The British MuseumThe British Museum

London Attractions - British Museum - Hadrian Exhibition - Tickets

Admission to the Museum is Free

The British Museum is home to one of the world's greatest collection of antiquities, including the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone.

Founded in 1753, the British Museum is a world-renowned museum of human history and culture and is the largest and most popular museum in Britain. The museum is home to over 7 million objects from ancient Greece, Rome and Asia, as well as items from prehistoric Britain.

Highlights

The British Museum is free to all visitors, but some special exhibitions may have a charge. You need an entire day just to begin to comprehend the magnitude of the British Museum, but for those with limited time, highlights include ....

Great Court
The two-acre square, enclosed by a spectacular glass roof, transforms the Museum's inner courtyard, with the world-famous Reading Room at its centre, into the largest covered public square in Europe.

Reading Room
The Reading Room stands at the heart of the Museum, in the Great Court. This research library has been a centre of learning since the nineteenth century, used by celebrated writers and scholars including Karl Marx, Bram Stoker and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but it is now open to the public and is regularly used to house major exhibitions.

Rosetta Stone
The 2200 year old Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 and has been exhibited in the British Museum since 1802. One of the most significant archaeological finds in recent history, the Rosetta Stone was the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Elgin Marbles
The Elgin Marbles, also called the Parthenon Marbles, are part of a collection of marble sculptures that once decorated the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. Acquired by Lord Elgin during his time as ambassador to the Ottoman court in Istanbul, the marbles were shipped to England and, in 1816, were purchased by the British Parliament and presented to the British Museum.

The Elgin Marbles have embroiled the British Museum in a growing controversy and many argue that the museum should return these artistic masterpieces to Greece.

Hadrian: Empire and Conflict

A special exhibition exploring the life, love and legacy of Hadrian (AD 117–138), Rome's most enigmatic emperor.

Ruling an empire that comprised much of Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East, Hadrian was a capable and, at times, ruthless military leader. He realigned borders and quashed revolt, stabilising a territory critically overstretched by his predecessor, Trajan. Hadrian had a great passion for architecture and Greek culture. His extensive building programme included the Pantheon in Rome, his villa in Tivoli and the city of Antinoopolis, which he founded.

This special and unprecedented exhibition runs from 24 July to 26 October 2008 and will provide fresh insight into the sharp contradictions of Hadrian’s character and challenges faced during his reign.

Tickets to the exhibition can be purchased online through TicketSwitch.

Hadrian: Empire and Conflict	Standard Price	Our Price
Adults	£13.00	£13.00
Children (16-18)/Students (with ID)	£11.00	£11.00

Book Here!

Prices include a £1 booking fee.

Admission is free to children under 16, when accompanied by a paying adult.

Directions & Opening Hours

British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Closest Underground: Tottenham Court Road (Central & Northern Lines)

Opening Hours:
Opens Daily from 10.00am until 5.30pm
Selected galleries open late on Thursdays and Fridays
Museum Closed 1 January, Good Friday, 24, 25, 26 December

Location Map

Please note - tickets purchased online are not refundable.