British Museum
Kelly and I stopped by the British Museum one day, because seeing the Rosetta Stone sounded like the thing to do. When we entered the massive and impressive building, we headed first to the attraction that interested us most: the restrooms. After that, we headed through the Egyptian Rooms to the Rosetta Stone.
As we walked through several rooms of Really, Really, Old Stuff, I was somewhat in awe and overwhelemed at what I was seeing, but if we're honest, the thought that actually came to my mind was "So the British Museum is a collection of all the cool things the British stole from the nations they colonized..."
Don't get me wrong... it's cool stuff. It's just... I don't know... I fancied that if I wanted to learn about ancient Greek culture, I would go to Greece.
As for my impression of the Rosetta Stone... well. It's not as big as I thought it would be. Maybe the pictures in my textbooks didn't provide a sense of scale. Maybe since I have huge handwriting, I projected that issue onto the ancient Egyptians and thought that the stone had to be bigger in order to fit all that Stephanie-scaled writing on it. Maybe I have an active imagination and I completely make up crazy ideas in my head of what things I've never met are like.
But that was my impression of the Rosetta Stone. I will say I was impressed with how small they were able to write with a chisel....
Kelly and I then found a room that had collections and looked like a library, so... that was cool.
I came back with my parents, and we saw all of the above, plus the mummies and the Parthenon Rooms. I visited again with Leah and Janice, then went back last week, just for one last look. In that visit, I found two more cool rooms: one with money and one with clocks.
All in all, the British Museum is impressive and a cool place to visit. So. Much. Really, Really Old Stuff. It's just kind of overwhelming and hard to digest. I would recommend doing some homework before you go, and study up on one or two of the ancient cultures they have there and you will appreciate it so much more.
Sir John Soane's Museum
Leah had recommended this museum, and wanted to (re)visit when she was here, but we never got to it. Last week, however, I decided to check it out. It is in the Holborn area, not far from the British Museum.
Sir John Soane was a successful architect and desinger, and also fell into the category of "eccentric millionare." He designed his house and filled (and I mean filled) it with his collections. When he passed away, his will left his house to be a public museum, displayed exactly as he left it. It is full of paintings, sculptures, carvings, and relics.
If the British Museum is giant and overwhelming, Sir John Soane's Museum is small and digestible. There is not a plaque explaining every single artifact, but there are staff available at every turn to anwswer questions. It's a fun place in a quite neghborhood, somewhat off the beaten path.
National Maritime Museum
Located in Greenwich, near the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian, the National Maritime Museum is yet another free museum. Tim, Manni, and I walked through it that day we went to Greenwich, then I visited with my parents on a very rainy day.
Again, I had an issue with expectations. I thought it would be about map-making and charting and, well... sciency. Mostly it was historical, about maritime trading. It was intersting, but not what I expected.
You know how you spend time wandering through a museum looking at things that are kind of intesting, and then you decide your feeet and back hurt and you're done, and on your way out you find that display that's really interesting, but your body won't hold up to thoroughly taking it in? Or is that just me?
There was a whole room about the controversial East India Company that I quickly walked through on my way out. I might have to go back and look at that more thoroughly.
I would put the Maritime Museum under the category of "kid friendly", but it a somewhat segregated way. There were areas particularly designed for childre, and not that interesting for adults. More like a playground than a museum. The more educations areas would be pretty boring for kids, though. But I think I left a lot of the museum unexplored, so I may just have missed the best parts.
Churchill War Rooms
This is my favorite museum in London. At least of the museums I have visited. There is a decent charge to get in, but they offer student and senior discounts. The War Rooms are caddy-corner from Houses of Parliament, hidden underneath HM Treasury. During WWII, Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet operated from this secret, underground location. You get to see meeting rooms, bedrooms, and offices. What's really cool is that much of it is exactly as it was during the war, because when the war ended they just turned out the lights and went home. There is also a section of the tour that is dedicated to the life and career of Winston Churchill that was actually pretty interesting. However, if you have a limited attention span or museuem tolerance, I wouldn't recommend dwelling in this section--save it for the other parts of the tour.
This was an example of an audioguide done well. Audioguides are included in the cost of admission. The numbers for the tracks are easy to spot, and I found all of the information in the guide incredibly interesting.
London Transport Museum
I think this was Tim's favorite museum, and it's definitely one of my favorites as well. Again, this one charges a fee, but student and senior discounts are available, and you're paying for year pass, so you can go back as many time as you want in a year. Also there is a free coat check, which feels like such a luxury. (Due to this coat check, I didn't bother to carry around my phone or camera, so I have no pictures. Sorry Charlie.) Located in Covent Garden, it is perfect paired with a meal (or just custard) at Shake Shack.
Tim and I went for several hours one day and loved it, so I came back with Kelly then Mom and Dad. Starting from the early days of London, you learn about transportation in London from the times of stagecoaches and watermen all the way up to modern times. We were particularly fascinated with the history of the Tube and how they went about building it. My favorite section, though, was the area that talked about Transport for London (TFL) during both World Wars. I am amazed at how Londoners "carried on" despite staff shortages and air raids. So fascinating. So emotional.
The Transport Museum is very interactive and kid-friendly, which means it is swarming with children, so just be prepared for that. It is a wonderful blend of interesting info and interactive exhibits.
So that's it for museums! Tomorrow we'll talk about cathedrals. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
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