Bank of England Museum, London
Walk above one of the largest hoards of gold bars in the world, just below your feet
There is only one museum in the United Kingdom, which has 400,000 gold bars stored in the cellar.
What can be found at the Bank of England Museum? Well, you might find some money! Discover the history of money and banknotes and lift a real gold bar.
The Bank of England Museum is in the same building as the Bank itself, in the very heart of London.
Top Attractions at the Bank of England
1. The Stock Office
2. Lift a gold bar
3. Banknote Gallery
4. The Modern Economy
5. Self-guided tours
6. Slavey & the Bank
All About the Bank of England Museum
KIDS FRIENDLY?
Age 5+
HOURS
Mon - Fri 10 am to 5 pm
Closed weekends
LOCATION
Bartholomew Street, London EC2R 8AH
WHAT'S THERE
Several rooms cover the history of banking and money in the UK.
UNDERGROUND
Bank (Central, Northern, Waterloo & City, and the DLR)
Cannon Street (District, Circle)
Mansion House (District, Circle)
Monument (District, Circle)
Moorgate (Northern, Hammersmith & City)
BUS
Several bus routes run through the City, close to the museum, and stop at Threadneedle Street.
TRAIN
Liverpool Street, Cannon Street, and Fenchurch Street are all around a 10-minute walk.
VISIT TIME
About an hour
ENTRY COST*
Free entry and no need to book ahead
FEATURED ACTIVITIES
Pick up a gold bar!
GUIDED TOURS
Available through the Smarty app. Audio devices are also available. QR codes can be used to discover more about an exhibit. There are no accompanied guided tours.
WHEELCHAIRS
Up to six wheelchairs at a time. Access via the main bank entrance.
FACILITIES
Accessible toilet. Gift shop. Free wi-fi.
Is It Just a Pile of Money?
Well, there is money yes, after all, this is the Bank of England.
The museum takes a look at money through the ages and the 300-year-old history of the bank itself. You can learn about the bank’s historic buildings and how they have changed over the centuries.
There are thousands of gold bars stored in the bank vaults beneath the building, one of the largest stocks in the world. You can test your strength by lifting a real gold bar (99.79% pure gold). Look for the label which tells you the current value of the bar. Then multiply that by the 400,000 gold bars in the vaults! In the banknote gallery, discover the history of paper notes and how they have changed through the ages.
In the Stock Office, there is a large model ship. You can try the interactive display ‘Keeping on an Even Keel’, which is what the bank aims to do with currency and the economy. Will you succeed in balancing the economic ship?
In the past, people used coins as currency. However, why was paper currency introduced? Discover why this happened. Bank notes are difficult to copy and the museum looks at some of the anti-forgery techniques. Look for the £1 million bank note.
Discover how a banknote is designed and why they change over time. On display, is a banknote from every era of the bank, along with printing plates. Oh, and you can see some forgeries and counterfeits too!
Can you unlock the safe, by answering a series of questions - and what will you find inside?
During the year, there are special events and displays, all related in some way to money.
There are plenty of activity sheets and trails for children, including ‘I Spy in the Bank’, ‘Explore the Bank’, and ‘Investigate the Bank’, each aimed at a different age group.
Take a ‘Gold Vault Selfie’ in the gold corridor.
There is a small gift shop.
No cafe, but plenty of choices nearby.
Toilet
Wheelchair access is at the main bank entrance on Threadneedle Street. Staff will assist with the lift and escort you to the museum. There is space for six wheelchairs at any one time. Large print guides are available. Accessible toilet (but no hoist).
How to get to the Bank of England Museum
The museum is in the same building as the Bank of England. The entrance is in Bartholomew Lane. If you find yourself facing the main entrance to the bank on Threadneedle Street, go to the corner on the right. The closest underground station, is Bank, with several others within easy reach.