Bank of England Museum

First time visiting a museum like this and I actually found it really interesting. It is free to enter and gives a cool look into how money works and how the Bank shapes the economy not just in UK but globally. Lifting the gold bar was fun, didn’t expect it to be that heavy haha, and learning how banknotes are designed and printed was surprisingly cool. We also saw a group of school kids on a field trip which made the whole vibe even nicer. Worth stopping in if you’re nearby, takes about an hour to finish and no need to book. Check out the gift shop!!!

We had a wonderful time visiting the Bank of England Museum. It's a thoughtfully curated space that offers a fascinating insight into the history of the Bank and its role in the economy. The exhibits are informative and well-presented, with a good balance of historical detail and interactive elements. What stood out most was how family-friendly the museum is. The children particularly enjoyed the hands-on activities and interactive displays — they found it both fun and educational. It's a great way to introduce young minds to the world of money, banking, and history in an engaging and accessible way. Overall, the museum offers an enriching experience for visitors of all ages. It's well worth a visit if you're in London and looking for something both educational and enjoyable.

A top pick for a free museum in London! The Bank of England Museum is perfect for anyone interested in economics and finance, offering interactive learning for students and kids. It's small, quick to explore, and you even get to lift a real gold bar!

The Bank of England Museum is a real gem for anyone interested in financial history and beyond! The engaging exhibits trace the evolution of Britain’s banking system from 1694 to the present day. Particularly impressive is the chance to hold a real gold bar and see rare banknotes, coins, and historical documents. Interactive displays and a recreated 18th-century banking office make the visit lively and fascinating, including for kids. Free entry and a prime location in the heart of London’s City are huge bonuses. A fantastic place to learn something new and feel the spirit of financial history!

A nice museum to visit in London, informative and well curated explaining the history of the bank. It also has some informative exhibitions around the future of money. We visited on a Thursday evening, minimal wait time and it's free entry.

I have heard and planned for this visit for a long time so was pleased I finally got to the museum in the week. It was a weekday and we arrived walking from Canon street station. There was a queue at the front, manned by a security guard who reassured we didn’t have long to wait. There is a thorough bag search on entry with body scan. The lady at the reception mentioned a trail with a prize we got one per family with pencils to find letters along the museum. We took a map to know where we were going. Toilets and changing facilities are available and there’s were near and tidy. We won a gold bar pin for completing the trail around the museum. There’s no eating or drinking permitted so simply a visit and we went out for lunch. It is free entry and no tickets or booking is required just arrive and queue.

It was very interesting museum which shows the history of the Bank of England and British Pound. it was really cool to check how havy us a golden bar.

Not a must-see museum, but still interesting. There is information about the the history of the Bank of England, the building, and of money in general. One cool thing was the station where you can lift a gold bar (it wieighs 13 kg).

Very informative and great customer service. Several hundred year of history. It's free to visit. Very kids friendly.

A nice little museum to visit for free. I came because there was a 2 hour wait to exchange paper money to the new notes due to the old paper notes not being in circulation anymore. So it's worth a visit while your friend is in line. However, not worth making a trip just to see the museum but a good excursion whilst in the area.

This is a very good free museum located at the actual Bank of England building. If you are at all interested in currency, banking or history you will have a great time here. It's amazing to learn the importance of money in history and this really illustrates that well in addition to learning about modern currency. You can also touch and lift a giant bar of gold for a cool photo op! They also have clean restrooms and a nice (but small) gift shop. Be prepared for security screening before you enter.

The security in this bank was high. There were 3 to 4 security personnel checking guests at the entrance. I am good with it as safety is always important. I gave it only 3 stars because the tellers were not too friendly. They seemed not to be too excited working there. This bank needs employees who are still excited and happy to have their job.

While doing one of Rick Steves' self-guided walking tours from his book, we passed by this museum. It was Sunday, so it was closed (it's only opened on weekdays), but I was in town still on Monday, so I decided to return (I've been to London loads, so I've been to most of the heavy hitter sights already). It's free to enter, and you'll view exhibits on historic currency, the Bank of England's history, and even get to hold and pick up a genuine gold brick (which was the coolest part of the museum). I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to come here unless you're really into history (especially regarding financial institutions), but it's worth a quick visit if you're in the area. The museum isn't too big. I read almost every sign (well all of the big, featured signs - not the little signs regarding every artifact), and I was there about an hour. The museum has a good layout and is easy to follow.

This museum is incredibly well done and free, so there's nothing not to like! We came for the Museums at Night, and had a brilliant 10 minute historical overview of key events and milestones by Alison. It was given at a level that all could understand, a potentially difficult thing to do (especially when describing the 2007 crisis). The displays are well laid out and entertaining for adults and kids alike. You can even hold a real gold bar (through glass and with CCTV, of course!) It's a great way to spend an hour in the financial district.

The reason I landed at this museum was because the Bank of England was having an open day and we were really keen to see the interiors of the bank. the Bank itself is a beautiful historical building, but photography isn't allowed inside. Suffice to say, that we weren't unhappy about waiting in queue for 2 hours to see inside the bank. The museum is open to tourists regularly and isn't hard to get into. There is loads and loads of information on banking in England and how currency has changed over the ages and you even get to lift a gold bar (albeit by putting your hand inside a container) The shop had some interesting souvenirs, piggy banks shaped as gold bars. Penny Farthing cycle prints with pennies and farthings. I'd budget half an hour to an hour for this museum unless you are seriously interested in the subject. Would I go back to this museum? not really. Once was enough.

FREE! A visit here is a nice way to spend an hour or two to learn about the history of the Bank of England and its role in the UK economy. Nice exhibits and gift shop.

Really really interesting museum on the history of the Central bank, the gold standard and currency, and monetary policy in England. I know, don't roll your eyes. It is not for everyone. You actually may learn something. There are interactive activities for those who don't like to read. Sort of off the beaten path and probably not a tourist must-see, but it is definitely worth the time and effort. Get off at Bank stop. It's free and I mention that it is really really interesting? From here you can pop over to the Leadenhall market for drinks and a bite to eat, only about 5 minutes walk.

It started as quickly as it ended. When I walked in, I was greeted warmly by the people that check your bag, all smiles, good job!! Then by the person at the info desk, she even offered me a map, so that made all the difference. By the looks of the map, it looked pretty big, so I was like, "Oh no...i hope i don't spend hours here" No, you won't you'll spend like an hour. There's interactive games throughout the museum, and I looked for the "no camera" sign after leaving the info desk..couldn't find it, then saw it when I hit the middle of the museum, AFTER i took pics..omg. It was when I reached the GOLD bar that I saw it and was like "oopss". But you get to touch a real gold bar? How many times in your life will that happen? Then I saw many different types of gold bars, even the process in making it from the stamper...to the most commonly traded gold bars. I saw the 1/2 pence coin that I heard about from school, and how they stopped making that. And 1000 pound notes. And forged notes and all that jazz. It was quite cool. The museum is quite small but there's so much to see, life size figures of Pitt and Fox. Definitely good to take a look as you can see the currency from the past. And they sell quills at the gift shop!

I work near the Bank of England so have always been keen to visit the museum, usually it's opening hours are when I'm in work but I finally managed to get in as part of the Open House weekend. If you ever get a chance to go on a wider tour of the Bank it is worth doing from the statue of William III which is so heavy it can only be situated in a couple of places to a Roman mosaic found in the ground when the bank was rebuilt in the 1930s it is full of interesting stuff. The Museum itself gives a good account of the history of the Bank along with the old money (I'm glad I wasn't around when a £ was 240 pence) and various exhibits to show how the decisions made here influence the wider economy. The highlight is being able to pick up (under watchful eyes) a gold bulion bar worth £428,000 at today's prices.

A whimsical look on currency, counter fitting, and production processes. The caricature and cartoons are the best part.

Free entrance museum for money and monetary systems. Nice, compact, comprehensive and informative. Most enjoyable though for smaller ages interested to learn how bank system works and how money are issued - diddn't feel that extra that I was expecting. Fun part; have your first (I suppose soo) closeup to a real gold bar - put your hands on it and have your fisrt (and last I suppose again) feeling on how a gold bar is. Unlike to most London's museums, it is open only weekdays up to 17.00, so if you are working full time seems a bit difficult to be able to pay a visit.

The museum tells the story of the Bank through documents, silver, paintings, banknotes, coins and photos. If you're interested in the Bank's history and how it came to take on its pivotal role in the economy, this is the place for you. If not you'll still find some interesting artefacts here and the building is impressive, so worth a whizz round. Admission is free. The a display of gold was a highlight for me, particularly the ingot you can pick up - probably the only time I'll hold that much wealth in my hand.

So, it's the height of summer, rainy outside, and I need somewhere to go with the kids to kill an hour or two before lunch. I would prefer someplace free, and easily accessible on the Central line. The Bank of England Museum seemed to fit the bill, and so we headed out, prepared to be somewhat amused, and somewhat bored. Wrong on that last count! This museum is really great. When we arrived, I asked about activities for kids at the information desk, and they gave us 2 copies of a trail through the museum for 5-7 year olds. Perfect! (They also have trails for up to age 14.) The children both enjoyed following the trail, and also doing some of the supplementary activities. They had a mocked-up hot air balloon with a computerized game attached to teach kids about inflation. There was also a safe with little tokens inside. You answered the three questions (using information contained in the surrounding exhibits) to turn the safe knobs, and the safe would pop open so you could grab a token. The children liked seeing the old-style pence (when there were 240 to a pound), florins, guineas, and hand-written bank notes (I did, too). There was a cool exhibit on forgery, and a gold bar that you could touch, and try to lift (it weighs 28 pounds). The children also liked the exhibits on the history of money, and seeing an inking roll that is used to print £50 notes. At the end of the tour, they turned in their tokens, and each received a pin, which thrilled them to no end. Educational + fun = winning museum, in my book. I really recommend this, particularly to families.