Free Things to do Near King’s Cross

Things to do for free in King’s Cross London

If you’re looking for free things to do near King’s Cross during your stay at the Mentone Hotel, the good news is there are plenty.

From the many lush parks and historical gardens the area has to offer, to museums and libraries, music concerts and art exhibitions and pop-up outdoor cinemas, here are my cost-free recommendations – which I hope offer something for everyone.

Free Events at the Brunswick Centre

Unit 57, Bernard St, London WC1N 1BS
3 minute walk from the hotel
Events listings

The Brunswick Centre is a large shopping complex in Bloomsbury, situated between Brunswick Square and Russell Square and just a three minute walk from the Mentone Hotel.

As well as loads of shops and restaurants and a state-of-the-art cinema, the venue hosts a regular programme of events year-round, many of them free of charge.

From dance festivals to live music performances, and from Easter egg hunts to sports contests, there’s always something going on – so be sure to check the events listings if you’re looking for free things to do near King’s Cross.

FREE ENTRY MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES NEAR KING’S CROSS

British Library

96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
6 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 01937 546 060
Email customer@bl.uk
Open Monday-Thursday 9.30am-8pm, Friday 9.30am-6.30pm
Saturday 9.30am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm

The UK’s national library, the British Library is home to a collection of more than 170 million items including books, newspapers, maps, sound recordings, photos, patents and stamps. It’s free to use and open to all.

My daughter often goes here to study in one of the many study spaces, as do many students. But it’s great for academic research and general interest too. They also hold various events including tours, family activities, business events, workshops and courses, many of which are free of charge.

Wellcome Collection

183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
9 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7611 2222
Galleries and reading room open Tuesday & Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 10am to 6pm, Thursday 10am to 8pm, closed Monday
Café and shop open daily

The Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library that explores ‘health and human experience’.

Sir Henry Wellcome was a pioneering 19th century pharmacist who amassed a vast collection of implements and curios associated with the medical industry. These are now all on display at the museum and include historical manuscripts, artworks, films, rare books and personal archives.

Students and academics flock here for research, as well as to take advantage of the lovely Reading Room which is filled with sofas, books, games and anatomical drawings.

There’s also a shop and café.

British Museum

Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
13 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7323 8000
Open daily 10.00–17.00 (Fridays: 20.30)
Last entry: 16.45 (Fridays: 20.15)
Closed 24-26 December

The British Museum is probably the most well-known museum in London, if not the whole of the UK.

With its vast galleries and world-class exhibitions and collections, it’s hard to believe it’s free to get in – but it is – so be sure to pay a visit if you’re in the area.

Tip: If you’re visiting as a family, try the Museum Mission – a QR code-based adventure challenge that guides you through all the galleries, solving clues and completing tasks as you go.

Sir John Soane’s Museum

13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
15 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Tel: 020 7405 2107
Email: admin@soane.org.uk

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm – last entry 4.30pm

Another museum worth visiting – although not quite on the scale of the British Museum – the Sir John Soane’s Museum is a great place to go if you want to step back in time and learn more about Bloomsbury and Cartwright Gardens.

The museum was the home of Sir John Soane, a well-known English architect who built the house himself and lived there almost two hundred years ago. It’s been preserved in the same style as it was when Sir John passed away in 1837, and exhibits his collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models and paintings.

You’ll also find a painting here that shows a panoramic view of Burton Crescent (the original name of Cartwright Gardens) dated c.1817, showing the gardens and their lawns and shrubs.

Check the website for details of exhibitions, tours, talks, clubs, workshops and courses. It’s free entry to the museum itself, but there may be a charge for selected tours and other events.

PARKS, GARDENS AND OPEN SPACES NEAR KING’S CROSS

Parks and Gardens in Bloomsbury and King’s Cross

Blog – Parks and Gardens Near King’s Cross

There are so many parks and gardens to uncover in historical Bloomsbury and further afield in King’s Cross. You can check out my blog linked above for a comprehensive guide, but as highlights go, here are my top three.

Cartwright Gardens

Cartwright Gardens, London WC1H 9EH
1 minute walk from the hotel
Open daily during daylight hours
Website

This peaceful garden square is right on our doorstep and guests love nipping across to take a spot of quiet time amongst the famous London Plane trees.

The history of Cartwright Gardens is very interesting. It wasn’t always known by its current name, and the story behind its change is quite intriguing (if not a bit sinister).

These days the gardens are named after John Cartwright, who lived at number 37 from 1820 to his passing in 1824. He was quite a character by all accounts, known for his radical political opinions. There’s a bronze statue of him at the entrance to the gardens.

Brunswick Square Gardens

Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX
8 minute walk from the hotel
Open daily during daylight hours
Website

Brunswick Square Gardens is one of the bigger garden squares in the area and is a peaceful place to sit amongst the trees and flowerbeds – definitely one of the more tranquil free things to do near King’s Cross.

The square is famous for its Brunswick Plane, one of the ten Great Trees of London. It’s reckoned to date back to 1796 when the square was originally laid out, so at over 200 years old, it’s survived the Industrial Revolution and the Blitz. Pretty impressive.

Regent’s Park

London NW1 4NR
27 minute walk from the hotel
Open dawn till dark
Website

This 410-acre Royal Park is one of London’s most expansive open spaces and offers a huge amount to do – for absolutely no cost. Of course if you want to take advantage of one of the many cafés then you’ll need to put your hand in your pocket, but otherwise it’s for sure one of our guests’ favourite free things to do near King’s Cross.

From wild meadows and wildlife gardens to Queen Mary’s Gardens which look stunning in the summer when the thousands of roses come out, and Avenue Gardens set around the fountains, there is much to admire. Plus there’s plenty for the kids too across the four playgrounds, zipwire and sandpits.

Coram’s Fields

93 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1DN
11 minute walk from the hotel
Open every day 9am till dusk (paddling pools open only during spring and summer)
Website

If you’ve got kids and are looking for free things to do near King’s Cross, I recommend Coram’s Fields. This is an extensive park with lots of activities, including a sensory playground, children’s playground, sandpits and paddling pools, an adventure playground and a wildlife garden.

The big lawns there are great for picnics too, or you can head into the café which is run as a social enterprise to raise funds to help run the park. Obviously that’s not free, but it’s pretty reasonable.

Bagley Walk

West Coal Drops, Stable Street, London N1C 4DR
20 minute walk from the hotel
Website

Bagley Walk is an elevated green walkway that connects Granary Square with Gasholder Park. It’s a great spot to take in views over the Regent’s Canal, Camley Street Natural Park and Coal Drops Yard.

The park is named after the renowned 90s King’s Cross nightclub Bagley’s, but its history goes way further back than that. During Victorian times, it was a viaduct, over which trains transported coal and dropped them to the stores below – hence Coal Drops Yard.

It’s a really nice walk and one of many in the area which I’ll document in a separate blog.

Granary Square steps and fountains

Granary Square, King’s Cross, London N1C 4BH
20 minute walk from the hotel
Open daily
Website

Simple – but fun – the Granary Square fountains are made up of more than a thousand dancing water jets, a favourite of children who enjoy splashing about in them.

At night, the fountains are lit up in amazing colours and become really magical. Also in the same place you have the well-known ‘grass steps’ where you can sit and watch the boats go by along the Regent’s Canal – unless of course it’s summer and the pop-up open air cinema is on, in which case, you can sit back and take in a free movie in the fresh air.

FREE EXHIBITIONS AND ART DISPLAYS NEAR KING’S CROSS

King’s Cross Story Exhibition

Coal Drops Yard, 4 Stable Street, London N1C 4DQ
20 minute walk from the hotel
Website
Open every day 9am-8pm

This free exhibition charts the history and evolution of King’s Cross over the last two hundred years. The audio tour will immerse you in the story, while you experience a model of the neighbourhood and work your way through photos of the area through time.

You can find the exhibition opposite Indian restaurant Dishoom in Coal Drops Yard.

The Outside Art Project

Throughout the squares and open spaces of King’s Cross, London N1C
On show 24/7
Website

This art project has transformed King’s Cross into one of the biggest outdoor galleries in London. It features art from a variety of local, national and international artists, and is on show year round.

The art is displayed over 24 benches dotted throughout the open spaces and squares of King’s Cross. Check the website to see what exhibition is currently on.

FREE CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCES NEAR KING’S CROSS

Everyman on the Canal Open Air Cinema

Far bank, Regent’s Canal, Granary Square, King’s Cross
20 minute walk from the hotel
Website

This pop-up open air cinema should be right up your street if you’re a classic movie buff and looking for free things to do near King’s Cross this summer. They play films all day till 10pm.

It usually runs from the end of June to just past mid-August, so check the website for this year’s dates. It’s a great atmosphere – take a seat on the canal side steps and enjoy your favourite film – and if you do have a bit of pocket money to spare, you can order yourself something to eat or drink from the drinks and snacks menu.

Summer of Sounds

Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, London N1C 4DQ
20 minute walk from the hotel
Website

Every year for the past 10 years, Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross has played host to this hugely popular free music and performance festival. Usually taking place in August, the event attracts a variety of acts over 11 days, featuring music, dance, puppetry and sculpture.

The concerts run during weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons. There’s no need to book, but seating is limited so be sure to check the timetables and arrive early to grab your space.

Visiting  King’s Cross London? Book Your Stay at the Mentone Hotel!

Located in walking distance of an array of attractions, restaurants, pubs, cafés and coffee bars and shops, the Grade II listed Mentone Hotel is set in the tranquil surroundings of historical Cartwright Gardens.

With 40 rooms on offer, free WiFi and luggage storage, plus access to tickets for all the top London attractions, the Mentone makes a great choice for your stay in the capital. And we will of course be happy to point you towards the best free things to do near King’s Cross should you be looking for budget-busting activities to pass the time.

Please get in touch to check availability. All direct bookings benefit from a 10% discount plus an unlimited complimentary breakfast.

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