BRITISH MUSEUM Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury 636-1555 Monday-Saturday 10am-5 pm, Sunday 2:30 to 6 pm. Guided tours Monday-Saturday at 10:45 am, 94 galleries contain the world’s finest collection of antiquities.  The depth of each gallery and the variety of attractions is almost overpowering.

HYDE PARK 298-2100 Closes at midnight. Some 360 acres of landscaped park, tree-lined avenues and lakes in the heart of the city attract visitors from around the world.  Sunday mornings find street-corner orators is fine form at Speaker’s Corner near Marble Arch.

LONDON PLANETARIUM Marylebone Road 935-6861 (call for times, which vary by season) Travel on a journey to the stars, guided by world-celebrated experts.  The “Spirit of London” ride is a fascinating attraction and is updated frequently.

CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURE AND ZOO Chessington, Surrey (one-half hour from London’s Waterloo Station by train) This 65-acre theme park offers rides and attractions galore.  Think “Disney” and think “all ages”.

TROCADERO Piccadilly Circus This multi-attraction entertainment complex is popular with everyone, especially teenagers. Call for times and prices, which vary. Planet Hollywood restaurant (phone 287-1000) offers dining amidst the film world’s glamour. Sega World (phone 734-2777) puts video game players in the center of the action. Rock Circus (phone 734-7203) portrays the royalty of rock stars in wax. Alien War (phone 437-2678) is a multimedia monster experience. Imaginator (phone 437-5723) offers stomach-wrenching rides. Virtual World (phone 494-1492) is a virtual reality system second to none.

LONDON WALL London dates its history back to the Roman Empire.  The “London Wall” of nursery rhyme survives to this day, albeit in fragments.  A self-guided tour along the 1.5-mile walk is aided by explanatory plaques along the route.  The walk stretches from the Museum of London to the Tower of London, offering unique history at every step.

LONDON ZOO and REGENT’S PARK Off Marylebone Road near Baker Street. 722-3333 Open 7 am until dusk The London Zoo, one of the world’s great zoos, is found in Regent’s Park.  Zoo features include a children’s zoo, a reptile house and more.  Other attractions in the Park include a rose garden, a mosque, areas for boating and tennis, and an outdoor theatre.

LONDON AQUARIUM 967-8000 Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am-7: 30 pm Over two million liters of water house an incredible number and variety of aquatic creatures.  Thousands of species are represented in a number of extensive marine habitats.  The London Aquarium has rightfully earned its reputation as a world-class attraction.

MADAME TUSSAUD’S Marylebone Road 935-6861 Daily 9 am-5: 30 pm Wax statues of the world’s most famous (and infamous) citizens throughout history line the galleries of this famous attraction.  Recent innovations include interactive areas.  Note: The popular Chamber of Horrors (murderers in history) may be too intense for some younger children.

MUSEUM OF LONDON London Wall, City of London 600-3699 Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-6 pm, Sunday noon-6 pm A visit to this attraction is like reading the life story of London.  Various stages of London’s extensive history are shown in the many rooms and galleries.

LONDON DUNGEON 28-34 Tooley St. 403-0606 April-September daily 10 am-6 pm, October-March closes 5:30 pm Live actors and various realistic tableaux recreate the hard and seamy life of the underside of London in its past days.  Historic representations of the tortures in the Tower and Old Gaol join Jack the Ripper.  Not recommended for the faint of heart or for younger children.