Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology

Overview

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology, or the Petrie Museum for short, is host to one of the largest collections of Egyptian artefacts in the world. Those interested in history as well as families with school-age children will love finding out more about how ancient civilisations lived in the Nile Valley at this free to visit museum.

The Petrie Museum is housed at University College London (UCL), in central London. It’s a teaching and research museum which is also open to the public, and it contains over 80,000 artefacts in its collection, making it one of the largest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese material in the world.

There are in excess of 8,000 items on current display, with objects ranging from jewellery to stone tablets with hieroglyphics, as well as clothing. Find out more about time periods ranging from pre-history to the time of the pharaohs, the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Coptic periods, all the way up to the Islamic period.

The Petrie Museum is a smaller and lesser-known museum than some of London’s big hitters, but you’ll find plenty of hidden treasures here, and it’s usually much quieter. You’ll want to spend at least a couple of hours here exploring the artefacts, and it’s the perfect activity to do in London when it’s raining, as it is all indoors.

Where is the Egyptian museum?

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology is part of the main campus of the University College London, in Bloomsbury, London. You can find it on Malet Place, not far from London’s vibrant West End district.

How much does the Petrie Museum cost?

Admission to the Petrie Museum is free and there’s no need to book in advance. The museum is open on afternoons from Tuesday to Thursday, with slightly longer opening hours on a Saturday.

What’s in the Petrie Museum?

Inside the Petrie Museum, you’ll find an extensive collection of items from ancient Egypt and Sudan. Some of the most interesting include:

Tarkhan dress
Hawara mummy portraits
Pyramid texts
Fragments of tiles
Cosmetic spoon
Bead net dress
Faience ankh

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff are on hand to answer any questions you may have about the exhibits.

Is the Petrie Museum good for kids?

Although not explicitly aimed at children, the Petrie Museum extends a warm welcome to kids of all ages. It has a range of learning and activity materials online which you can download before your visit, including a scavenger hunt.

What is the oldest dress in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology?

The Tarhkan dress is the oldest dress in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology. It is not only the oldest dress in the museum, but it’s also the oldest known dress in the world!

The dress was excavated from the Tarkhan cemetery, located south of Cairo, in 1913, and is believed to be over 5,000 years old. It’s a V-neck garment made from woven linen, and it is thought that it was worn to an ancient Egyptian funeral.

If it’s clothing that interests you, the museum is also home to a bead net dress that may have been worn for dancing in around 2,400 BCE.

Who is the Petrie Museum named after?

The Petrie Museum was named after Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, a British Egyptologist who spent 60 years working in the field, uncovering a wealth of archaeological evidence. He first visited Egypt in 1880.

He produced thousands of publications and was given the position of the first Edwards Professorship at University College London. He gave his collection of Egyptian artefacts to UCL for educational purposes and it would later become the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology.

The collection was put on display in 1915 and used for education and research before being opened to the public later.

Is the Petrie Museum accessible?

The Petrie Museum aims to create an inclusive environment for all visitors and has the following accessibility features:

Access via a lift
Changing Places toilet in the Science Library, adjacent to the museum
Portable folding chairs
Assistance dogs welcome
Limited accessible parking

How to get to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology

It’s less than a mile from YHA London Central to the Petrie Museum. Some of the best ways to get there include walking and cycling.

On foot: It’s around a 15-minute walk between the Youth Hostel and the museum.

By cycle: It takes approximately five minutes to cycle from YHA London Central to the Petrie Museum. If you don’t have your own bike in London, there is a Santander Cycles docking station on Malet Street, close to the museum.

By public transport: Because of their close proximity, the route between YHA London Central and the Petrie Museum isn’t served by public transport. If you’re travelling to the museum from elsewhere in London, the closest tube stations are Goodge Street and Euston Square.

By car: It takes about five minutes to drive from YHA London Central to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology. There are a small number of accessible parking spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis. These can also be booked in advance.