Britain’s top cities for museums & galleries – London
London’s museums & galleries
Visiting London’s museums and galleries can be an experience for the senses as much as for the brain and London has some of the best places to stimulate both. London is home to some of the most interesting museums in Britain, and indeed the world. There are so many excellent museums and galleries in London, it’s hard to know where to start. This is just a taster of what's on offer:
The British Museum
Free to the world since 1753, the British Museum (www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/) is a fascinating collection of displays and special exhibitions on the works of man from prehistory to the present day. Permanent exhibits include antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Rome, as well as Prehistory. There’s usually a charge to enter special events.
Natural History Museum
This exciting museum has to be one of the finest museums of nature in the world. Highlights include the ongoing ‘Nature Live’ events, where you can discover more about the work of the museum’s curators and researchers. Other events include ‘Jurassic Ark’ (October – December 2007), where you can take the Jurassic Ark trail, gathering clues and discovering which animals lurked in the shadow of the dinosaurs. Don’t also forget that entry is free to permanent collections at the Natural History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk/).
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
Located in the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (www.wimbledon.org), this museum has recently been completely redesigned and it now offers a stunning multi-dimensional tour of the traditions, triumphs, sights and sounds that have made Wimbledon the most coveted title in tennis. Highlights include a 3-D ‘ghost’ of John McEnroe and an insight into the science of the game that uses the same camera techniques as in the film ‘The Matrix’.
The Science Museum
See, touch and experience the major scientific advances of the last 300 years at the Science Museum (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk), the largest museum of its kind in the world with over 40 galleries, and 2,000 hands on exhibits. You can step into the future in the innovative Wellcome Wing dedicated to contemporary science and technology. Change your sex and age in 30 seconds, and create your own identity profile to store on your own website.
National Gallery
Located on the north side of Trafalgar Square, you could spend all day exploring this world-class gallery (www.nationalgallery.org.uk). Among thousands of inspirational treasures you’ll find works by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Turner, Renoir, Cezanne and Van Gogh, as well as special exhibitions, lectures, video and audio-visual programmes, guided tours and holiday events for children and adults.
National Portrait Gallery
Just round the corner from the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk) houses portraits in all mediums, from oil and watercolour to sculpture and pencil, depicting famous and infamous British men and women from the Tudors to the present day. Lectures and tours are held, and holiday programmes are arranged for children. There is also a state of the art lecture theatre, an IT gallery and a roof top restaurant with stunning views.
Spencer House
Built for the first Earl Spencer (one of Princess Diana’s ancestors), Spencer House (www.spencerhouse.co.uk/) is London’s best surviving example of an 18th-century private palace. Each of the beautifully restored state rooms is open to the public on Sundays only. You can also join a tour of the palace which takes place every 15 minutes. Don’t miss a walk around Spencer House’s lovely garden designed by Henry Holland.
Tate Modern
Tate Modern (www.tate.org.uk/modern/default.htm) is Britain's national museum of modern art. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, on the banks of the River Thames, the gallery displays the world famous Tate collection of international modern and contemporary art, including major works by Matisse, Picasso and Rothko and contemporary work by artists such as Matthew Barney, Chris Ofili and Gerhard Richter.
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
Just after becoming Prime Minister in 1940, Winston Churchill paid a visit to his soon to be war time secret headquarters and declared "this is where I shall direct and win the war". You now can step back in time and view the original underground complex and the Churchill Museum (churchillmuseum.iwm.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.00i) preserved exactly recreating the Cabinet meetings held below ground during World War II and dedicated to the life of Winston Churchill.