The powerhouse capital of the United Kingdom
London is a treasure trove of brilliant activities and days out worth boasting about. We’re completely spoilt for choice with things to do in London, whether you live and work in the capital or you’re planning a holiday, and there’s always plenty of ways to fill a free day with fun.
A trip to the city of London wouldn’t be complete without visiting the musuems and art galleries, and if you’re not careful then you can easily spend the whole day trying to fit them all in, so here are the top 5 must-see destinations that you should consider checking out.
#1 – British Museum
The British Museum exhibits works from all around the world, dating back to prehistoric and all the way right up to modern times, with some of the highlights including the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection. Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history, with treasures of world cultures all under one roof. In addition to the vast permanent collection, the museum’s special exhibitions, displays and events are all designed to advance understanding of the collection and cultures they represent.
#2 – Natural History Museum
As well as the permanent dinosaur exhibition, the Natural History Museum boasts a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. See a life-sized blue whale, a 40-million-year-old spider, and the beautiful Central Hall. Also don’t miss the state-of-the-art Darwin Centre Cocoon where, on a self-guided tour, you can see hundreds of fascinating specimens and look into laboratories where scientists are at work. The Museum offers a wide-ranging programme of temporary exhibitions and events, including chances to join experts in the Darwin Centre’s high-tech Attenborough Studio in topical discussions about science and nature.
#3 – Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s greatest museum of art and design, representing more than 3,000 years of human creativity, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. Highlights include the Medieval Renaissance galleries containing some of the greatest surviving treasures from the period, the breathtaking Jewellery gallery and the stunning British Galleries, illustrating the history of Britain through the nation’s art and design. In addition to its outstanding free permanent collection, the V&A offers a programme of temporary exhibitions and an extensive events programme.
#4 – Tate Modern
Sitting grandly on the banks of the Thames is Tate Modern, Britain’s national museum of modern and contemporary art. Its unique shape is due to it previously being a power station. The awe-inspiring Turbine Hall runs the length of the entire building and you can see amazing work for free by artists such as Cézanne, Bonnard, Matisse, Picasso, Rothko, Dalí, Pollock, Warhol and Bourgeois. The gallery’s restaurants offer fabulous views across the city.
#5 – National Gallery
The National Gallery is a vast space filled with Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable, Renoir, Titian and Stubbs. The National Gallery displays more than 2,000 Western European paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. You can also discover how Eugène Delacroix influenced generations of artists, from Matisse to Kandinsky in our special exhibition, ‘Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art’.
