10 Must see art museums in London

10 Must see Art Museums in London

Whether you are going to visit London in the near future, or you prefer to wait for the pandemic to be less fierceful, we will line up the ten greatest art museums that you need to visit whenever you are near them! Within this article we will line up our honest opinion about ten amazing museums in London.

London is an amazing city to visit, there are so many landmarks to visit and discover, however this article is meant for art fanatics. Whether you are a modern art junkie or you prefer to see classic art, London has a lot to offer. We created a mix between modern and classical art museums and we will discuss allround information such as entry fees, location and our honest opinion about the art collection. We hope to inspire you to visit the ten best art museums in London!

1. Tate Modern
The Tate Modern Museum is according to us, the best museum you can visit when you are visiting London. The gallery is the walhalla of modern art and has lots to offer with works of world famous artists. All exhibitions are displayed in a former electricity plant, The Bankside Power Station. With approximately 5 million visitors anually, the Tate Modern Museum in London is a must see. In addition to this, entrance is free and you can enjoy all art pieces of the best artists, for as long as you like. To name a few artists: Mark Rothko, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso and Modigliani are displayed in the museum. Our team has visited this museum and rewarded it with a 9/10.

2. The British Museum
The British Museum is the national museum of the United Kingdom. If you want to see one of the biggest museum collection in the world, the British Museum is a must see for you.
Visiting the British Museum is free like most museums in London and you can enjoy different beautiful collections of history and art. One of the most famous pieces in the British Museum is Rosetta’s stone. The museum is really big, which takes a lot of time to discover the whole museum. That’s why our team has rewarded this museum with 8.5/10.

3. The National Gallery
This place is the place to be for everyone who loves paintings. All paintings from the ages 1200 – 1900 are displayed in the National Gallery. Admission is free, however with the Covid-19 pandemic it is necessary to book a time slot on the website. All well known painters have multiple paintings in this museum, hence it is a must see. In the amazing vicinity of amazing parks, this museum is a valuable way to spend your time while in London. The quality of the paintings make that our team rewarded this museum with 8.3/10.

4. The National Portrait Gallery
The name says all… The National Portrait Gallery. This is a museum with portraits of all the most well-known people in British history. The Museum is founded in 1895 and there are over 9000 portraits within the walls of this museum. A must see for everyone who is interested in the history of Britain! The museum is situated in a very nice neigbourhood of London, which is easy accessable with the tube. Because of the fact that the museum is only displaying portraits of important people from Great Britain, it is a bit limited for the top 3. That’s why our staff has rewarded this museum with a 7.8/10

5. The Design Museum
The Design Museum is a very particular museum. It is situated in the Western part of London. The design museum displays all forms of industrial art, fashion and architecture. The museum is founded in 1989 as the first museum in London especially for modern design. Within the walls of the museum different iconic design types are highlighted, for example the Italian Vespa, Mini (car brand) or British letterboxes. For people who are interested in this type of art, it is a brilliant museum to spend your day. The employees at the museum were very welcoming and friendly, which makes it easier to connect with the staff when you have questions according the exhibition. You will learn a lot when you visit this museum, take your notepad with you! Our rating for this museum is 7.8/10.

6. The Saatchi Gallery
This particular gallery is world famous because of the exhibition of Damien Hirst in 1992. The Saatchi gallery is founded by Charles Saatchi to show his extensive art collection to the public. Since 2008 is the art collection visible in Chelsea. People can also see the collection virtually via computer or smartphone. This is in times of COVID-19 a very welcoming experience. We found that the exhibitions in the Saatchi Gallery are amazing and it is a very inspiring environment to walk around and enjoy the exhibitions. Our staff granted the Saatchi Gallery a 7.7/10.

7. The Wallace Collection
A must see for ancient art lovers. The Wallace Collection opened its doors in 1900, after the collection of Sir Richard Seymour-Conway got donated after his death. Many masterpieces are displayed of world famous renaissance and baroque artists. Situated in the beautiful Manchester House in London, all art lovers can eat their heart out. Our staff granted the Wallace Collection a 7.6/10 within this list.

8. Victoria & Albert Collection
The museum is situated across the Cromwell Gardens and the Exhibition Road in London. The museum is very particular because it has a very extensive collection in all kinds of art. Think about clothing, industrial design and antic pieces. At the V&A there work a lot of skilled people who work there for the purpose of conservation of the art pieces and to teach groups of people (e.g. schools) within the subjects of the museum. Luckily also this museum is free of charge, this is a huge bonus. London is an expensive city, so to visit the V&A should not be a concern while you are visiting London. Our staff rated this museum with 7.5/10.

9. The Courtauld Gallery
A must see museum for all classic art lovers. The Courtauld Gallery is part of the Courtauld Institute of Art and it is situated in Somerset House. Somerset House is a beautiful venue in London where you can enjoy different art from all across Europe. The museum was founded in 1932 by Samuel Courtauld who was a fanatic art collector. The impressive surroundings of this museum make it a true experience and a very nice day out. Our rating of the Courtauld Gallery is 7.5/10

10. Sir John Soanes Museum
Specialized in neoclassical architecture, the Sir John Soanes Museum could not lack on our list. Besides a famous architect, Sir John Soanes was also a fanatic art collector. Architecture and art are combined in this museum, which is the house in which Sir John Soanes has lived himself. Because of the alternating atmosphere within the museum, you can enjoy various types of art under one roof. Like as almost all museums in London, this museum is also free to visit. With the current COVID-19 pandemic it is highly advised to book your visit. Our staff rated the Sir John Soanes Museum with 7.4/10.

Dear readers, this was our list of top 10 art museums you must visit while you are visiting London. It was very hard for our staff to give a rating to each museum because they are all amazing in their own unique way. However we made this selecton thoroughly, it could be that you visit a museum and think that it might be better than a museum that is listed higher. If this is the case, feel free to contact us so we can change up the ratings and opinions about the museums we have listed!
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