British Museum
August 5th, 2007
The British Museum, located in one of London’s finest architectural buildings, houses antiquities and art spanning the last two million years of human history, and is available to the public for free.
It was designed and developed to support the understanding of different human cultures through cross-cultural investigation.
The museum’s website is presented primarily in English, except for the page with visiting hours, contact information, and details on how to find the museum, which is offered in English, German, French, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish, Italian, and Polish. This page includes detailed information about how to visit, tours, school tours, floor plans and the exhibitions in each room, and much more. It is a very useful resource for those who plan to visit the museum.
The layout of the rest of the website is also nicely done. The top bar provides quick access to various features, including information about the museum’s exhibitions. The “What’s On” section includes descriptions of the exhibitions that are currently displayed at the museum, upcoming exhibitions with the exact time of their display, and the charge for special exhibitions.
The “Explore” section of the website gives you options to view information from the perspective of different themes like money, time, writing and animals. You can also explore the museum’s collections organized by galleries or world cultures.
The site includes a “Research” section with information targeted to professionals and senior level academic researchers, while the “Education” page is a perfect launching point for younger students, teacher and families.
Further options allow you to browse information about the museum itself and allow you to research and learn about the art that is currently being displayed in the museum’s exhibitions. Each piece of art found on the website also has its corresponding room number, allowing you to find it easily in the museum.
Finally, you can join the museum if desired, as well as browse in the online shop for games, museum replicas and various gift items.
Our verdict: highly recommended resource, 5/5