British Museum

The museum opened in 1759 and was the first public national museum in the world: entry has been free since the start, and has stayed that way. Eight million objects, of which under one per cent is on display.

The Rosetta Stone, seized from the French in 1801, allowed Champollion to decipher hieroglyphs. The Parthenon frieze, taken by Elgin, is the subject of a Greek restitution claim that is still open — the museum now sets this out in the room itself.