The British Museum was established in 1753 by Act of Parliament and opened to the public in 1759. Governed by a body of Trustees, the Museum was from its beginnings a new type of institution, its collection belonging to the nation and freely accessible to all.

The British Museum today is a museum for the world, holding a collection of seven million objects—one of the finest in existence—spanning two million years of human history. The British Museum is the most visited attraction in the UK receiving 6 million visitors a year and aims to reach a broader worldwide audience by extending engagement not only with these objects but with the cultures and civilizations that they represent.