As a long-time museum professional and a travel writer, I’m naturally drawn to museums whenever I travel. England’s capital city has around 200 museums, and as many times as I have visited (my family is nearby), I’m yet to see them all!
During recent trips, I’ve been making the effort to visit museums that might not be on the typical tourist radar.
While I enjoy the big museums immensely, such as the National Gallery, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, the following small museums have charmed me and captured my heart.
1. The Postal Museum
London’s Postal Museum puts its own stamp on the museum scene. It’s home to a collection of stamps, roadside letter boxes (the first were installed on the island of Jersey in 1852), delivery vehicles, special exhibitions, and more, highlighting the history of mail in England.
The variety of letter boxes on display is a draw for many visitors as the design and color of the box, as well as the Royal Cypher, take visitors on a journey through time.
In fact, Cypher-Spotting has become a popular way to explore London, stopping to look at boxes to see which king or queen was when the box was installed.
Not just for adults, The Postal Museum has many activities for children and families.
In the adjacent building, you’ll find Sorted! The Postal Play Space. Book ahead and bring your kids (recommended for children aged 1–8) to this immersive mini-town complete with buildings, trolleys, slides, and chutes.
The entire family can enjoy the Mail Rail. For 76 years, mail was transported underground on small trains.
The railway was designed to speed the movement of the mail across the city and was linked with some of the main railway stations. When this practice ended in 2003, the tracks were mainly forgotten.
Today’s visitors can take a ride on the Mail Rail, which utilizes those same tracks. This immersive ride features narration as well as stops to observe fascinating videos sharing the history of post and more.
For my travel partner and me, this was one of the most fun things we’d ever done in a museum setting! After the ride, explore the galleries dedicated to Mail Rail.
2. The British Library
Okay, technically, it’s not a museum, but with its location near both St. Pancras and King’s Cross stations, it’s less than a 5-minute walk to enter this impressive building (and it’s free).
Housing an impressive collection of books (over 170 million items) used by researchers, cafés, and an impressive gift shop, visitors head straight to the Treasures Gallery and are amazed by what they see.
Here, you’ll find amazing examples of printed materials dating back hundreds of years. A copy of the Magna Carta, works by Andrea Levy, Monty Python, and Shakespeare, and the Lindisfarne Gospels are just a handful of examples.
I was excited to see handwritten notes by the Beatles and Leonardo da Vinci. Explore on your own or take a tour.
Elsewhere in the Library, there are 11 Reading Rooms. The rooms are quiet, dedicated spaces where you can access items in their collection. You must be 18 and have a free reader pass.
The grounds feature the often-photographed statue of Sir Isaac Newton, and more sculptures, busts, and artifacts are dotted throughout the Library.
3. London Canal Museum
Another short walk from St. Pancras/King’s Cross, you will find the London Canal Museum. Nestled along Regent’s Canal, this small but mighty space includes many objects related to canal history.
Learn about the importance of canals in trading and view maps that show the impact of utilizing canals for trade, walk through a canal boat, and in warm weather months and Christmas season, you can even take a boat ride.
There are two themes here, shares the website, “London’s canals have a fascinating past, and you will learn not only how they came to be built but also about the lives of the workers, the cargoes, horses, and how canals work.”
“We are a waterways museum first and foremost, but also an industrial museum telling the story of the ice industry in London.”
“It is the only London museum of inland waterways and is situated at King’s Cross, an accessible central location. It is suitable for adults and children, and it is fully accessible to all visitors.”
When visiting, don’t forget to step outside to see several boats, including the Bantam IV tug. The views from behind the museum include both old warehouse buildings and contemporary buildings, a perfect mix of old and new London.
Regent’s Canal is nearby, and you can walk along it and view how canal boats are used today.
4. The Courtauld Gallery
This small (by London standards) art museum has one of the best art collections in the UK and has a robust selection of classes offered by its Institute. Throw in special exhibitions, contemporary commissions, and a stunning location inside Somerset House, and you have the recipe for a great visit.
During my visit, I took advantage of their café for tea and a scone (naturally) as a pick-me-up before heading into their galleries.
My goal was simple: to tick off a couple of bucket list artworks I wanted to see, including Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, which captures his personal struggles.
Van Gogh painted it in January 1889, a week after leaving a hospital.
Another work I long admired and wanted to see was Édouard Manet’s last major painting, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.
Completed a year before he died and exhibited in 1882 at the Salon (the official annual exhibition of the French Academy of Fine Arts).
It did not follow the traditional format of portraits because it doesn’t name its subject. In this work, the barmaid seems to be just part of the scene.
But to me, she’s connected in a way that makes her seemingly “disconnected” stance relatable to anyone who has had a long day at work.
Treat yourself to a long walk to the Courtauld and take in views of the River Thames along Victoria Embankment, or walk the Strand and its impressive array of buildings, theatres, and hotels.
Want to see more of London’s iconic sights after exploring its hidden museums? This guided tour takes you to Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey, with skip-the-line entry and a knowledgeable Blue Badge guide to bring the city’s history to life. Learn more about the tour here.
Inspire your next adventure with our articles below:
- 9 Unusual Things to Do in London (and 1 Bonus Tip)
- The Ultimate UK Road Trip: 10 Scenic Routes from Cornwall to the Highlands
Author Bio: Mary Casey-Sturk is an Editor and Writer for Living Magazines (Kentucky) as well as a contributor to Smoky Mountain Living Magazine (North Carolina). Mary is also a content developer, freelance travel, food, wine, and features writer, and the author of “Eating Cheese Curds With Strangers”.
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