London Museum Shops

Museum of London (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the last few decades, museum shops have changed a lot. Where they used to be 

just an extra service where you could get your standard souvenirs in the form of key rings or postcards, they have now transformed into essential parts of the museums they serve. If you visit a museum nowadays, you should never leave out a visit to its shop to conclude your visit. Even if you don’t purchase anything, the shops and their collections are usually a sight to behold and often a miniature of the museum itself, offering affordable versions of the splendour just encountered by its public, and much more.

The British Museum

The British Museum does not just have one museum shop; it has four. First of all there is the Bookshop, but you can also dump your kids at the Family shop, while you’re 

The main block and facade of the British Museum was designed by Robert Smirke. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

emptying your wallet at either the Collection or the Culture shop. The British museum has a bookshop with books on a range of subject, including ancient and art history and archaeology as well as many curator titles. Read more.

The Science Museum

The Science Museum has two lovely 

shops. At the Science Museum Shop, which you will find at the front of the museum, you can get all your gadgets, kits, science toys and gifts. For the slightly more serious shoppers, the Science museum has its very own Waterstone's bookshop, which offers a wide range of children's and adult Science as well as related non-fiction titles. You will find this shop on the ground floor by the ticket desk of the Science Museum. Read more.

The Victoria and Albert Museum

Where most museums might provide for a museum shop just as a general service, the Victoria and Albert Museum is different. The museum shops here might be considered as part of the collection, and an experience you definitely shouldn’t leave out of your visit to the V&A. The V&A presents a wide focus on design in her collection, and has certainly not stopped the habit at their museum shop, making a visit to the V&A Shop a real treat to all you design lovers. Read more.

British Natural History Museum in London. Suomi: Britannian luonnonhistoriallinen museo, Lontoo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Natural History Museum

In 2009, Greats Gift Retailer Awards voted the Natural History Museum Shop to be Best Visitor Attraction Gift Shop, due to its spacious interior and great offer of nature inspired products. It is a nice, tranquil place to roam around and browse through the adult and children’s gifts and educational toys or Eco-related objects to all the prints and posters your heart could desire. Of course there is a variety of books and DVDs to choose from, concerning any subject to do with the natural world and even jewelry here. Read more.

Design Museum

Having roamed through the current collection in the Design Museum usually works up an appetite, not for food, but for design. Luckily, there’s the Design Museum Shop to fulfill all your cravings. The shop really has the most amazing offer of any sort or form of design you can imagine. You can get all your books, accessories, media, electronics, toys, artwork and much more here. Read more.

Museum of London

The Museum of London Shop not only offers the usual range of postcards, toys, jewellery and other gifts, it also has an impressive range of books about London. Whether you are interested in the history of London, its architecture, London fashion throughout history or more general, current information - such as where to find the best shops, restaurants, pubs, maps and guides to get you there - the Museum of London Shop has it all. Read more.

National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum has two museum shops which both offer a variety of products, as well as an online shop. The Main Museum Gift Shop is located at the main entrance on the ground floor of the Main Building. This main shop is called the Astronomy Shop, which -although the name might imply otherwise- does not only sell anything astronomical fromthe best stargazing telescopes to your very own golden flying saucer necklace, but there are also lots of other products on offer. Read more.

Museum of London (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Imperial War Museum