Find free things to do in London, museums and parks
Explore London with kids without stretching your budget. This guide gathers easy, central picks for free family activities and free things to do in London, from hands on urban farms and contemporary galleries to compact museums and hidden Roman ruins. Find child friendly trails, calm play areas, and interactive displays that make history and art feel like play. Head out early to beat queues, start your day with a museum visit, and relax in a nearby park or farm cafe. Use short walks to link stops, or follow family routes across a single neighbourhood. Whether you are hunting the best free museums London has, or scouting free attractions London families love, this London guide for families helps you plan simple, rewarding days together.
Whitechapel Gallery
Image / Whitechapel Gallery -
Contemporary art in an early 20th-century Whitechapel building.
Good for
What to expect
Curation tends to be thoughtful and deliberately paced, with room to stand back and take installations in. You will find a mix of media, from photography and sculpture to time-based work and film. Staff are welcoming and galleries include quieter seating areas for reading or reflection. The building’s interiors give generous ceiling height and natural light in many rooms.
Plan your visit
Check the gallery website before you go to see which shows require a ticket. If a major exhibition is on, book in advance. Bring a small bag you can carry and wear comfortable shoes for walking between rooms. Allow time to sit and take in slower works rather than rushing from room to room.
Spitalfields City Farm
Image / Spitalfields City Farm
Shoreditch's little green haven, where city streets give way to friendly farm life.
Good for
What to expect
Expect a relaxed, community-led atmosphere, with volunteers caring for a mix of small and larger animals including goats, donkeys and rabbits. Rustic yards and flowered beds reveal productive vegetable plots and informative signs, giving a real sense of urban growing and animal rescue. Helpful volunteers often chat to visitors about the animals, children enjoy the play area, and the farm shop showcases produce grown on site. Entry is free, and donations help keep the sanctuary running.
Plan your visit
Plan for an easy stroll from Brick Lane or a short hop from Whitechapel station, bring comfortable shoes for uneven paths and some small change for donations or the farm shop. The site suits buggy users on the main paths, children love the animal corners, and photographers will find plenty of rustic details. Check the farm's website for the latest visitor information before setting off.
Guildhall
Image / Guildhall London | Venue Hire
Step into London’s living history: grand halls, world-class art and a hidden Roman amphitheatre.
Good for
What to expect
Expect dramatic interiors, vaulted ceilings and stained glass alongside an intimate gallery of paintings and visiting shows. Descend to the basement to see the Roman amphitheatre remains, a surprising slice of ancient London. Friendly, informed guides offer free tours that add context to the displays. Cloakrooms and lockers keep visits unencumbered, allowing a relaxed, browsable experience in a building that has shaped the City for centuries.
Plan your visit
Head out from central London by Tube or on foot, then follow signs to the Great Hall and gallery. Bring a small bag for the cloakroom, and wear sensible shoes for the basement stairs. Combine this stop with nearby City sights for a full morning or afternoon. Check the website ahead for any special exhibitions and accessibility details.
Whitechapel Gallery
Image / Web
Bold exhibits, historic shell: contemporary art that sparks conversation around every corner.
Good for
What to expect
Expect striking, high-ceilinged spaces that frame contemporary work with dramatic clarity. Programmes alternate between major retrospectives and experimental commissions, at times spotlighting performance and activist practices. Gallery labels can be concise, so allow time to linger or ask staff for extra context. A calm café and curated shop provide places to reflect, making visits both thought-provoking and pleasantly social.
Plan your visit
Allow time for slow discovery: explore the main galleries, browse the shop and pause in the café. Book tickets for special exhibitions in advance, wear comfortable shoes for long galleries and check accessibility options if needed. Arriving earlier in the day usually makes for a quieter, more contemplative visit.
Dennis Severs' House
Image /
Step into candlelit rooms, follow silent footsteps, and discover a living tableau of 18th-century London.
Good for
What to expect
Expect a carefully staged, candlelit journey through rooms arranged as if their occupants have just left. Period furniture and layered textiles are paired with evocative smells and discreet soundscapes to heighten immersion. Visits are intentionally quiet: photography and touching objects are not permitted, and staff maintain a low profile to preserve atmosphere. The effect is intimate and contemplative, with striking contrasts between lavish and modest chambers.
Plan your visit
Book tickets in advance, as slots often sell out. Arrive promptly for a calm introduction, choose a quieter slot for a more reflective visit, and bring spectacles for low lighting. Wear sensible footwear for narrow stairs and uneven floors, respect the no-photography and no-touching rules, and leave time to explore the surrounding streets.
Bank of England Museum
Image / Britain Express
Follow a gold bar, hold history, and trace money's story through London's financial heart.
Good for
What to expect
Expect a tight, smart exhibition that explains how money is made and why banks matter. See rare banknotes, coins and archival documents, step into a recreated 18th-century banking office, and try hands-on displays that bring concepts to life. A supervised chance to handle a gold bar is a memorable moment. Children can follow a trail with simple prizes, and an audio guide adds clear context. Routine security checks are in place on entry.
Plan your visit
Plan to arrive by public transport and allow a little extra time for security checks. Pick up a map or use the museum audio guide on your phone to follow the displays. Take the family trail if visiting with kids. No eating or drinking inside, so head to nearby cafés afterwards. Combine the stop with a walk around the Square Mile for more City sights.
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Image / City of London
Descend beneath Guildhall Yard, stand among ancient stones and imagine London’s gladiatorial past.
Good for
What to expect
Descend into an atmospheric, subterranean space where original stone walls, entrance tunnels and patches of arena surface bring Roman London to life. Thoughtful lighting and digital overlays outline the amphitheatre’s full footprint, while interactive panels and informed guides supply context and vivid stories. Above ground, a black tiled band in Guildhall Yard traces the lost perimeter, providing an immediate comparison of past and present. The experience is intimate and highly visual, rewarding slow, curious exploration.
Plan your visit
Begin at the Guildhall Gallery to orientate and check tour options, then descend to explore both the preserved remains and their reconstructions. Guided tours offer deeper archaeological insight, while a self-led wander suits those who prefer to linger. Pause above ground to follow the black tiled outline and picture the amphitheatre’s full scale. Wear comfortable footwear for steps and low-light spaces.
Spitalfields Charnel House
Image / A Peace of London - WordPress.com
Gaze through pavement glass into 13th-century stonework, a hidden layer of London life.
Good for
What to expect
Step down from the plaza to view preserved masonry from the 13th century, presented behind glass with clear interpretation panels and a 3D digital rendering for extra context. The display is compact but carefully curated, with stairs and a lift providing access for most visitors. Above ground, the modern setting frames the ruins, making for an atmospheric contrast between street life and buried history. The site is best enjoyed slowly, reading the plaques and taking time to imagine earlier centuries.
Plan your visit
Combine this stop with a Spitalfields walk, pausing to read the explanatory panels and scan the 3D render online for a fuller picture. Descend via the stairs or lift for a closer view, then linger on the plaza to absorb the unusual meeting of old stone and contemporary city life. Keep voices low, respect the display, and allow a few spare minutes for reflection.