BLOOMSBURY. One of London's top tourist attractions, this museum seeks to cover all areas of human knowledge under one roof ­ and it succeeds on all counts. What began as a "cabinet of curiosities" in 1753 now includes galleries dedicated to ethnography, Egyptian monuments, and the arts of Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific. The Great Court, completed in 2000, incorporated additional gallery space, along with cafés and shops. Although it's impossible to cover the museum in one day, a 90-minute guided tour provides a brief glimpse of the museum's many treasures and can help you decide what to examine more closely when you return. TUBE: Holborn or Russell Square

Sat-Wed 10am-5:30pm, Thu-Fri 10am-8:30pm; Guided tours Daily 10:30am, 1pm and 3pm; Shops Mon-Thu 9:30am-6pm, Fri-Sat 9:30am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm; Restaurant Sat-Wed 11am-5pm, Thu-Fri 11am-9pm; Cafe Sun-Wed 9am-5:30pm, Thu-Sat 9am-9pm

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