Opening times
Daily: 10.00–17.00 (Fridays 20.30)
See full opening hours
Advance booking advised
Gallery audio guides
Listen on the Audio app, available on the App Store and Google Play.
At the centre of the British Museum is the Great Court, the largest covered public square in Europe.
Enclosed under a spectacular glass and steel roof, the court contains a number of sculptures from the Museum's collection. The sculptures on display introduce the cultures represented in the galleries beyond and include examples from fifth-century Ireland, late Ming Dynasty China, ancient Nimrud (now in Iraq) and the Greek and Roman empires.
The Great Court surrounds the famous Reading Room, a space that has been hailed as one of the great sights of London. It was once a world-famous centre of learning with famous readers, including Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and even Lenin.
Take a virtual tour
Walk through the magnificent Great Court using Google Street View.