Ben Melham Conquers 42 Museums in 12 Hours to Break World Record

On October 25, 2024, Ben Melham (42), a British man, etched his name in the Guinness World Records book by visiting 42 museums in London in just 10 hours and 55 minutes. This achievement not only broke the previous record, but also proved that the spirit of exploration and love of history can transcend time. How did he plan and carry out this mission? Check out his inspiring story!

Daftar isi

Inspiration from Children's Books and Challenges

Ben Melham, a museum operations consultant, was inspired to pursue the record after reading the Guinness World Records book with his two children, Matilde and Henrik. When discussing how difficult it would be to break a world record, the children challenged him: "You have to turn your words into actions!" .

Ben immediately responded to the challenge. He chose London as the location for the challenge because the city has more than 200 museums, ranging from global icons like the British Museum to small museums like Sir John Soane's Museum . "London is the right choice. Each museum here holds a unique story, from human history to natural wonders," he said.

Museum Marathon Route, 42 Museums in One Tour

Ben began his journey at 9:03 a.m. at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum in East London. Using an electric scooter, he zipped from one museum to another, collecting proof of his visit such as a ticket or a photo of himself in front of the building.

In 12 hours, he managed to visit 42 museums, including:

Natural History Museum – home to an impressive giant blue whale replica.
Tower of London – the historic fortress that holds the royal crown.
British Museum – a museum with the most comprehensive collection of global artifacts.
Sir John Soane's Museum – a small museum with unique architecture.

Ben finished his journey in 19:58 at the Royal Academy of Arts , having covered the equivalent of a marathon (42km) . "I only had 5-10 minutes per museum. It was like a relay race!" he said .

Beating Previous Records and Thorough Preparation

Ben's record beats that of India's Sujoy Kumar Mitra and Swaroop Dawrani, who visited 33 museums in a day in early 2024. To ensure success, Ben planned the route in detail:

Map museums with the nearest operating hours.
Calculate travel time between locations to avoid traffic jams.
Bring documentation equipment, including a cell phone and camera.

"The biggest challenge is not being able to stay long in each museum. In fact, I want to enjoy every collection," said Ben, who often spends hours in museums on weekdays.

Museums, Windows to the Past and Future

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As a worker in the museum sector, Ben believes that museums are not just warehouses for artifacts. "Museums are places where we reflect on the past, discuss the present, and imagine the future," he said.

He also actively documents his travels on social media (@collectingmuseums) to bring the public closer to history. As of February 2025, Ben has visited around 80 museums in his mission to break the record for "most museums visited in a year" .

Message to the World, Unlimited Exploration

Adam Millward, editor of Guinness World Records , called Ben's attempt a reminder of London's incredible cultural richness. "This record shows that there is always something new to explore, albeit at a more leisurely pace," he said.

Ben himself hopes his story will inspire others. "If someone breaks my record, I'm ready to try again!" he said with a laugh.

Conclusion

Ben Melham's story proves that a love of history and culture can be expressed in creative ways. Although only briefly in each museum, his journey conveys an important message: museums are living spaces that connect humans with civilization . For Ben, this is not the end. He will continue to explore, proving that the limits of time and distance are just numbers as long as there is a determination to go beyond them.