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.

With very limited time in London, and a number of people with a passion to see the British Museum, we investigated the web and found that on a number of nights of the week (particularly Thursday and Friday), certain galleries remain open to the public till 9pm. This was a magic time to go, and we were lucky enough for the Assyrian and Egyptian galleries to be open the night we went. The entry dome at night is magic and gives you a feeling of immense space; this was accentuated, as the normal crowds were non-existent. One gift gallery at the entrance is still open and the reading room and restaurant are also open. We arrived at 5pm and stayed until closing, then caught a taxi back to Mayfair and picked up quick tea from one of the Marks and Spencer takeaway shops. We took this back to our hotel room so we could collapse, having been on the go since early morning after a 21-hour flight the day before.

The museum’s collection would probably need at least a week to do it justice, but the night viewings allow one to see the selected galleries in a much shorter time, due to the lack of crowds. They change which galleries are open on a regular basis, so it’s best to check the museum website for the schedule openings for the month you are planning to travel.

Entry was free. I can’t remember whether it was with our Great Britain Heritage card – I seem to remember that a lot of the public museums are free for viewing standard collections in England, except for special exhibitions. The website will tell you

I visit the British Museum on just about every trip to London. It’s so close to the bed and breakfast I stay at, so it’s great when I don’t have a lot of time, but need something to do. Plus, it’s too big to see in one visit, so I’ve been able to break up the exhibits and see small portions each time I go. I’ve retained more of what I’ve seen since I haven’t had to cram a whole lot into a single visit.

Their Egyptian exhibits are among the best in the world, and the Greek and Asian rooms are fabulous as well. Actually, there isn’t really anything to complain about, unless you just don’t like museums! Some highlights from my recent visits are Cleopatra’s mummy, the Portland Vase, the Chessman pieces, and of course, you can’t leave out the Rosetta Stone. It’s worthwhile to visit their website before you go at The British Museum, where you can read about the permanent exhibits, find out what’s coming, and print out floor maps to help plan your time.

The British Museum has to be one of the most extraordinary collections of historical artifacts in the world. As many know, the British had issues with Imperialism and tried to stake claim to almost anything foreign they came upon. This meant taking a lot of artifacts and displaying them in this massive house on Russell Street. I really don't encourage you to do the museum in one day, mainly because I think it's impossible! It took me 2 hours just to see the first floor, which holds their most spectacular artifacts in the Egyptian rooms and the Ancient Greek rooms. The King’s Library is quite interesting.

The main reason people go in the masses to the British Museum is to see the Rosetta Stone, the beautiful mummy cases, and basically the most important part of the Parthenon, The whole top of the Parthenon was a wonderful carved story that Lord Elgin basically stole from the Acropolis when he discovered it. I went to Athens to see the acropolis, and I must admit, it was anti-climatic seeing that the better part of the Parthenon was in the British Museum in London, but that's besides the point.

The crowds in these most popular parts of the museum, especially around the Rosetta Stone, never go away, so you just have to bear the hoards of students and tour groups and move on. I also enjoyed The King’s Library, as it has the most fascinating collection of first-edition books and stuffed extinct birds, reptiles, and even fish. There are also many interesting inventions, including different timepieces, a variety of measuring instruments, and much more.

Please don't miss the other parts of the museum. They have a wonderful display of Korean artifacts, things that you cannot find at any museum in America. They also follow the trail of the Silk Road trade industry, which is really quite fascinating. I really encourage you to take the British Museum in snippets. If you're in London for a week, maybe you could visit the museum in 2-hour increments two or three times that week. If you try it in one day, it could be quite overwhelming because there's such a great deal to see.

And after you've seen enough ceramic vases and ancient coins to last you a lifetime, go out and buy those famous sausages topped with grilled onions from the illegal vendors outside of the museum gates, have a seat on the steps of the museum, and take it all in. You really won't be disappointed.

Asking of the British Museum, "What's it like?", is roughly analagous to saying, "Hey, the history of the world, what's it like?" This museum is daunting and you must, MUST, take at least two days to appreciate it. If you try to run through it in a few hours, you're going to get absolutely nothing out of it and just end up exhausted and overwhelmed.

Don't try to narrow it down to highlights, either. You may walk through the main entrance saying "First the Rosetta Stone, then the Elgin Marbles, then...," but I guarantee that you'll see the Easter Island statues in the lobby and stop for those. Then on your way toward the Elgin Marbles, you'll stop and meander through another exhibit, and another. By all means, walk in with a general plan of things you MUST see, but the best idea is just to wander and get overwhelmed by the things you had no idea were there.

That said! The bowling-over starts on the outside. The building itself is impressive enough, especially with the striking half-face statues in front. Now go ahead, walk through the doors,and, WHAM, you're in the Great Court, the largest, covered public square in Europe. Look up at the ceiling - it's striking.

From here, go where you will, but some of my personal favorites:
The Elgin Marbles - these make the highlights lists, sure, but to see them in person is really something. These are bits of the Parthenon, from the frieze. Take some time to examine the detailing - it's breathtaking. And once you're done seeing the Marbles, learn a bit about the controversy surrounding them and their place in the museum instead of Greece, a modern-day colonialist conflict.

The Egyptian Collection - this entire section is engrossing. It doesn't matter if you don't know anything about Egyptian history, because this exhibition will teach you what you need to know. This is the history of one of the most powerful civilizations ever to grace the face of the earth, laid out in a museum wing. Oddly, the Rosetta Stone, for all of its historical significance, doesn't have a whole lot of impact in person - I walked past it three times before I realized what it was, and I was LOOKING for it.

The British Isles, Viking, and Celtic Exhbits - I ended up spending more time in this area the second day than the first. This is Stone- and Bronze-Age history laid right out for you, in artifact after artifact. Especially interesting, I thought, was a large, tiled panel featuring an intricate design (see photo).

All in all, the British Museum makes a "Brief History of Time" under one roof, an experience to remember. Wander through slowly, take your time, and you won't regret it.