Natural History Museum

Housed in Alfred Waterhouse's spectacular terracotta building, the Natural History Museum is the pick of London's free museums for families. Free entry gets you the blue whale skeleton, 'Hope', soaring through the main hall, the ever-popular dinosaur gallery, an earthquake simulator and the glittering minerals and gemstones of the Vault. It sits within easy reach of the equally free Science Museum and V&A, so South Kensington makes an easy full day out on a budget. As with other national museums, some temporary exhibitions are ticketed and paid. Free timed entry is worth booking ahead at busy times, though walk-in is often possible off-peak; arriving at opening or in the last hour is the surest way to dodge the worst of the crowds.