Museums, galleries and libraries

One could put Britain on the first place in the world in terms of the importance and content of its museums, galleries and libraries. Visiting British museums and libraries turns into a holiday-like affair. Most outstanding libraries and museums are located in London. The British Museum is one of the most spectacular museums in the world, it’s known for its extensive and diverse collections. The Museum of Mankind is part of the British Museum and it has fascinating displays of anthropological artifacts. The National Galleries has a vast range of pictures. The National Portrait Gallery next to it has thousands of portraits with detailed descriptions, some dating back from 14^th century. The Tate Gallery. The Victoria and Albert Museum features one of the world’s largest collection of fine arts, jewelry, clocks, furniture, garments, and you can even try them on. The National Museum of Science and Industry contains 5 floors of exhibits on medicine, transportation, communication, etc. The Natural History Museum houses plants from all over the world. The Imperia War Museum features exhibits on the wars of the 20^th century. The (Modern) Museum of London has exhibits from the history of London. Particularly popular with tourists is Madame Tussah’s Waxworks Museum which is also an attraction.

Several museums and galleries of note are located outside London. The Asmolean Museum of Art and Archeology contains plenty of relicts. Similar Fitzwilliam Museum is located in Cambridge. The National Gallery of Scotland houses the collection of fine European paintings dating from Renaissance. There are museums and galleries in all capital cities.

Britain has several specialized museums, e.g. the National Railway Museum and Jorvick Viking Centre in York.

The British Library in London contains a copy of nearly all significant works published in English and also many in many other languages. In 1997 the British Library was located in the British Museum, but then moved to the new building.