Rosetta Stone is AI-generated for illustrative purposes

Top 10 Things to See at the British Museum

On our recent visit to London, Carol and I made time to return to the British Museum. With so many treasures to discover, it’s no wonder travelers often ask what the top 10 things to see at the British Museum are.

Having been there once before, we knew that one visit could never do it justice. This remarkable place holds the stories of civilizations across millennia, and walking through its halls feels like stepping into the shared memory of humanity.

Why Visit the British Museum?

Founded in 1753 and opened to the public in 1759, the British Museum is one of the oldest and greatest museums in the world. Its collection of more than eight million works spans two million years of history, representing cultures from every corner of the globe. Admission remains free, making it one of London’s most accessible treasures.

But make no mistake—the museum is vast, and walking through on your own can be an exercise in futility. We strongly recommend arranging a private or small-group tour. A knowledgeable guide helps you navigate the highlights and makes the stories behind the objects come alive.

AI-generated Image – Sutton Hoo Helmet

Top 10 Highlights

• The Rosetta Stone – Perhaps the museum’s most famous artifact; this tri-script inscription unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphs and opened a window onto a lost language and world.
• Gebelein Man – A naturally preserved mummy from around 3400 BCE, predating the pharaohs. Discovered in Egypt’s desert sands, he still retains hair and skin. Modern CT scans revealed he likely died from a stab wound—one of the earliest known murder victims.
• Egyptian Mummies – Beyond Gebelein Man, the galleries showcase mummified remains and elaborate sarcophagi that illuminate ancient beliefs about death and the afterlife.
• The Cyrus Cylinder – A 6th-century BCE clay cylinder from Persia. Its account of Cyrus the Great allowing exiled peoples to return home closely parallels the biblical record in Ezra and 2 Chronicles, offering valuable historical corroboration.
• The Elgin Marbles / Parthenon Sculptures – Iconic marble carvings from ancient Greece that once decorated the Parthenon in Athens.
• The Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs – Masterful 7th-century BCE carvings of royal hunts that communicate power, kingship, and courtly ritual.
• The Lewis Chessmen – Whimsical walrus-ivory chess pieces from 12th-century Scotland that have captured imaginations worldwide.
• The King’s Library / Enlightenment Gallery – A breathtaking 18th-century room of books and curiosities. Walking into this gallery feels like stepping into another world—I half expected to see Harry Potter tucked among the towering shelves.
• The Sutton Hoo Helmet – A ceremonial Anglo-Saxon helmet from an early-600s royal ship burial. Our guide was especially animated here, noting how Sutton Hoo helps illuminate England’s so-called “Dark Ages.” Seeing the painstaking reconstruction beside the original fragments is unforgettable.
• Hoa Hakananai‘a (Easter Island Statue) – A monumental moai from Rapa Nui, likely carved around 1200 CE. Powerful and contemplative, it represents ancestral presence and Polynesian artistry—one of the museum’s most thought-provoking pieces.

Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs

Before You Go: Bring These Treasures to Life

• The Dig (2021, Netflix) – A beautifully shot dramatization of the 1939 Sutton Hoo excavation with Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes. It captures the thrill of discovery and the human stories behind one of Britain’s greatest archaeological finds.
• Civilisations (2018, BBC) – A sweeping global series on art and culture that revisits Kenneth Clark’s classic. Episodes featuring the Parthenon Sculptures and Assyrian reliefs help place British Museum masterpieces in their wider historical context.
• The Story of God with Morgan Freeman (NatGeo) – Explores humanity’s search for meaning. The episode featuring the Cyrus Cylinder connects the object to themes of religious freedom and historical memory.
• British Museum YouTube – Short, engaging videos on highlights such as the Rosetta Stone, Gebelein Man, and Sutton Hoo are perfect primers before you step into the galleries.

Tips for Visiting

• Arrive early to avoid the heaviest crowds around the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon Sculptures.
• Book a private or small-group tour to make the most of your time and focus on what interests you most.
• Plan ahead and select your “must-see” items; you won’t see it all in a single visit.
• Don’t miss the architecture—the Great Court, redesigned by Norman Foster, is a destination in its own right.

Whether by cruise or by small-group journey, if you’d like to visit London and experience the British Museum, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.

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The featured image is an AI-generated illustration for illustrative purposes.

This article was written with the aid of Perplexity AI, Grok, or ChatGPT. Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an independent affiliate of Cadence and a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40

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