If you are wondering what to do in London, use our app to browse through our lists of free London sightseeing ideas for inspiration.

We have over 1000 free to visit attractions listed including museums, art galleries, children's farms, gardens, historic sites, markets, nature, parks, children's playgrounds, skate parks, sports, leisure and landmarks.

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Map of todays 50 things to do in London

See below for 50 random free places to visit in London.


2

Materials Library

The Institute of Making hosts the Materials Library, presenting a collection of all sorts of materials from synthetic or natural sources, comprised of just about any material you could possibly think of.
3

Staples Inn

Once the wool staple then one of the Inns of the Chancery, this Tudor building looks very much like it would have done when built in the 16th century.
4

Smallest Police Station

Originally installed to allow police to keep an eye on protests, the southeast corner of Trafalgar Square houses what many call the worlds smallest police station.
2

Stockwell Skatepark

Resurfaced in 2008 this park is also known as Stockwell Sands and Brixton Beach.
3

Old Courthouse Rec Ground

Previously a pasture with a brewery and stables, the park was opened in 1924.
4

Hendon Park

Opened in 1903 having previously been part of the Steps Field estate.
2

Barnet Museum

Local History Museum containing hundreds of artefacts dating from the Bronze Age to modern times.
3

Regents Park

Regents Park covers 395 acres and includes Queen Marys Gardens where you can see more than 30,000 roses.
4

Limehouse Seagull

Commissioned in 1994 by the London Docklands Development Corporation.
2

Parkland Walk Local Nature Reserve

Two and a half miles of linear pedestrian and cycle route running from Finsbury Park to Highgate.
3

Abbey Road Crossing

This is the pedestrian crossing where the iconic photo of the Beatles was taken for their Abbey Road album cover in 1969.
4

Tate Modern

National Museum of modern and contemporary art.
2

Italian Gardens

150 year old ornamental water garden with many statues and a fountain located on the North side of Kensington Gardens.
3

Kenton Grange

The Northern part of Woodcock Park, split by Wealdstone Brook which runs through the centre of the park.
4

Bedfords Park

Designated as a local nature reserve, the park is home to a herd of red deer.
2

Imperial War Museum Photo Archive

The photography archive of the Imperial War Museum is located on Austral Street SE11 and is accessible by appointment only.
3

Riddlesdown

Large expanse of open fields and downland.
4

Carnaby Street

World famous for boutique fashion shops and the centre of the swinging London of the 1960s.
2

Addington Park

Twenty five acres of parkland laid out by Capability Brown in the 18th century.
3

Morden Park

A leafy park that is part of the Capital Woodlands Project. The Roman road Stane Street runs through the park but is totally covered, however there is a mound that is thought to be a pagan burial site.
4

Oakwood Park Enfield

Sixty four acres of parkland which was originally part of the estate of Oak Lodge.
2

Novelty Automation

A collection of home made automata and other amusing machines.
3

St. James Park

St James Park is the oldest of the royal parks. It contains both The Mall and Horse Guards Parade.
4

Stepney City Farm and Rural Arts Centre

A working city farm with a farmers market every Saturday.
2

London Wall

A section of the Roman London Wall built around AD200 adjoining the Tower of London.
3

Tower Bridge Walk Of Fame

A series of decorative plaques highlighting the people who have worked on the bridge.
4

Woodcock Park

Adjoining Kenton Grange, separated by the Wealdstone Brook.
2

The Mall

The road running from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square is known as The Mall.
3

Imperial War Museum

Museum with exhibits about conflict, particularly those involving Britain and the Commonwealth from World War 1 to the present.
4

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the monarch and has been since 1837.
2

Hamleys

The biggest toy shop in the world, Hamleys has seven floors of toys and games to browse through.
3

Golden Hind

Full size replica of Sir Francis Drakes ship which circumnavigated the earth in the 16th century..
4

Diana Memorial Fountain

This fountain is a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales and was opened in 2004.
2

The Gherkin (30 St. Mary Axe)

Designed by Sir Norman Foster this huge office block is 180m high.
3

Bromley Palace Park

The park is what remains of the gardens of the residence of the Bishop of Rochester.
4

Friary Park Skatepark

Refurbished in 2015.
2

Hayes Old Rectory Gardens

A formal garden dating from 1906 that was the garden of the rectory.
3

Islington Museum

Local history museum housed in the basement of Finsbury Library.
4

Grove Park Nature Reserve

A variety of habitats on a site that was previously used as railway sidings and allotments.
2

Big Ben

Big Ben is the popular name of the Elizabeth Tower that houses the Great Bell which has the nickname of Big Ben.
3

Totteridge Fields Nature Reserve

Dollis Brook runs through this site of over 30 hedgerowed fields.
4

Thames Barrier

Opened in 1982, the Thames Barrier provides flood defences for the city of London. Costing £16,000 to close the flood barrier each time, it has been closed 175 times up to April 2015.
2

Avery Hill Park

Large open parkland and a Victorian conservatory (The Winter Garden)
3

Southwark Bridge

Opened in 1921 by King George V and Queen Mary.
4

South Norwood Lake

The lake was created as a supply reservoir for the Croydon Canal which ran from West Croydon to New Cross. It operated between 1809 and 1836.
2

Royal Oak Skatepark

A mixture of old and new under cover of the A40 flyover. It is also known as the Meanwhile 2 skatepark.
3

Southbank Skatepark

A popular and longstanding skatepark at the undercroft of the Southbank Centre.
4

The Tarn

A green flag park dating from the 1930s with a wildlife rich lake that gives the park its name.
2

Carnaby Street

World famous for boutique fashion shops and the centre of the swinging London of the 1960s.
3

Hayward Gallery

The Hayward Gallery in the Southbank Centre often has free exhibitions - check the website for details.
We have over 1000 ideas for FREE things to do and places to go for anyone visiting, or living in London.

If you are looking for ideas about having a day out then browse through our lists of sightseeing ideas for inspiration - whatever the weather London has in store there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities listed.

The majority of London attractions listed are free to visit and include museums, art galleries, childrens farms, childrens playgrounds, gardens, historic sites, markets, nature, parks, skateparks, sports, leisure, landmarks and London events.

Many of the most famous art galleries the city has to offer are featured on the site including Tate Modern, The National Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery. Details can also be found of much smaller and less well known sites including the Serpentine Galleries in Hyde Park and the Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park.

Children are well catered for in the city with many parks having playgrounds ranging from swings and slides to the pirate ship in the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens.

There are several childrens farms spread across London - one of our favourite ones is in Crystal Palace Park where you can also take the children to check out the Victorian dinosaur statues that reside in and around the lake.

For a slightly older age group are many skateparks and you can also find free to use tennis courts and outdoor gym equipment in some of the parks.

We will soon have an events page that lists out the well known annual events including Notting Hill Carnival, The Lord Mayors Show, Trooping The Colour and The Boat Race. Several institutions such as the LSE and The Royal Society offer free lectures and you can also be entertained at places like The Scoop next to City Hall or watch the street performers at Covent Garden.

London is a surprisingly green city with the large Royal Parks in the centre of town and Battersea Park just a short distance away on the South side of the River Thames. Greenwich Park is partly a deer park and also houses historical sites such as the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum which are both free to visit.

Further out there are many woodlands, the largest being Epping Forest which covers 6000 acres of North London stretching from Chingford to Epping. Large areas of the forest are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conversation and there are 4 visitor centres.

Historic sites and London landmarks frequently go hand in hand, for example both Tower Bridge and The Tower Of London are known around the world but with interesting historical backgrounds - and don't forget The Monument to the Great Fire of London, located in Pudding Lane just a short walk across the river from London Bridge Station.

Then of course there are more modern landmarks such as the Gherkin and the Shard which are both spectacular buildings, but the areas around can also reveal other places of interest like the public artworks in the streets surrounding the Gherkin (including rusty metal dinosaurs and a large globe made from stainless steel nuts and bolts).

Marble Arch hosts two large public artworks in the form of a giant horses head and Ghengis Khan mounted on his horse. Henry Moore sculptures can be found by the Thames at Millbank and at College Gardens near the Houses of Parliament. Please note that not all of the landmarks and historic sites are free to enter but we have included them if good views can be had of them from the surrounding streets.

So there is plenty to see and do for a daytrip, an extended visit or a full holiday in London and it need not be expensive.

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