British Library, London

The British Library in London is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is also one of the World's greatest libraries and contains an astonishing 150 million items with a copy of every new publication in the UK and Ireland being added to the collection each year.

The library is open to everyone who has a genuine need to use its collections and a reader pass needs to be obtained before you can access the reading rooms.

The library houses a diverse collection of material inlcuding manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints and drawings, music scores, and patents. Some from as early as 300 BC.

The general public can see important works like the Magna Carta, Captain Cook's journal, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures Under Ground, Jane Austen's History of England and Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, for free in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery.

There are also changing exhibitions open to the general public which are also free of charge.

Opening Times

Exhibition galleries and shop open every day from 9:30 (although closed for seasonal holidays)

Closing times Mon/Wed/ Thur/ Fri at 18:00 Tue-20:00 and Sat/Sun 17:00

Visit website for more information

Ticket Prices

Free

Disabled Facilities

Visit website for more information

More Information

Telephone: 0870 444 1500
Email: customer-Services@bl.uk

Visit website for more information