Free museums and galleries in Bloomsbury

Museum in London near Goodenough Hotel

Am I slightly obsessed with next year's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum? Quite possibly.

Will I be trying to get tickets? Absolutely.

Will I quietly wince when I see the ticket price? Also yes.

Thankfully, one of the joys of staying in Bloomsbury is that you don't need to spend a fortune to discover remarkable collections. Some of London's most fascinating museums, galleries and cultural spaces are completely free to visit, and many are just a short walk from the hotel.

Here are a few of my favourites...

The Wellcome Collection

Part museum, part gallery and entirely fascinating, the Wellcome Collection explores health, medicine and what it means to be human through an ever-changing mix of science, art and history.

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

Hidden within University College London, this extraordinary collection is packed with over 80,000 Egyptian and Sudanese artefacts. It's one of Bloomsbury's best-kept secrets.

The British Museum's Queen Elizabeth II Great Court

Even if you've visited the museum before, take a few minutes simply to enjoy the spectacular glass roof and the sense of space. It's one of London's great architectural surprises.

The Wiener Holocaust Library

The world's oldest Holocaust archive offers a moving and thought-provoking insight into one of history's darkest chapters through exhibitions, documents and personal testimony.

Abbott & Holder

Not a museum, but a delightful gallery specialising in British paintings, drawings and prints. It's the sort of place that's easy to walk past and impossible to forget once you've discovered it.

The Brunei Gallery

Part of SOAS, this gallery presents changing exhibitions celebrating the arts and cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Always worth seeing what's on.

The Horse Hospital

One of London's most wonderfully unconventional arts venues. Once a Victorian stable for injured cab horses, it's now home to an eclectic programme of exhibitions, film and independent culture.

UCL Art Museum

A hidden university collection featuring works from the fifteenth century to the present day, including an impressive representation of women artists.

And finally...

The Foundling Museum isn't free, but if you can stretch to the admission ticket, I think it's one of London's most rewarding small museums. It tells the remarkable story of the Foundling Hospital through art, music and the lives of the children it cared for, and it's only a few minutes' walk from the hotel.

Sometimes the best discoveries aren't the headline attractions. They're the places you stumble across while wandering Bloomsbury with no particular destination in mind.

If you do discover a hidden gem during your stay, I'd love to hear about it. After all, even locals are still finding new corners of this remarkable neighbourhood.