schmidtrossi

Going to London over Thanksgiving with 2 teenage boys. Of all the museums in London, which 2 would appeal most to teenage boys. We will be there only 6 days but have found that doing too many museums is no fun for them or us. Do any of the museums have a strong Egypt area? Also - comments on the War museum and Cabinet Room. This one sounds like it is a perfect fit for them because they are very interested in WWII.

m_kingdom2

The V&A is good if they're arty and into their fashion. The British museum has Egyptian and loads of other things.

The Imperial War museum is good if they're interested in WWII. I'd like you to take them to the Tate Modern, even if it's only for an hour or so, try to give them a different perspective on things.

azgirl

Last year my husband and I took our two teenage boys to London for their first trip there. I would highly recommend the British Museum for their extensive collection of Egyptian artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone and a fabulous collection of mummies. My sons also enjoyed the Science Museum, which is enormous, and it is next door to the Natural History Museum. My children loved the Tower of London, especially the armouries, and the London Eye.

flanneruk

If their main interests are WW2 and Egypt, then one museum HAS to be the British Museum - arguably the greatest Egyptology museum anywhere outside Cairo(and, apart from the obvious Egyptian stuff, make sure you see the Roman funerary paintings, which are all of Roman-era Egyptians). Just make sure you don't spend too much time being distracted by all the other goodies, as you'll all get sour and crotchety after a few hours. Or at least I always did as a teenager.

The choice is then between the Imperial War Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms. Actually, the CWR are so well laid-out they don't feel anything like a museum, and fit easily into the Westminster Abbey/Parliament bit. The IWM is a bit out on a limb, and feels very much like a conventional museum, though with lots of tanks and things. I think you could take them to both, and the BM, without too many tears before supper.

But for heaven's sake, don't even think of taking them to the V+A, the Tate or any other arty-farty place unless they volunteer an interest (you never know...). If 2's your limit, stick to the war places and the BM.

However, should they hint that maybe they could do just one more, try the early Italian bit of the National Gallery, or the Museum of London.

Ann41

I went to the Louvre on Sunday, and its Egyptian exhibit was strictly amateur compared with the British Museum. As others have said, the Egyptian exhibit is fantastic.

Londonholly

For teenage boys I would say Imperial war museum (even I found it interesting, and I am not very interested in war history), British Museum, Natural Histry Museum or Science Museum-or visit the HMS Belfast, a ship on the river near Tower Bridge.

ben_haines_london

I agree with replies you have had so far. For Egypt the British Museum, with Sir john Soane?s museum (Holborn tube) at lower priority. The Tower, Cabinet War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, Science Museum. If they want a survey of the history of England we have no suitable museum, but the Museum of London does the job well for the history of London. I see this as good only if they like history. Again, like flannerUK I see the Victoria and Albert as good only if they like sculpture, fine furniture, and costume, a rare taste in teenage boys.

Can we add a museum to respond to a personal taste ? We have them for nursing, surgery, banking, and other topics. If you will tell us what the boys like we my find them something related.

They could rest their feet if they find a public lecture at their level. The one that strikes me is on Wednesday 24 November at from 5pm to 6.30, on Ten things you did not know about Cuban history. It is followed by a reception and book launch for ?Cuba: a New History?. Room 329-30, Senate House, Russell Square tube. But in early November you could look at http://victorianresearch.org/lectures.html with them.

Welcome to London

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jsmith

In addition to the Egyptian galleries of the BM, the boys should also visit the adjacent Assyrian galleries. Though getting short shrift, the BM has one of the finest collections of carved stone reliefs of battles and hunting.

If I had to chose, I would take the boys to the IWM over the CWR. The WWI trench exhibit is particularly interesting.

You don't say how old the boys are. Would you trust them in the Science Museum alone while you attend the V&A? The Science Museum while I was there in March 2003 had a James Bond exhibit that would have been fun for them. Maybe here is a special exhibit this year.

Anonymous

My teen son thoroughly enjoyed the Cabinet War Rooms and Sir John Soane's -- neither is a museum in the susual sense, both of them being preserved "real places' -- the former is Churchill's underground bunker prseerved complete with his bedroom, a bank of assorted telephones, and maps with pins still in and an excellent audioguide.

Soane's museum was his home, a couple of townhouses merged together, and it's fun to picture the eccentric lifestyle in this elaborate place. It even has a treat for Egypotologists -- in his gothic basement crypt-cum-tearoom is an Egyptian queen's gigantic stone sarcophagus, which he got by outbidding the British Museum for it.

Anonymous

Sorry: susual --> usual

Kate

Some great suggestions here. A couple more - don't miss the Tower of London (not a museum, exactly, I know), and you could take a boat trip to Greenwich to where you'll find the Nationalk Maritime Museum and more importantly the Royal Observatory, where they can stand on the Greenwich Meridian line where all time zones in the world start from.

schmidtrossi

Wow, Thanks to all that took the time to reply. The boys are 13 and 18. Last year we took them to Rome and they loved it. We were careful to try and not overdo too much of anything. We still did the museums but always got a tour to be sure and hit the highlights and have someone knowlegable pull it all together. It also alllowed them to ask questions and keep them involved. It made a huge difference in what they saw and learned.
I'm not absolutely limiting it to 2 museums but do want to pick and choose and not waste any precious time.

It sounds like the Cabinet War Rooms and the Imperial War Museums are a must. Also the Britich Museum with the wonderful Egyptian display, Rosetta Stone etc.

They love James Bond so I will see if the James Bond display is still at the Science Museum.

It sounds like the V & A is out for them but since we are staying right across the street at the Rembrandt I might have to try and sneek there on my own. And yes I do trust them on their own. They ventured out in Rome several times and loved the adventure and independence it brought them. I feel this is all part of the learning experience.

We really wanted to take the climb up the tower of London but I understand tickets are not available to overseas visitors anymore. They are only available from someone living in the UK who requests them from their rep in Parliment. I am very disappointed.

I did want to be sure to go to a Theater production. I was thinking Les Mis. unless someone has better thoughts. Also I was thinking of the Globe tour ( the older one is interested in Shakespeare) but am wondering if I would be pushing it to try and sneak one of the plays in. Isn't it open air and would it even be open in NOvember? I only found the Sept/Oct schedule on the website

Keep up with the suggestions. I can see I have some very knowlegable contributers here!

Merseyheart

Is the older one interested in Shakespeare? He might like the Theatre Museum at Covent Garden. While you're there, you can take a peek at the Transport Museum as well.

PatrickLondon

schmidtrossi, you're thinking of the Clock Tower in the Houses of Parliament. The Tower of London is very different: www.hrp.org.uk

jsmith

schmidtrossi, I checked the Science Museum website and unforunately it appears the James Bond show is touring.

The Science and Natural History Museum are adjacent to the V&A and all three, like the majority of museums in London, are free. Special exhibits, however, are not. The proximity to your hotel would give the opportunity for all of you to make brief visits for a special interest.

I've always found the 4th and 5th floors of the Science Museum which house the medical sections to be particularly interesting. There is (was?) a replica of the orlop deck of a warship at Trafalgar. I'm thankful that medical instruments have improved since the middle ages.

Enjoy your trip.

jsmith

By the way, I do know Trafalgar was not the middle ages. If you know a urologist you might ask him the history behind the children's song "Friar Jacques".

PatrickLondon

Now you've really got the mind boggling, but maybe that says something about the state of my mind. What could a urologist mean by 'sonnez les matines'...?!

KidsToLondon

Others have pretty much covered the universe of museums in London. For what it is worth, my son (now 17) spend most of a day exploring the Science Museum on his own during his last visit. (He's into space, technology, etc.)

Cabinet War Rooms have always been a good choice and they have recently expanded the exhibit (with more to come). The Imperial War Museum is a bit off the beaten path for many visitors, but it also gets an endorsement from my resident teenager.

Dave White
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ben_haines_london

For J Smith: Thank you for the reference to Frere Jacques and urology. I found the connection on http://www.collectmedicalantiques.com/urology.html/. But please help us again: when was the good friar sleeping ?

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nanb

Just wanted to add that not only did my son and nephew enjoy the Imperial War Museaum, but so did my daughter and I. We were there for about 3 hrs and there is so much to see. I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.but, there are recordings of real broadcasts to listen to , there are displays of what everyday life was like , and there is contemporary war exhibits too. We all found very interesting the display with the Doomsday Clock where the hands move either towards war or away from war with different events in recent presidencies. I would very much be interested in knowing if the display has been undated to include the last two years......

I have found that if we limit ourselves to one museaum/day for a couple hrs , then the children really enjoy themselves. Then after lunch and an afternoon of goofing off, either all of us or just my daughter and I will hit another museaum very late in the day.
Although with the Imperial War museaum, they were thrilled even though it was our second one of the day.

Have a really fun time!