Museums & Galleries

If art is your passion, you've come to the right city! From our centrally located national galleries which boast everything from the world's Great Masters to modern movements, to the East End of London where new artists are flourishing, London has it all. If you fancy going off-piste, take a trip to Cork Street - home to some of London's smaller, private galleries, or the East End areas of Shoreditch and Whitechapel for the newest trends.
Not forgetting that London is home too to some of the world's best museums, many of which are located in Exhibition Road (link to map).

Tate Britain
It's all too easy to overlook the old Tate with all the glory the Tate Modern purports. However, it's just as worthy. Built in 1897, the building is a distinguished home to one of the world's richest collections. The galleries offer traditional work, with Pre-Raphaelite favourites; several rooms dedicated to Turner and British pre-Twentieth Century painters. Furthermore, this is where the controversial Turner Prize runner-ups are shown. Don't miss the nice caf?/restaurant downstairs selling delicious cakes.
Admission: Free
Where:Millbank, SW1, 020 7887 8000, www.tate.org.uk
Tube:Pimlico
Open:Daily 10am-5.50pm

Royal Academy of Arts
The caf?, restaurant and galleries are set in yet another of London's ostentatious old 18th century buildings. Set as up as the first art school in the capital in 1768, it remains a home to one of the best collections in Britain. The permanent collection consists of 20th Century masterpieces, with all and sundry from Kandinsky to Klee's exhibits there. The temporary exhibitions are normally very interesting - Frank Auerbach - Paintings and Drawings and Paris and Capital of the Arts 1900£1968 - to name a couple were compelling shows.
Admission: Varies according to exhibition, normally around £6-£8
Where: Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1, 020 7300 8000, www.royalacademy.org.uk
Tube: Green Park or Piccadilly Circus
Open: Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun, 10am-6pm; Fri 10am-10pm

Hayward Gallery
This tends to be the locals' favourite choice. The artists who exhibit here vary from contemporary to traditional because the space is so versatile. You're likely to see Howard Hodgkin one month, Yves Klein the next, and Sam Taylor-Wood the next - it's eclectic and it works. There's also a good shop for buying arty books and posters.
Admission: £6-£8
Where: Belvedere Rd, SE1, 020 7960 4242, http://www.hayward.org.uk/
Tube: Waterloo/Charing Cross
Open: Mon, Thur-Sun 10am-6pm; Tue-Wed 10am-8pm.

Serpentine Gallery:
A wonderful way to soak up the capital's finest parks is a walk to the Serpentine Gallery, set slap-bang in the middle of Kensington Park. Amongst the green grass, vibrant flowers and noisy ducks and geese, is a classic pavilion with French windows and inside are some of the best contemporary exhibitions about. Artists who've showed there include Damien Hurst, Rachel Whiteread, Man Ray?Andy Warhol even. There's also an excellent little shop with post-cards and exclusive design and architecture books.
Admission: Free
Where: Kensington Gardens, Nr Hyde Park, W2, 020 7402 6075, www.serpentinegallery.org
Tube: Lancaster Gate or Kensington
Open: Daily 10am-6pm

Natural History Museum: A place where adult and child alike are guaranteed a fun day out.
The galleries are divided into sections such as Earth and Life. Although the journey through the terracotta museum is educational, it also has an element of Disney about it; such as the shop-floor earthquake ride and growling dinosaurs - not forgetting the real skeleton of a 26-metre Diplodicus in the centre foyer.
Admission: Free
Where: Cromwell Road, SW7, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk
Tube: South Kensington
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5.50pm; Sun 11am-5.50pm

Science Museum
With over seven levels of all sorts of interactive gadgets and more technological serious gizmos, it's another museum that requires most of the day if you want to see all of it. As its name suggests it teaches you about science, but in an amusing way. The interactive Launch pad, which is like a technological playground and a cyberworld gallery, are just a few of the highlights.
Admission: Free
Where: Exhibition Road, SW7, 020 7942 4454, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
Tube: South Kensington
Open: Daily 10am-6pm

Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A)
Named after Queen Victoria and her husband, this museum was founded in 1852. It's cultural and fun to visit because you can view all the decorative arts - costumes, sculpture, jewellery; glass; ceramics; watercolours - from around the world. Most popular divisions tend to be the European clothes, glassware, Chinese artefacts, and Italian architecture galleries.
Admission: Free
Where: Cromwell Road, SW7, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk
Tube:South Kensington
Open: Mon-Tue, Thur-Sun 10am-5.45pm; Wed 10am-10pm

British Museum
If you are only on a city break, then this should be one of your priority visits. Set near to Soho, the building itself has recently been renovated by Lord Foster so the 18th century golden stone contrast spectacularly with the modern glass dome built over the courtyard. Highlights inside include the ancient peat-bog man, the Elgin Marbles, and the Rosetta Stone from Egypt, but there's so much more and you could easily get lost for a week in there!
Admission: Free, but it is currently desperately short of donations.
Where: Great Russell St, WC1, 020 7636 1555, www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Tube: Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Russell Street
Open: Great Court Mon 9-6pm; Tue-Wed, Sun 9-9pm;Thur-Sat 9am-11pm. Galleries: Mon-Wed, Sat-Sun 10am-5.30pm; Thur-Fri 10am-8.30pm