Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Museum

Address: Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, Malet Place, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/petrie-museum

Hours: Tue-Sat 1:00pm-5:00pm, closed Sun-Mon (check website for seasonal changes)

Admission: Free entry

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is a university museum in London housing a large collection of Egyptian and Sudanese antiquities assembled by archaeologist Flinders Petrie. The collection spans prehistoric through Roman and Islamic periods and is a major research resource.

Displays emphasize pottery, small finds, and everyday objects as well as key sculptural and inscribed pieces; total holdings number in the tens of thousands and many items remain in storage and are used for research and teaching. The museum frequently rotates exhibits and showcases thematic displays drawn from the broader collection.

The core collection was formed by Flinders Petrie and later donations and excavations expanded the holdings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum has since functioned as both a public display space and a center for Egyptological study.

Sited within the UCL Bloomsbury campus in central London, the Petrie Museum is close to several other university collections and is reachable by public transport from central London.

• Collection size: Holds one of the largest university collections of Egyptian and Sudanese material in the UK with roughly 80,000 objects spanning prehistoric to Islamic periods.
• Location and access: Located within University College London and generally offers free public admission, with gallery displays that rotate due to limited display space.

The museum is on UCL’s Bloomsbury campus, nearest tube stations are Russell Square (Piccadilly line) or Goodge Street (Northern line); it’s a 5-10 minute walk from either. The Petrie sits within the university’s Torrington Place complex; follow campus signage once in the courtyard.

• Go mid‑week in the early afternoon (the museum's usual opening hours are short) to avoid the brief but steady group visits.
• Focus on the 'Gurob' coffins and the amulets - the labels are concise and the objects intimate.
• The museum is part of UCL; bring a university map - the building sits inside an academic courtyard that can confuse first‑time visitors.