British Library

British Library

British Library
4.5
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Open to all visitors seven-days-a-week, this superb building by Sir Colin St John Wilson offers events, special exhibitions and a Treasures Gallery that displays over 200 items, including Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible and lyrics by the Beatles.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Kings Cross
How to get there
  • King's Cross St. Pancras • 4 min walk
  • Euston • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • clh333
    Norwich, United Kingdom172 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing fantasy exhibition! Shame about the cafe experience. Still a great place
    We visited for the fantasy exhibition and it was absolutely superb. As a huge fan of fantasy, fairy tale and gothic I could have spent all day there. Our two young children enjoyed it too. This is a great place - but not five stars as it was impossible to get a drink and a sit down in any of the cafes. One was shut entirely, the others had very limited seating/were very busy. It was just a shame as we really wanted a drink a rest before staying longer but ended up leaving and going somewhere else.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 February 2024
  • Bluebellplasnewydd
    Cardiff, United Kingdom2,056 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pigott Theatre
    I attended a talk on design of the sets for the films Barbie and Anna Karenina led by the two set artists and supplemented by film. It was fascinating and enlightening. Just as amazing was the Pigott Theatre which was the most comfortable theatre I have sat in. Masses of foot space with excellent audio-visuals and supportive chairs. A professional performance with a superb compere.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 February 2024
  • Bon viveur
    London, United Kingdom2,483 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Much more than a library
    I’m not sure why it’s been many years since I last visited. It’s a very special place with creative energy. On a Monday afternoon it was really busy with studious people occupying every available workstation. The Treasure gallery is full of wonderful exhibits. of course, the Magna Carta is the star, but I also enjoyed more modern displays including a depiction of Bangladeshi women’s integration into British life.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 11 March 2024
  • therichastill
    Stevenage, United Kingdom3,527 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Place of Study
    The British Library is on Euston Road and is next to St Pancras station and Euston and Kings Cross stations are close by. Behind the library is the Francis Crick Institute as well. The library is very busy and as well as having books there are lots of places to study. When I visited virtually every place that you could study was occupied. There are cafes around the building but they stipulate that these are places to eat or drink and not for studying. They have regular exhibitions here and there is a decent gift shop selling library related souvenirs and books.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 16 March 2024
  • Colleen S
    9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    All the World's a Stage
    The British Library Treasures Tour is as expected an intellectually oriented tour. Prior to the tour, it is helpful to know some background about King John 1 of England, the reason for the Magna Carta, some familiarity with authors, Shakespeare and C.S. Lewis, and some basic ideas of Christian, Jewish, Muslim faiths. Our guide was youthful, cheerful and knowleadgeable.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 March 2024
  • Myrvin C
    22 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Seeing the Shakespeares and The Beatles
    Staff very helpful. They loaned us a wheelchair. Several lifts. I came here for the exhibition including a Shakespeare first folio, and a second, third and fourth. Other exhibits are also interesting; including a Magna Carts, and a section on The Beatles. Unfortunately, the Diamond Sutra wasn't there, but the two very old Bibles were. A tip for the thirsty: the café at the entrance charges £3.50 for tea, while the upstairs restaurant is cheaper. The other café was closed.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 April 2024
  • liucy752
    Taipei, Taiwan1,810 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historical treasures
    The Sir John Ritblat Gallery in the British Library displays many historical treasures. There are original works of great writers, poets, musicians and artists, as well as precious manuscripts, original printed works and rare books. It was so exciting to see Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and the Beatles’ drafts. I lingered in the gallery for a long time.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 April 2024
  • Ann C
    Nashville, Tennessee3,368 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    British Library
    In only two rooms you will find treasures of Western civilization, from early bibles (including one of the oldest complete bibles in existence-AD 350) to Shakespeare to Lewis Carroll to the Magna Carta. There are also historic maps, art and science documents as well as manuscripts by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin. Unfortunately, I could not see the Magna Carta because the day previous to my visit was an incident that caused them to close off the room. The staff was unsure when the Magna Carta room would be open for viewing again. That said, the rest of the literary treasures are well worth viewing.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 May 2024
  • Carolyn B
    Bloomingdale, New Jersey838 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't miss this!
    Don't miss this! One of the best places we visited. You'll see the original Magna Carta, the Shakespeare first folio, original scores of Mozart, the Beatles, drawings of Da Vinci. It's pretty overwhelming.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 20 May 2024
  • MidwestKathM
    Detroit, Michigan1,131 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A National Library is a national treasure...and its Treasury Gallery is worth a visit!
    As a lover of books and libraries, a visit to the British Library during our most recent visit to London was in order. It is the largest public building in the United Kingdom, taking some 25 years to construct, from 1962 to 1997. As such, it houses more than 150 million items across its 14 floors amongst the various buildings. We went in just to admire the architecture and the art, see the rare book vaults, and visit the British Library Treasures Gallery to see some of the BL's most significant items such as ancient religious manuscripts, handwritten music by Mozart, lyrics to some of the Beatles' songs, a notebook maintained by Jane Austen, historical documents such as letters by the Kings and Queens of England, and even the Magna Carta. There is no admission fee to visit. Don't forget to walk about the outdoor plaza too.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 June 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4,046 reviews
Excellent
2,669
Very good
1,055
Average
222
Poor
63
Terrible
37

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Ruby Rowallan
39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Solo
I have visited the BL a few times in the last month or so as I have a reader ticket for a research project.

I've used the reading rooms, cafe and visited the Treasures exhibition.

I have never met so many lovely, polite, helpful, knowledgable staff at any establishement anywhere in the world in the past 50 years. I'm not sure if they are wildly overpaid or hypnotised but it's the sort of professional service that you don't get anywhere else. It's the six-star hotel of libraries; a parallel universe or a trip back in time.

Even the loo cleaner lady says "good afternoon" with a smile. Everyone knows what they are doing, goes the extra mile to get your reader ticket issued when you arrive with two minutes left before closing, checks your bag without looking at you like you are a terrorist and serves food, drinks, shop gifts etc. in a professional manner.

Food and drink is very good value. Coffee is very good. There are drinking fountains at various points and lockers if you have a reader ticket.

The service to order books from the collection to one of the readng rooms is efficient and this can be done online and usually only takes 48 hours to get books brought up from the extensive underground storage. I am looking forward to the opportunity to go on a backstage tour at some point.

You can sit in one of the very many public seating areas without a reader ticket. There are various kinds including bench eting, small tables, individual lecture-style chairs with fold out desks and power sockets, larger four-seater booths, again wiht power and free internet access for general use and to acess the digital collections.

Depending on the time of your visit you may not get your first choice of places to sit so go early if you want something specific.

The building is clean, easy to navigate and has plenty of accessible options such as lifts and excalators as well as stairs.

The central artium is a stunning display of rare books donated by Geroge III in a multi floor bookcase in glass. Wonderous!

I only regret living 30 minutes away and not going sooner.
Written 10 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cornelia B
Province of Parma, Italy21 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
The British Library is a place not to be missed. Easy to get to by tube (Euston stop). It brings together a collection that ranges from the 13th century Magna Carta to printed works and manuscripts by contemporary authors from all over the world and allows you to spend pleasant moments in an environment full of stimuli. It is possible to eat inside, sitting comfortably at the tables among the young students and using the services. Entrance is free and the Bookshop has excellent prices for those who want to buy some souvenirs of London. We recommend it to everyone!
Google
Written 8 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

The Codnor Traveller
Codnor, UK214 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
The British Library is one of the most important buildings in the entire British Isles, such is the invaluable role it plays in what is left of British society.

They, to quote them directly, "build, curate and preserve the nation's collection of published, written and digital content."

And what a collection it is. We made straight for their 'Treasures/Exhibitions' which are located on the first floor up, in The Sir John Ritblat Gallery and the PACCAR galleries - both of which are accessible through the same door.

In here we found a mind-boggling collection of treasures on display, including first, second, third and fourth folios by Shakespeare, a 9th Century French Bible beautifully illustrated, a 16th Century Bible belonging to none other than King Henry VIII himself, love poetry hand written by the great artist Michelangelo, hand written study notes by Leonardo Da Vinci, and the sheet music for Mozart's String Quartet in D Major written in his own hand.

This is but a sample of the amazing things to be found here. There is also a copy of the Magna Carta here, however that was inaccessible when we were there, however I shall most assuredly be coming back to again to see it.

The rest of the building is just as incredible in it's own way. With over 400 miles of shelving, it is easy to see why it's almost impossible not to find what you're looking for here.

The enormous amount of storage required for their vast collection is met via the aforementioned shelving mostly located in the four vast basements below the building. These are the deepest basements in the UK, reaching a whopping 24 metres below ground.

Readers/researchers can make use of one of the 1277 desks to be found in their reading rooms, or alternatively in the more relaxed environment of one of their 150 open working spaces.

It feels so airy and fresh in this building, which I suppose is not entirely surprising, given that it is a relatively modern building. Opened in November 1997, this building is the youngest building ever to acquire Grade 1 listed status by Historic England.

I had a terrific time here - from looking at what is effectively Da Vinci's homework, to studying their racks upon racks of banknotes and postage stamps in their philately section - and I cannot wait to return.

Returning is going to be no bind either, as it is located a stones throw away from St Pancras Station, which is where I enter and exit London.

If you've never been here before (like I hadn't), then I urge you to do so. It's hugely impressive, hugely important, and if nothing else, it's free.
Written 30 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

violet339
London, UK406 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Friends
The coffee shop on the second floor has become a really hostile place operated by a member of staff who seems to think it's some kind of security checkpoint or militarised zone.
On entering the area one is immediately pounced upon and told "the rules". Thereafter, one observes this kind of guard on constant patrol, going table to table, interrogating people as to their purchases. On encountering any kind of resistance, the guard shouts, hands on hips, leaning forwards, seemingly ready to fight! She usually gets her way, as bullies sadly do, but if she doesn't, threats are made such as "you won't get away with it again" and "you'll need a receipt next time". Young people seem to be particularly targeted and repeatedly approached for completely random things that have nothing at all to do with this person who's obviously on a massive powertrip.
The food and drink on offer is mediocre and overpriced which is presumably why they have to resort to these kinds of tactics.
Written 26 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

morlandmonk
Devon, UK242 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2025 • Couples
Worth a visit but overall very disappointing. All but one of the staff we encountered were at best indifferent and in two cases rude. We did the medieval women exhibition which was so packed we couldn’t get to all of the exhibits, a comment overheard several times whilst there, and many of the descriptions were unreadable due to low lighting and poor choice of fonts and colours. What I could get to was really interesting and offered a fascinating insight.
The treasures of the museum exhibit was mostly empty cases with a few interesting pieces scattered around, but it felt very much an afterthought rather than the treasures we were promised.
We had planned to eat at the library but the restaurant was closed and the seating for both cafes were taken up with students (none of whom appeared to be cafe customers!).
Written 2 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Herbert T
Cambridge UK45 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
Went to see the Treasures Gallery, and it was rather a disappointment. About a fifth of the exhibits were replaced with "temparily removed" signs. Why not at least replace them with large clear photographs of the missing exhibits?
It felt behind the times in terms of signage and interpretation panels. For example, having a copy of Magna Carta creates opportunities for engagement such as photographic enlargement (the text is tiny), a full or partial transcript, a full or partial modern translation or perhaps an actor reading out key passages?
It wouldn't cost a great deal to transform the gallery - it mainly requires time, energy and imagination.
Written 23 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ae837
Tennessee363 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
The Magna Carta room was closed during our visit, limiting the collection you could view. While interesting even only seeing that, it’s essentially one room of literary artifacts … there’s SO much to do in London, I might consider skipping this stop in favor of something else. That said, they had things organized in an interesting way.

Highlights include handwritten Beatles lyrics, a bunch of old iterations of the Bible, a homework tablet from like 2 AD from Egypt, some Michelangelo and Da Vinci writings, a Canterbury Tales from like 1410. Other stuff too of course, but those were a few high profile ones! A huge exhibit of like stamps from every country and time period pretty much. I’m just not sure it warrants a spot on the itinerary if you’re only in the city for a few days.
Written 19 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alscot
Farnham, UK114 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Friends
I visited the Medieval Women exhibition with a friend. It is terric with exquisit illuminated manuscripts, some of which are nearly 1,000 years old and still looking like new. Much has been said about how women are airbrushed from history, but this goes a tiny way to redressing the balance by looking at women's lives, influence and work. My friend and I spent a couple of hours there and really appreciated that, as with other exhibitions at the British Library, it wasn't overcrowded, so well done on ticket allocation.

Two things we would have liked: more translations of the manuscripts - there was plenty of signage room for this and also to be able to buy the amazing scent of the hair product, which was glorious.

A great day out.
Written 26 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Clive W
Orpington1,993 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
This exhibition at the British Library uses a diverse range of exhibits including contemporary letters, books, maps, portraits, artefacts and manuscripts. These have come from a wide range of sources. The exhibition uses the exhibits to illuminate and explain the relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth 1, based on the significant historical events and people of the time. A lot of concentration, excellent eyesight and thorough reading of explanatory notices are needed so this exhibition is only for those really interested in history and willing to spend time on the detail. I was there about 2 hours. I walked from Euston, which took about 5 minutes.

Particularly appealing were the book Elizabeth, as a young girl, translated for Katharine Parr, Elizabeth’s ring with Ann Boleyn’s image inside, the signatures on the letters and the portraits.

However amazing the exhibits, the ticket system is dreadful which explains my 4* rating.. I booked for 12.30 as this was one of the three permitted times showing when I booked. There was a long queue at 12.30 which didn’t seem to move. Upon investigation, I found out that everyone was waiting to view the first exhibit so I went to the end of the exhibition and worked backwards! After about 20 minutes the entrance exhibits were free of people. It would be much better to have 15 minute timed entry slots to disperse the visitors. I paid £8 as 60+, half of the full price £16. This now seems to have changed. Entry is £18, £9 for 60+ but with a £2 reduction Mon-Wed.

Also, it would have been helpful to have more of the manuscripts and letters transcribed for easy reading. Magnifying glasses would be useful and I saw a very sensible visitor had brought his own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and found it mentally stimulating.
Written 28 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Madan Gopal M
Bengaluru, India8,429 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
One of the largest National Libraries in the world, this iconic institution is a repository of more than 200 million items from all over the world, books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts, sound recordings, videos, philately collection, patents, drawings and more, this is most impressive Public Library that encourages promotion of knowledge and information in all respects, we are fortunate to visit during 50th year of its establishment. The special exhibition that was open to visitors contains various types of books, manuscripts, drawings from across the world from antiquity and most respected. Entry to the Library is free but special permission is required for those in pursuit of research.
Written 9 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BRITISH LIBRARY (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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