Your guide to free things to do at the British Library this summer

Blog series Knowledge Matters blog

Whether you're planning a family day out, looking for an inspiring lunchtime visit or simply want to explore somewhere different, there's plenty to enjoy at the British Library without buying a ticket. You can spend time in the Piazza, browse the public spaces, stop for a coffee or discover world-famous collection items, all before joining one of our free summer events.

From iconic collection items and striking architecture to free talks, workshops and family activities, here's our guide to making the most of a visit this summer. Some things are available every day, while others take place on selected dates and may need booking in advance.

Free all year round

Visit the Treasures Gallery

The Treasures Gallery is free to visit seven days a week and showcases highlights from the Library's collection of more than 170 million items, bringing together some of the most significant books, manuscripts, maps and documents in our care. If you'd like to discover the stories behind the objects on display, you can also book a guided Treasures Tour, led by one of our expert guides.

See Magna Carta, Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, Shakespeare's First Folio, Jane Austen's writing desk, Buddhist manuscripts, medieval illuminated books, maps, music and sacred texts, all in one place.

Explore the building

The collection isn't the only thing worth discovering. As you explore the Library's Grade I-listed building, you'll come across artworks, architectural details and spaces that reveal different aspects of the Library's story.

Look out for Eduardo Paolozzi's striking bronze sculpture Newton in the Piazza, the six-storey King's Library Tower rising through the centre of the building, and the Sound Gallery, where you can listen to recordings from one of the world's most important sound collections. You'll also find changing displays, historic stamps and unexpected details throughout the public spaces.

If you'd like to discover more, you have two ways to explore. You can join a Discover the British Library building tour to hear the stories behind the architecture and some of the Library's most iconic spaces. Or, if you'd rather explore independently, access our free Bloomberg Connects digital guide, which highlights the building's architecture, artworks and collection highlights.

Free events this summer

Visiting with children?

We're running a wide range of free family activities throughout the summer holidays, with something for different ages and interests.

Family Station

Free, drop-in on selected dates

Family Station sessions offer hands-on activities inspired by the Library's collections. No booking is required, but they take place on selected dates, so it's worth checking the programme before you visit.

This summer you can:

• Explore and Play – drop in for free creative activities inspired by the Library's collections
• Legendary Creatures – discover mythical creatures from South Asian stories through crafts and hands-on activities
• Summer Holiday Family Station – enjoy a week of free drop-in activities during the school holidays
• Casa do Livro – celebrate Brazilian stories, language and culture with family-friendly activities led by Casa do Livro – Biblioteca Brasileira.

Bookable family workshops

Free, booking required

If you're looking for something a little more immersive, our family workshops are free to attend but places are limited, so booking ahead is recommended.

This summer's programme includes:

• Rasta Granny's Rainbow – explore stories, colour, culture and food through creative activities inspired by the much-loved picture book
• Reimagining Baba Yaga – join children's author Sophie Anderson and theatre company Les Enfants Terribles to create your own version of the famous folktale
• Story Detectives Dance Adventure – combine storytelling and movement in an interactive family workshop
• Relaxed Story Detectives Dance Adventure – a quieter version of the workshop for families who would benefit from a more relaxed environment
• Sensory Story Worlds – a Fairy Tales adventure designed for children with visual impairments
• Tales on Track – an inclusive storytelling workshop for SEND families, for ages 4–7 and for ages 7–9.

We're also hosting:

• Relaxed Openings for the Fairy Tales exhibition – explore the exhibition in a calmer environment.
• Relaxed Morning for SEND families – designed for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families.
• Life's a Fairy Tale – an inclusive performance inspired by the exhibition.

Don't forget to pick up a free family trail when you arrive.

Free talks and workshops

Whether you'd like to hear from researchers, learn a practical skill or develop your business, there are plenty of free events taking place throughout the summer.

Summer Scholars lunchtime talks

Free, booking recommended

Looking for something inspiring to do on your lunch break? The Eccles Institute's Summer Scholars series offers the chance to hear researchers share new discoveries inspired by the Library's North American collections.

Held in the Knowledge Centre at the British Library, these free lunchtime talks explore subjects ranging from literature, language and history to Indigenous cultures, politics and dance. They offer a chance to hear directly from emerging researchers about the collections they've been working with, with opportunities to ask questions after each talk.

Browse the Summer Scholars lunchtime talks programme:

• Michael Finn and Tom Willett discuss Wags, the British Comic that launched US comic superstars, and how McDonalds took off in the UK
• Julia Guarneri and Tessa Roynon examine the environmental impact of laundry technologies and curating Toni Morrison’s collection of Random House books
• Carmen Ávila and Dinos Pappas explore Indigenous female power and how education became a central tool of U.S. federal police toward Native Americans
• Malinda Haslett and Luisa Karman bring the music of Gilda Ruta back to life and examine Afro-Indigenous Brazilian objects in British Museums and Libraries
• Library curators Alexander Lock and Richard Scott Morel discusses Black Loyalists and the Clarkson Papers and how The Stamp Act of 1765 led to American Independence
• Donna Morrow and Emily Stevenson bring Edward S Curtis and his portrait of ‘The North American Indian’ into focus and examine examples of North American Indigenous language lists
• Yvonne Weekes and Daniel Ibrahim Abdalla discuss the Montserrat Jumbie Dance and the influence of Indigenous dance on American theatre makers.

Green Libraries Hub workshops

Free, booking required

Learn practical skills through free workshops designed to help you live more sustainably.

This summer's sessions include:

• Nature in the City: Plant Hangers and Propagation – learn simple propagation techniques and create your own plant hanger to take home.
• Low Waste Living: DIY Natural Self-Care Products – discover how to make sustainable alternatives to everyday toiletries.
• Canal Tales: Collecting Tales Along Regent’s Canal – explore Regent’s Canal through a guided creative walk, collection stories, memories, words, and sketches along the way.
• Canal Tales: Co-Creating Canal Tales – together we develop stories inspired by the waterway to use in our summer procession
• Canal Tales: Making Masks, Costumes and Procession Props – Join us at The Last Word community hub for Canal Tales' weekly making sessions and help bring a canal-side summer procession to life
• Canal Tales: Summer Processions Rehearsal – come and practice with us for the summer procession
• Canal Tales: Summer Procession – Celebrate the Canal Tales – journey through a summer procession, live performance and community gathering.

Business & IP Centre masterclasses

Free, booking required

Whether you're starting a business or growing an existing one, the Business & IP Centre's free masterclasses offer practical advice from experts.

Sessions this summer cover:

• Introduction to Intellectual Property
• Using social media for your small business
• Developing your business strategy with the Business Model Canvas
• Mastering the art of grant fundraising
• Navigating the legal landscape for your business
• Building a winning website.

Planning your visit

Many of our summer events are free, but places can fill up quickly, so it's worth booking ahead where required. Family Station sessions are drop-in and take place on selected dates, while the Treasures Gallery and the Library's public spaces are free to explore every day we're open.

To see everything that's happening during your visit, browse our What's On programme before you travel.