There is so much to love about London, especially the amazing variety of fabulous museums and galleries to visit {most of them free!}
The first one I ever visited, on my first trip to London in 1999, was the National Gallery. I was oh so excited back then to see Van Gogh's Sunflowers... remember, Wendy? {not much changes... I was feeling all fluttery again when I headed into the Van Gogh area this summer, dragging all my reluctant boys behind me!}
I love the view from the steps of the gallery. Trafalgar Square is beautiful, isn't it?
I was so excited to see one of Monet's Waterlilies paintings! It's not one of the gallery's permanent pieces, so I was thrilled to get a glimpse of it in August (always dreaming of going to Paris to see the Monets...) And a photo too! Which I wasn't really supposed to take. Ssshhh!
One Friday, we spent the entire day at museums. The boys loved the Science Museum. So many fun experiments to try. Check out the thermal imaging screen above. Can you see Alan and Dylan?
Sawyer loved the swimming fish {not really there, but projected onto the floor... You could tap the ground and cause a ripple effect in the "water"}
Finding out what it's like to walk in an animal's tracks.
One of the Apollo lunar modules! Can you believe they splashed back down to Earth in this? Amazing!
The transportation section of the Science Museum is very cool. And this plane totally reminds me of that scene in LOST. You know the one...
Another favourite of ours is the Natural History Museum. I love how it blends new and old architecture.
And the entrance is just spectacular. We rode the escalator up through the Earth a few times!
The dinosaur exhibit is the most popular. We lined up for 45 minutes to get a look at the fossils and amazingly lifelike robotic dinosaurs inside. The boys were beside themselves with excitement.
So much to look at, and to photograph!
Dylan gets a lift way up to take a closer look at the T-Rex!
The mammals exhibit is pretty cool too. I always knew the blue whale was big. But THAT big? It fills the entire hall.
We were very fortunate to spend so much time exploring the museums during our trip to London this summer, and you really couldn't beat the ticket price ;~). Alas, we didn't make it to the V&A {one of my favourites, and it was featuring a Grace Kelly exhibition, too! but you try to convince three boys to skip the dinosaurs and go look at vintage photographs of the Princess of Monaco...}, the Tate, or the British Museum this time around, but we did spend several hours at the London Transport Museum with our darling friends, Russ, Barbara, Owen and Bethany. But that's another post for another day. The photos are many!
Have you been to London? Do you have a favourite museum to visit whilst you're there?
I, too, love museums! I haven't been to London, but all of those exhibits look fabulous! Mom & I are going to Chicago next weekend, and I'm hoping for at least 1 museum during our travels. I'll take the aquarium, too, which is like a museum of water animals... : )
ReplyDeletepls tell me how to blog pics with captions as you do, thx
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I so want to go to the London Museum of Natural History! When I go (no plans yet but I will go one day!) I definitely want to make a stop there. Washingotn DC has some great ones fairly close to my home but robotic dinosaurs and riding through the earth sounds so amazing!
ReplyDeleteI have been to London, but I hate to admit I have only been to Madame Tussauds. I guess I have a lot to still see there:)
ReplyDeletethis looks like SO much fun!!! i never went to a museum when i was in london. i went to visit some friends who were going to school there so i mostly just did all the fun local stuff they loved {cough - harrods!}. but those look like awesome museums!
ReplyDeleteHa, I've got a very similar picture of my friends and I in the thermal camera at the Science Museum. Love all the London museums, looks like you had fun!
ReplyDeleteOh Erin how I love the National Gallery!!! Love the view from the steps - one of my most favourite views in all of London! Thank you so much for again taking me back to my heave on earth!! I still have such a hard time to put into words exactly what looking at your London photos does to me - it awakens such a a longing in me! Oh how I miss it! Absolutely wonderful pictures! For as expensive as London is, it's amazing that these treasures are mostly free!! It's wonderful :)
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