The British Museum opened for the first time to the public on January 15, 1759, at Montagu House in London's Bloomsbury district, becoming the world's first national public museum.
It was founded on the collections of Sir Hans Sloane and initially free for "studious and curious persons". The Montagu House was later demolished and started construction in the 1820's,of the iconic Greek Revival building that houses the museum today. The Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone are among its world-renowned antiquities and archaeological holdings.
