British Library

The basics

Other highlights of the British Library include a marble sculpture of Shakespeare at the entrance, audio booths where you can listen to some of 7 million sound recordings, and a collection of ancient manuscripts and maps—some so old that America isn't yet on them. You can sign up for a free Reader Pass to access the Reading Rooms; you only need an ID with your name and address. Paid membership is also available.

Dive deeper into the British Library's history and architecture on weekly guided tours, which you can book via the website. The 1-hour Treasures Tour covers prize artifacts, while the 1-hour Building Tour focuses on the building's modern, maritime-inspired architecture. The British Library is featured on some literary tours of London, and you’ll likely pass it on black cab tours or hop-on hop-off sightseeing tours.

Things to know before you go

• Indoor and outdoor cafés at the British Library sell hot and cold drinks and snacks.

• To enter the British Library, you must undergo a security check and bag search.

• The British Library has a gift shop and a small bookshop.

• Elevators and ramps mean the entire library is accessible to people using wheelchairs.

• Use your smartphone to scan QR codes throughout the library for digital guides.

How to get there

The British Library is on Euston Road, which connects the transport hubs of Kings Cross St. Pancras and Euston. Kings Cross St. Pancras is the closest station, a 5-minute walk away. It's serviced by the Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Metropolitan, Circle, and Hammersmith & City London Underground lines. The station has step-free access.

When to get there

The British Library is open from morning until mid-evening Monday-Thursday; it closes a few hours earlier from Friday through Sunday. The exhibition space hosts a rotating roster of ticketed, themed exhibitions covering history and literature. The Treasures Tour occurs once daily and twice at weekends, while the Building Tour occurs midafternoon on Fridays and Sundays.

What to see in the Treasures of the British Library exhibition

Treasures of the British Library is a free, permanent exhibition where you can see the Magna Carta and the oldest Greek translation of the New Testament, dating back to the fourth century and written in ink derived from trees. It's also home to illustrated Chinese poems, woodblock prints of Japanese calligraphy, a section on queer lives in historical literature, early 17th-century Shakespeare folios, and more.