Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Cippenham

"The British Museum in London’s Bloomsbury was founded in 1753 and was the first national museum in the world to cover all fields of human knowledge. The impressive museum now has a permanent collection of over eight million artefacts which span two million years of human history, art and culture. And if the museum’s extensive free collections aren’t enough to draw you in, then its architecture certainly will."

"The British Museum is London’s most popular attraction by visitor number. Full of exhibitions of artefacts from all over the world, it is housed by the magnificent Montagu House, Bloomsbury, and has been there for more than 250 years. It was designed in the Greek Revival style by famous British architect Sir Robert Smirke."

"Two million years worth of artifacts, sculptures and antiquities—including Egyptian mummies, the Elgin Marbles and the hieroglyph-busting Rosetta Stone—call the British Museum home. Don’t be surprised if your family’s history buff goes missing for several days. Psst—here are 20+ history lessons your teacher lied about."

"Five thousand years of art and design make the Victoria and Albert Museum one of London’s most impressive collections. There are glittering pieces of jewellery, intricate statues and a writing desk belonging to Henry VIII. You have to buy tickets for the big feature exhibitions – covering such diverse things as food, wedding dresses, videogames and Pink Floyd – but the rest of the museum is free to roam around, and well worth it. On a warm day, we recommend you stick around and sit in the beautiful courtyard with a cup of tea."

"While most London art galleries focus on the medium of painting, The V&A is crowned as the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts. In fact, it exhibits a 2.27 million-piece-collection of textiles, jewellery, costumes, furniture, ceramics, sculptures, and more, spanning 5,000 years from all corners of the Earth. The diversity of The V&A serves as a beautiful (and sometimes much-needed) reminder that art is everywhere you look, intrinsically entwined with history and culture."

"The V&A celebrates art and design with 3,000 years' worth of amazing artefacts from around the world. A real treasure trove of goodies, you never know what you'll discover next among the furniture, paintings, sculpture, metalwork and textiles."

"One of London's most amazing attractions, this outstanding modern- and contemporary-art gallery is housed in the creatively revamped Bankside Power Station south of the Millennium Bridge. A spellbinding synthesis of modern art and capacious industrial brick design, Tate Modern has been extraordinarily successful in bringing challenging work to the masses, both through its free permanent collection and fee-paying big-name temporary exhibitions. The stunning Blavatnik Building opened in 2016, increasing the available exhibition space by 60%."

"Another gem by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Bankside B power station was a beacon of modernity when it was constructed in the 1940s as the first oil-fired power station in Britain. The imposing chimney, its defining feature, was restricted to a height of 99m (325ft) so as not to outdo its illustrious neighbour opposite, St Paul’s. After shutting in the 1980s, the power station was resurrected by the relatively unknown Herzog & de Meuron, who won a competition to transform its crumbling shell into the new Tate Modern, which opened in May 2000."

"Set in London’s busiest open space, Trafalgar Square, this is the grandmother of galleries with more than 2,300 paintings spanning the 13th to the 19th centuries: Heavyweights include Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Velazquez's Rokeby Venus, and Constable’s six-foot long The Hay Wain. It gets packed at weekends, but its so large that you can usually find a quiet corner. You can download an audio tour covering the museum's highlights, but you can also curate your own by selecting the paintings you want to see before you arrive."

"Housing a collection of over 2,000 Western European paintings from the middle ages to the 20th century, the National Gallery is a must-see for art lovers."

"Anyone with even a passing interest in art will want to put this near the top of their to-do lists while visiting London, for it is truly…"

"A temple to the work of British artists over the past 500 years, with a vast collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, two rooms of Henry Moore sculptures, a free picture library filled with rare and fragile sketches from major artists, and a restaurant with a mural by Rex Whistler. Late at Tate Britain: On the first Friday of every month, Tate Collective Producers curate an evening exploring a different abstract theme, with a little help from DJs, activists, artists and more. Details: Millbank, SW1P 4RG | Free entry | Find out more and book–"

"Also known as the National Gallery of British Art, it holds the country’s most extensive collections of national historic art, as well as contemporary. The gallery is also known for holding the prestigious and career-defining Turner Prize exhibition, which features the work of its four winning British visual artists each year. Catch it if you can to be among the first to see the next national treasure of the art world."

"The Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture is a London museum that is home to an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century home decorative arts. The Arts Council England recognized the collection as providing outstanding international value. The MoDA also has the Sir James Maude Richards Library of architectural books on a long-term loan."

"However, today visitors can still see one remaining section of the palace complex, the Banqueting Hall (fee*) designed by famous architect Inigo Jones with a ceiling painted by Peter Paul Reubens. Today Whitehall is the center of the Government of the United Kingdom and you’ll pass a number of buildings home to various departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defense and the Cabinet Office. Along this street you’ll also find The Household Calvary Museum (fee*), located in the 18th century stables of the Horse Guards, which gives information on the history of the Household Cavalry and displays a small collection of uniforms and weapons."

"This extraordinary Georgian house is set up as if its occupants – a family of Huguenot silk weavers – have just walked out the door. Each of the 10 rooms is stuffed with the minutiae of everyday life from centuries past: half-drunk cups of tea, emptied but gleaming wet oyster shells and, in perhaps unnecessary attention to detail, a used chamber pot by the bed. It's more an immersive experience than a traditional museum; explorations of the house are conducted in silence."

"The remarkable interiors of this extraordinary time machine of a house are the creation of Dennis Severs (1948–99), a performer-designer-scholar…"

"A firm favourite of art students and the avant-garde cognoscenti, this ground-breaking gallery doesn't have a permanent collection but is devoted to hosting edgy exhibitions of contemporary art. It made its name by staging exhibitions by both established and emerging artists, including the first UK shows by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo. The gallery’s ambitiously themed shows change every couple of months (check online) and there’s also often live music, talks and films on Thursday evenings."

"Whitechapel Gallery is known for hosting groundbreaking thematic exhibitions and retrospectives of formidable artists such as Eduardo Paolozzi and Sarah Lucas. Originally launched to bring art and culture to the Whitechapel community, it continues to present an engaging exhibition and education programme, including the annual Whitechapel Open, which champions new artists. Over the years this space has helped introduce Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo to a London audience."

"What: Sky Garden may be known for its lush greenery (the perfect backdrop for an impromptu photoshoot), but its sprawling views of the capital are also worth a mention. The Sky Pod bar, which isn’t separated from the rest of the space, allows guests to stand around admiring the views or pull up a chair to rest their legs. All the usual drinks can be found here (including a selection of signature cocktails), while the food menu features sharing platters of charcuterie, seafood or dessert."

"A lush oasis from the chaotic pace of London, it will captivate children and adults alike. Spectacular 360-degree views, exotic plants and an array of dining choices await you, and admission is free!. Your visit begins with an online ticket reservation."

"Named after King Olaf of Norway, St Olave Silver Street is one of many places in London with connections to the Vikings. St Olave Silver Street: This was the parish church of St Olave Silver Street destroyed by the dreadful fire in the year 1666. Barbican, London EC2"

"In 1224 an order of the Franciscans was given a piece of land within Newgate. The area where the Friars settled was poor, as evidenced by local streets such as Stinking Lane and the Shambles. In 1306 the Franciscans commenced ‘a magnificent edifice’."

"Kings College London only recently opened this permanent site for the Science Gallery, a dedicated space for showing contemporary artwork that explores scientific questions. Its inaugural exhibition is all about addiction, called Hooked, and previous shows in its travelling days have investigated blood, food and orifices. Think of it as looking at science through the eyes of an artist."

"Science Gallery London is an art-science-and-health inspired gallery in London. The free museum has been open since 2018 in London Bridge after a series of pop-up exhibits across London. The gallery aims to bring together scientists, artists, and communities with three themed seasons every year."

": Row upon row of glass jars, with everything from tiny organisms, to strange two-headed beasts, to examples of gross diseases, this museum can be very creepy at times, especially when it’s quiet. However, it’s so much more than the freakshow that it is sometimes made out to be, offering a unique insight into the history of surgery and advances in modern medicine. The next few months are your last chance to see the museum before it closes in 2017 for refurbishment, so get going!"