Museum megafan visits record amount in 24 hours after being challenged by his kids
A London dad with a passion for museums is hoping to inspire more people to explore the history inside after visiting a record 42 in one day.
Ben Melham earned the record for most museums visited in 24 hours with a whirlwind trip around his home city on 25 October 2024.
He smashed the previous record of 33 set by Sujoy Kumar Mitra and Swaroop Dawrani (both India) in Delhi earlier in the year.
The 42-year-old says it was his kids Matilde and Henrik, who he shares with wife Silje, who inspired him to attempt the record.
Ben, who works in the museum sector as an operations consultant, explained: “This record began as a conversation with my children about how hard it could be to break a world record while we were reading their Guinness World Records book together.
They challenged me to turn words into action. As someone passionate about museums this was the kernel of an idea that grew after searching current records on the GWR website.
“They were with me for some of the world record museum visits and helped with the whole attempt. In return for their support I hope that I have inspired them to challenge themselves and shown them that by surrounding themselves with wonderful they can achieve anything.”
Of course, when it came to choosing a location for his attempt there was no contest.
Ben firmly believes that growing up in London “fuelled” his lifelong passion for museums.
Ben inside the Natural History Museum entrance
He said: “London was an obvious choice for this attempt. With over 200 registered museums, it is one of the world’s great museum cities, offering a unique diversity - from renowned institutions like the British Museum and the V&A to smaller gems like the Bank of England Museum and the Bow Street Police Museum.”
Ben is, of course, a regular visitor to museums, although he usually spends a lot more time in them than he did on this day.
Kicking off his attempt at 9:03 a.m. at the Museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, he could only spend a few minutes in each spot, gathering the evidence he needed before heading off to the next one.
He visited the likes of The Tower of London, The National Gallery, The British Museum, The London Transport Museum and The Natural History Museum.
Outside The National Gallery
He visited his final museum of the day, The Royal Academy of Arts, at 7:58 p.m.
Ben, who now lives in Surrey, covered the distance of a marathon (42 km; 26.2 m) across London that day.
He said: “London's museums contain millions of objects. Each of these can give you a moment to connect to a point in time, a particular person or wonder of nature picking just one is really difficult.
An object that amazed me as a child, and continues to do so now, is the 28 metre long model of a blue whale in the Mammals Gallery at the Natural History Museum. I cannot think of any other way that you could appreciate the size and awesomeness of these creatures.
“That object made a lifetime impression on me. People continue to be inspired by museum collections every day across the world, what an amazing power these places have to open our eyes.”
Ben with the Natural History Museum's blue whale
Ben loves visiting museums in other places around the country and the world too.
He says his favourite of all is the Brookland Museum in Surrey, a place he’s been visiting since he was a child.
“It is home to the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit and features an incredible collection of historic vehicles and aircraft, including the Concorde and a Wellington Bomber salvaged from the depth of Loch Ness,” he explained.
“What makes it truly special are the dedicated volunteers who share fascinating stories and help visitors get hands-on experiences including sitting in harrier jump jets and Formula 1 cars. It’s a favourite with every generation of my family.”
At the London Transport Museum
Ben is passionate about encouraging people to visit museums more.
He said: “Museums preserve and share the stories and objects that define us. They are spaces where we come together to reflect on our past, discuss our present, and imagine our future.
“UNESCO [The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] estimate there are 95,000 museums worldwide, meaning that there is likely a museum near you wherever you are in the world.”
Ben’s record attempt took a lot of planning. He had to meticulously map out his route, considering opening hours, travel times and the record guidelines.
Inside the Natural History Museum
And he admits his biggest challenge was spending so little time in every museum, as he would have loved to stay longer.
He’s thrilled to be a record breaker and says he’d applaud anyone who manages to break his record. But if someone does, he’d definitely consider giving it another go.
Ben is now working on collecting evidence to apply for the most museums visited in one year.
Follow his progress on his Instagram and Bluesky accounts (both @collectingmuseums).