Established in 1753 with the donation of 71,000 objects from the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, the British Museum quickly became one of the city's top attractions. Since 1754, the museum's home has sat at the site of the Montague House in Bloomsbury. Smirke Building was originally built to house the personal library of King George III. It is the core of the building that visitors see today when they visit the museum. A domed, circular reading room was added in 1857, and the White Wing, designed by architect John Taylor, was added 30 years later. King Edward VII's Galleries, a Beaux Arts style addition, became part of the British Museum in 1914. The Parthenon Galleries , by American John Russell Pope, was built to house the Parthenon sculptures and opened in 1939. Another new wing, opened in 1980, housed public facilities like a restaurant and gift shop. Finally, the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court opened in 2000.
于1753年建造的大英博物馆因汉斯·斯隆爵士捐赠的71000件物品而很快成为伦敦市的著名景点之一。自1754年以来,博物馆馆址一直设在布鲁姆斯伯里的蒙塔古大楼内。斯莫克大楼起初是为了安置国王乔治三世的私人藏书室。该藏书室是如今游客游览博物馆时参观的大楼的主要地方。1857年新增了一个带有穹顶的圆形阅读室,并于30年后由约翰·泰勒设计建造了白翼馆。国王爱德华七世美术馆,一座美学建筑,在1914年新增为大英博物馆的一部分。由美国人约翰·拉塞尔·波普建造的为放置帕特农神庙雕塑的帕特农神庙馆于1939年向公众开放。另外一个1980年开放的新翼厅,提供公共设施,如餐厅及礼品店等。最后女王伊丽莎白二世大展在2000年向公众开放。