In 1753, an Act of Parliament created the world’s first free, national, public museum that opened its doors to ‘all studious and curious persons’ in 1759. Initially, visitors had to apply for tickets to see the museum’s collections during limited visiting hours. In effect, this meant entry was restricted to well-connected visitors who were given personal tours of the collections by the museum’s Trustees and curators.

From the 1830s onwards, regulations were changed and opening hours were extended. Gradually, the museum became truly open and freely accessible to all and we now welcome more than 6 million local and international visitors to the museum every year. Our extensive touring exhibition and loans programme means that millions of people also see the museum’s collections at venues across the UK and worldwide.

Over the next 260 years, the museum’s wide-ranging collections have grown to about eight million objects covering two million years of human history. Some of these objects were taken or purchased in regions then under British colonial rule before they were purchased, donated or bequeathed to the museum, while others were acquired through excavations, sales and other bequests by collectors.