As a girl who had a more than mild obsession with Ancient Egypt finally getting to see the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt as everything I hoped it would be. I was truly glad to be there during the off-season though. Even being there at the end of November the museum was rather crowded, I'd hate to be there during peak tourist season. Still, it was worth wading through all the school children. My advice, take your time, you might even give the museum a couple of days so you can leisurely stroll though the exhibits, and the queue in front of the Rosetta Stone won't be quite as stressful. The British Museum is a must see, and you can't beat free entertainment, especially in a city as expensive as London.

The British Museum is worth visiting for the architecture alone. It combines classical architecture, with stonework and columns covered by a modern glass dome. It's truly a beautiful space that feels open and airy. In this central area, there are a couple of counters where you can purchase light snacks and beverages. I found it enjoyable to sit at the tables, relax, and take in the design of the building.

It is an extremely large museum, with somewhat disjointed sections. So, pick up a map or ask an attendant if you want to find a particular section.

One of the most notable exhibits is the Rosetta Stone. It is encased in Plexiglas and viewable from both sides.

Best of all, it is free to enter the museum. I felt free to wander through at a leisurely pace. So, if you don't catch it all in one trip, it's easy to go back!

I have been to London once before, and this was the one destination I had missed that I made sure I saw the second time around. It is definitely worth it. We were there for 2 hours and probably only saw 60% of it. The Africa sections and the Ancient Greece/Rome areas were fascinating. I missed several areas I would like to go back and see, specifically Latin America. There were a significant number of people in the main areas, but due to the museum's large size, the crowds were never a problem.

The British Museum is a free museum filled with artifacts from all over the world and all different times. One of their most impressive venues was the mummies of Egypt, and their coin exhibition which showed the different types of monetary exchange methods people have used throughout the years. What I found interesting was that throughout the museum they had stations where one could go and handle different artifacts and feel and learn a bit more about the things that usually we'd have to see behind glass. It's an extremely big museum, and since it's free, I suggest not trying to do it all in one day if possible. Maybe take one section at a time because it's a lot to take in in one day.

I kept telling myself that it would be overwhelming to try to squeeze a quick visit to one of the world’s greatest collections of human cultural history into our 1 week in London, but how could I not at least check it out? I mean, at least we could see the Rosetta Stone, if nothing else… So I dragged my companions to the Tottenham Court Road Tube stop and we forged on.

The first shock I received after walking in the main entrance was discovering that photography is allowed!! This was almost too much for me to take, especially since that was the day I had absentmindedly left the hotel without my camera! Luckily, though, my daughter had hers, and allowed me the use of it whenever I wished. We allowed ourselves only a few hours here, soaking up all that we possibly could.

The museum is divided roughly into the following areas: Britain & Europe, Ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece & Rome, Americas, Asia, and Africa. There are free gallery “eyeOpener” tours, guided tours, and audio tours available; we found the museum guides to be quite willing to help us locate a particular section or answer a question. In addition to hours of potential browsing, there are lectures, workshops, films, and children’s activities, such as drawing materials, games, and free hands-on sessions with genuine museum objects. There is a marvelous souvenir shop (though rather pricey), the Court Restaurant, a couple of self-service cafes, and even a family picnic area with vending machines.

For me, one of the most unforgettable sights was kind of hidden away back in the Greek & Roman Antiquities area. It was a Caryatid, which is a sculpture of a maiden that served as one of six columns of a building on the Acropolis of Athens. It was made in 415 BC and stood 2.31m tall. To me, the loveliness of this piece really stood out.

The British Museum is open daily from 10am until 5:30pm (8:30pm Thursday and Friday). Admission is free.