Galleries & Museums in London

London has an international reputation as being the home of some of the best museums and galleries in the world. Both large and small - below is a list of some of the most visited. But there are many others to explore too.

Dulwich Picture Gallery located in the leafy suburb of Dulwich was established in 1811 as the first purpose built Art Gallery. The Gallery has a permanent collection of important Baroque paintings. As with most London galleries, it also hosts a wide range of temporary exhibitions, an extensive programme of education programmes, child-centred activities and lecture series. When visiting a London gallery it always worth having a look on their website to see what activities are going on during your visit.

London has three galleries which are regularly on the list of the best galleries and museums in the World. The British Museum, located in Bloomsbury, was established in 1759 as the first museum open to the public. The museum houses collection from all over the world including the Rosseta Stone and Parthenon Marbles which are world class artifacts. In addition to these, the museum has collections as diverse as Greek pots and North American totem poles. The museum has free entrance and has plenty to keep a family occupied for a day in London.

London’s second world class museum is the National Gallery located at Trafalgar Square. This much visited gallery covers a wide range and era of paintings. Within the gallery there are some major works of art from the world’s greatest painters including Johanes Vermeer, Titian, Paul Cezanne, Giovanni Bellini and Vincent Van Gogh. The Gallery is free so if you would like a one stop tour of the world’s greatest artists try the National Gallery.

Tate Modern located at Bankside is the home of London’s major modern art collections. The Gallery has recently been enlarged and now combines painting, sculpture, video with dance and performance art.

Along Exhibition Road the visitor can enjoy a series of large and important galleries and museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. All established in the nineteenth century and all continuing to acquire new works and promote current research.