Museums open late in London: A complete guide to late-night opening hours across the capital

What better than a quiet evening browsing around the latest big art show?
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Art galleries and office life don’t always go hand in hand. You might be daydreaming about Dali when you’re sat at your desk, but a 9 to 5 schedule doesn’t allow much time for seeing exhibitions.

Fortunately, a number of museums and galleries now offer extended opening hours on certain nights during the week, so you can finish your day’s work, grab a bite to eat, check out the latest show, and still be home in time for the ten o’clock news.

A number of venues also put on late-night events themed around aspects of their exhibits, featuring talks, workshops, and plenty of drinks. Go for the culture, stay for the cocktails.

If you want to find out which museums stay open late for culture-lovers who have been trapped in the office all day, read on.

Royal Academy

The Royal Academy is always home to the big hitters, from David Hockney to Ai Weiwei, and it stays open until 10pm every Friday (normal hours 10am-6pm).

Tate Modern

If you want your modern art fix and want to make sure you don’t miss the Tate's latest blockbuster exhibition, it is open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday (normal opening hours 10am-6pm).

Wellcome Collection

The Wellcome Collection bring science to the masses, and previous exhibitions on sex and drugs have had people queueing for hours. If you want a sneaky science fix in your evening, the Wellcome Collection stays open until 9pm on Thursdays (normal opening hours 10am-6pm, closed on Mondays).

Barbican Centre's Art Gallery

The Barbican Centre has so much going on that you can check out their latest exhibition and you might even fit in a theatre show afterwards. The Art Gallery stays open until 9pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (normal opening hours 10am-6pm).

The museums you have to visit in London - In pictures

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V&A Museum

The V&A is one of the biggest gems on the London museum scene, and its exhibitions in recent years have been unmissable, from Christian Dior to the history of ocean liners. On Fridays, the haven of design and art is open until 10pm (normal opening hours 10am-5.45pm).

Science Museum

The Science Museum stays open late on the last Wednesday of every month. They host a themed evening full of talks, workshops, drinks and music until 10pm, and themes for future lates include Halloween, medicine, and the relationship between art and science (normal opening hours 10am-6pm).

National Gallery

The National Gallery, home to over 2,300 paintings that date from the mid-13th century to the 1900s, stays open until 9pm every Friday (normal opening hours 10am-6pm).

British Museum

The British Museum in Bloomsbury holds a vast collection of world art and artefacts, including the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles; it’s open until 8.30pm on Friday if you want to end your week with some world history (normal opening hours 10am-5.30pm).

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum stays open late on the last Friday of every month, until 10pm. Plenty of activities plus lots of drinks make it a not quite like your usual museum experience (normal opening hours 10am-5.50pm).

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