British museum

The Museum is free to all visitors and is open daily 10.0017.30

Temporary gallery closures

Gallery maintenance and refurbishments
The following galleries are partially or fully closed for a temporary period.

Room Name 92-94 Japan 67 33 Korea China, South Asia and Southeast Asia

Closure information Closed 13 and 14 June 2011 Closed 17 and 18 October 2011 Closed 18 and 19 July 2011 Closed 5 to 9 December 2011

The following galleries are closed for necessary long-term refurbishment work.

Room Name 16 Greece: Bassai sculptures 33a India: Amaravati 82 Early Ephesus 834 Roman sculpture 85 Roman portaits 88 Holy Land 89 Assyrian Life

Closure information Open daily 10.0011.00* Closed until further notice Closed until further notice Closed until further notice Closed until further notice Closed until further notice Closed until further notice

Exhibitions and displays open late on Fridays

Room 35 2 69a Exhibition Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World The changing Museum Eric Gill: public and private art Open until: Last entry 19.20 Closes from 20.20 Closes from 20.20

Galleries open until 20.30

Closure starts from 20.20. The late opening of some galleries may be limited at short notice.

Africa

25

Africa

Friday Open Friday Open Open

Americas

26 27

North America Mexico

Ancient Egypt

Friday 4 Egyptian sculpture Open 61 Egyptian life and death: the tomb-chapel of Nebamun Open 623 Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies Open 64 Early Egypt Open 65 Sudan, Egypt and Nubia Open
Ancient Greece and Rome

17 18 23 69 70 71 72 73
Asia

Nereid Monument Greece: Parthenon Greek and Roman sculpture Greek and Roman life Roman Empire Etruscan world Ancient Cyprus Greeks in Italy

Friday Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Friday Open Open Friday Open Open Open

33 33b
Europe

China, South Asia and Southeast Asia Chinese jade

40 41 47

Medieval Europe Europe AD 300 1100 Europe 1800 1900

48 49 50 51

Europe 1800 to the present Roman Britain Britian and Europe 800 BC AD 43 Europe and Middle East 10,000 800 BC

Open Open Open Open Friday Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Friday Open Open Open Open Friday Open Open

Middle East

6 78 9 10 34 54 55 56 579
Themes

Assyrian sculpture and Balawat Gates Assyria: Nimrud Assyria: Nineveh Assyria: Lion hunts, Siege of Lachish and Khorsabad The Islamic World Ancient Turkey Mesopotamia 1500 539 BC Mesopotamia 6000 1500 BC Ancient Levant

1 38-9 24 68

Enlightenment Clocks and watches Living and Dying Money

Changing exhibitions

90 91

Prints and drawings Special exhibition

By London Underground
The nearest underground stations to the Museum are:

Holborn (500m) Russell Square (800m) Goodge Street (800m)

View a TfL London Underground map

By bus
The following buses stop near the Museum:

1, 7, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242 Stop on New Oxford Street 10, 14, 24, 29, 73, 134, 390 Stop on Tottenham Court Road, northbound Stop on Gower Street, southbound 59, 68, X68, 91, 168, 188 Stop on Southampton Row

26 North America 27 Mexico

Egyptian sculpture

11 Greece: Cycladic Islands 12 Greece: Minoans and Mycenaeans 13 Greece 1050-520 BC 14 Greek vases 15 Athens and Lycia 16 Greece: Bassai Sculptures 17 Nereid Monument 18 Greece: Parthenon 19 Greece: Athens 20 Greeks and Lycians 400-325 BC 21 Mausoleum of Halikarnassos 22 The world of Alexander 23 Greek and Roman sculpture

33

China, South Asia and Southeast Asia 33a India: Amaravati 33b Chinese jade 67 Korea 95 Chinese Ceramics

Assyrian sculpture & Balawat Gates 7-8 Assyria: Nimrud 9 Assyria: Nineveh 10 Assyria: Lion hunts, Siege of Lachish and Khorsabad 34 Islamic world

1 Enlightenment 24 Living and Dying

2 The Changing Museum 3 Special exhibitions Reading Room

3 hours at the British Museum

Here is a list of objects which give an insight into the variety of the Museum's collection. Download and print itinerary Download and print floorplan

Ground floor

The Sloane astrolabe Room 1 A mechanical map of the heavens

Stone chopper from Tanzania Room 2 The oldest object in the Museum

The Rosetta Stone Room 4 The key to the decipherment of hieroglyphs

Bust of Ramesses the Great Room 4 A mighty pharaoh and a poet's inspiration

Assyrian Lion Hunt reliefs Room 10 An ancient king's triumph over nature

Parthenon sculptures Room 18 Iconic sculpture from ancient Greece

Easter Island statue Room 24 A colossal figure from a lost civilisation

Turquoise serpent Room 27 Striking mosaics used by Aztec priests

Tang ceramic tomb figures Room 33 Guardians of a Chinese general

Cloisonn jar with dragons Room 33 Made for a Ming dynasty emperor

Jade cong Room 33 5,000-year-old mystery objects

Jade terrapin from Allahabad Room 34 A majestic sculpture from India's Mughal court

Upper floor

Automated model of a ship Rooms 39 An extravagant toy and technical marvel

The Lewis Chessmen Room 40 The most famous chess set in the world

The Sutton Hoo ship burial Room 41 Burial treasures of a Saxon warrior

Mosaic of Christ Room 49 The earliest image of Christ in Britain

Basse Yutz flagons Room 50 Among the finest survivals of Early Celtic art

Mold ceremonial gold cape Room 51 A unique ceremonial garment

Oxus Treasure Room 52 Fabulous metalwork from Achaemenid Persia

The Flood Tablet Room 55 The origin of Noah's ark?

The Royal Game of Ur Room 56 A popular pastime in the ancient world

Mummy of Katebet Room 63 One of the most studied Egyptian mummies

Sphinx of Taharqo Room 65 A black king of Egypt

Samurai armour Room 93 Military might in medieval Japan

Lower floor

King of Ife Room 25 A masterpiece of African art These objects are also on the Multimedia Guide, available from the Great Court. More information Room numbers are on the walls by the door of each gallery. Please note that certain galleries may be closed for renovation or objects may be off display. Please ask gallery staff for further information. If you are short of time, visit these objects for an insight into the variety of the Museum's collection. Download and print itinerary Download and print floorplan

Ground floor

The Rosetta Stone Room 4 The key to the decipherment of hieroglyphs

Assyrian Lion Hunt reliefs Room 10 An ancient king's triumph over nature

Parthenon sculptures Room 18 Iconic sculpture from ancient Greece

Upper floor

The Lewis Chessmen Room 40 The most famous chess set in the world

Oxus Treasure Room 52 Fabulous metalwork from Achaemenid Persia

The Royal Game of Ur Room 56 A popular pastime in the ancient world

Mummy of Katebet Room 63 One of the most studied Egyptian mummies

Samurai armour Room 93 Military might in medieval Japan

Lower floor

King of Ife Room 25 A masterpiece of African art These objects are also on the Multimedia Guide, available from the Great Court. More information Room numbers are on the walls by the door of each gallery. Please note that certain galleries may be closed for renovation or objects may be off display. Please ask gallery staff for further information.

Free eyeOpener gallery tours

Short tours (3040 minutes each) introducing different areas of the Museum's collection, led by volunteer guides. Every day Please note, there will be no eyeOpener tours on Friday 29 April 2011. Free, no booking required Meet at the relevant gallery

11.00 11.15 11.30

Japan Gods and goddesses of Roman Britain Ancient Greece

Room 92 Room 49 Room 17

11.45 12.00 12.15 12.30 12.45 13.00 14.00 14.15 14.30 14.45 15.15 15.45
Toilets

Ancient Iraq Africa China Enlightenment Gallery South Asia Mexico Art of the Middle East The world of money Ancient Egypt Early Medieval Europe Ancient Rome Assyrian Reliefs

Room 56 Room 24 Room 33 Room 1 Room 33 Room 27 Room 34 Room 68 Room 64 Room 41 Room 70 Room 6

There are toilets on every floor of the Museum. Accessible toilets are located in the Great Court, the Ford Centre for Young Visitors, the Clore Education Centre and to the north of Room 66.

Luggage restrictions
Please do not bring large bags or suitcases to the Museum. Items larger than 40x40x50cm are not allowed on the British Museum premises for safety and security reasons. Wheeled cases must be carried or left in the cloakrooms. Special exhibitions may have additional restrictions. The Museum reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to vary or alter these conditions without prior notice.

Photography and filming

Photography with flash and video recording is permitted in most galleries for private purposes only, using hand-held equipment. Tripods and monopods are not permitted in any part of the Museum. In special circumstances a permit may be granted. To enquire please telephone 020 7323 8380 or email filming@britishmuseum.org. More information about photography in the Museum More information about commercial filming in the Museum

Eating and drinking

There are three cafes at the Museum as well as a picnic area. More information

Shopping
There are four shops at the Museum as well as an online shop.