a good take on that. I agree that the Wallace Collection and the Museum of London are also good choices.

I have not been to all of these myself, but for me the National Gallery was three or four hour or so visit. I am a museum nut though. The National Portrait Gallery, I had a good visit in an hour and a half. For the latter I felt better about being selective about what I saw. The Tudor/Elizabethan portraits and the ones of literary figures were the highlights that I sought out. Maybe some of the modern entertainment figures as well. I was not that impressed with the Tate Modern, but it might be because I visited at the end of an eleven hour day trying to squeeze every last bit of fun out of a one-day stay over after a business trip. So a couple of hours was plenty in that one for me. But that's also based upon my preferences, your interests may vary.

Thanks everyone! I looked online at all the different Museums in London but couldn't any advice on these few.

Natural History - 2 or 3 hours
Tate Modern - wouldn't go in
Tate Britain - around 2
National Gallery - as much as possible, at least 3
National Portrait Gallery - a long 2

also:
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Sir John Soanes
Wallace Collection
V&A - till I drop

Victoria & Albert was my favorite museum in London. We spent about 3 hours there. Tate Modern my least favorite. We spent less than 2 hours there. As others have said, time spent will vary greatly, depending on your interests.