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!

The museum was great from the first room, where the Rosetta Stone is right in front of you in a glass enclosure. The best part is that you can take pictures of anything in the museum - no one stops you.

The highlights can be hit quickly, but it takes a lot of self control not to read and look at everything. We ended up spending a total of about four hours here. The time can easily be broken up by having dinner in the neighborhood and then going back. The museum is open until 8:30pm on Thursday nights, so this is a great time to go. We loved this museum, but found the exhibit on early Britain cultures that they have at the Museum of Scotland to be better explained, easier to see in a reasonable time and more diverse. If you are also going to be in Edinburgh and are limited on time in London, skip the second floor of the British Museum and instead visit the Museum of Scotland.

This museum is grand yet inviting. I would highly suggest taking the Highlight Tour (£8 per adult) for an in-depth tour of the museum. Otherwise, it can be very confusing. Overall, the best museum I have been to.

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.