Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Dagenham

"The British Museum, founded in 1753, was originally consisting almost entirely of the collections from Sir Hans Sloane, who was a physician and scientist. Today, the Museum has a permanent collection of more that eight million items, including works and documents from every corner of the world. It is a great opportunity for kids to know more about the history and cultures of the world through the many themed departments including: Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan, Department of Greece and Rome, Department of the Middle East, Department of Asia, Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, and many others."

"The domed glass-and-steel ceiling at the British Museum – the world’s first national museum opened to the public – lets light into the atrium-like Great Court below, bouncing off the blinding-white, sweeping staircases and marble walls. It’s one of the capital’s prettiest spaces, but beyond the impressive lobby, it has sprawling galleries dedicated to the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. Artefacts including the Rosetta Stone, Pantheon Marbles (once a part of the original structure in Athens) and more than 120 mummies draw millions of visitors every year."

"Displaying one of the world's finest collections of antiquities, the British Museum contains more than 13 million artifacts from the ancient world. With priceless objects from Assyria, Babylonia, China, Europe, and elsewhere, it's hard to know where to begin. But most tourists head first for the museum's most famous exhibits: the controversial Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, the colossal bust of Ramesses II, the Egyptian mummies, and the spectacular hoard of 4th-century Roman silver known as the Mildenhall Treasure."

"London’s largest art museum – the eighth-biggest art museum in the world – has more than 100 galleries displaying everything from photography to jewellery. It has put on some of the city’s most talked-about exhibitions in recent years: the curators have become known for their hot-ticket fashion displays of designers including Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen. Make sure to visit the permanent Rapid Response Collection, which has contemporary pieces that react to significant moments in recent history, such as the pussyhats worn at protests against the election of Donald Trump to a 3D-printed Extinction Rebellion coin."

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open Thursdays to Sundays from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Admission if free but you must book your preferred time-slot in advance."

"London’s best contemporary art gallery has plenty of interactive activities for kids. It’s inside the former Bankside Power Station and younger kids can run around the vast Turbine Hall. Kids aged 3 and older can sketch their own masterpieces at the Bloomberg digital drawing bar and then have their art projected onto the gallery’s walls."

"Home to the national collection of British art from 1900 to the present day with a few international and contemporary pieces thrown in the mix."

"Since 1838, the National Gallery at London’s Trafalgar Square has given visitors the chance to enjoy the national collection of Western European painting. Some 2,300 works of art from the 13th to the 19th centuries are housed in the Gallery, and admission is free. A trip to the National Gallery will let you see famous masterpieces, including portraits of notable British monarchs, politicians, and cultural figures, past and present."

"Day 1: Arrive in London, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, the London EyeDay 2: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Whitehall, Covent GardenDay 3: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sky GardenDay 4: National Gallery, Greenwich, Prime Meridian, Up at the O2Day 5: British Museum, Portobello Road Market, Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrod’s"

"Founded by sugar merchant Sir Henry Tate – who also founded the other Tate galleries – the Tate Britain is a wonderful museum to visit, with lots of fantastic British artwork on show. With a huge catalog of work from contemporary times all the way back to the 1500’s, the Tate Britain’s masterpieces include works by William Blake, Francis Bacon, and J.M.W. Turner, among others. Housed on the banks of the Thames, wandering around the exhibitions and galleries is a lovely way to spend the day."

"The oldest of the country’s network of Tate galleries, and one of two in London, the Tate Britain is the home of British Art from 1500 to present day. Its miraculous dome and grand, porticoed entranceway set the scene for what is sure to be a splendid afternoon exploring British history through art. And you’ll often find this beautiful building boasting works of art inside and out – see its most recent transformation into a beautiful winter temple!"

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Make sure to book a time-slot for your visit on the museum’s website. Admission to the general exhibit is free."

"What we love about South London Gallery (SLG), a contemporary yet historic art space in Peckham, is that it endeavours to ‘bring art to the people of South London’. Not only does it do this by showing work from never-before-exhibited artists; it hosts educational and immersive art workshops for young people and adults too. Although the gallery is based in its original Peckham Road building, SLG has spread its wings into the old Peckham fire station, and Sceaux Gardens estate, a local artist-designed garden called Art Block for families to enjoy."

"This area of South London is its very own artistic hub, home to colleges, galleries and numerous artists and studios. The South London Gallery, in a superb Victorian building between Peckham and Camberwell, opened in 1891, and its mission was to bring art to the people, as it still does to this day. As well as changing exhibitions of contemporary art, there is a great cafe that serves Peckham’s best coffee, and an beautiful garden designed by Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, with support from horticulturists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew."

"The South London Gallery was founded in London in 1891, and is a public-funded gallery of contemporary art. The SLG hosts five exhibitions each year dedicated to the art of international creators. The gallery also hosts a live art and film program."

"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…"

"Address:Town Hall, St Peter’s St, St Albans AL1 3DHSave on Google Maps | Save on Tripadvisor* | Visit Website. Opened as recently as 2018, this state-of-the-art museum houses over 2000 years of local, national and international history and an ever-changing array of visiting exhibitions. Housed inside a former courthouse, it’s possible to visit the former cells and enjoy cake and coffee in the courtroom itself."

"One of the best things to do in St. Albans is strolling around the narrow streets of the old town. Just admire the stunning old buildings and imagine how it would be like to live in one of them 😉. St Albans old town really is worth visiting as it’s one of the best places to see in St Albans!"

"Another discount card option is the London Explorer Pass where you can choose up to 7 attractions you want to visit (out of 20) where you can get free entry into all these attractions (Westminster Abbey, London Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, Churchill War Rooms, London Eye). See a full list of possible attractions here. This card doesn’t work as well with our suggested itinerary but may be more appealing to some, especially families, as it includes more attractions geared to families that are not included on the London Pass."

"As an alternative to the Shard, you might instead want to visit the London Eye. This doesn’t go quite as high as the Shard, but you are closer to Westminster so get great views of the Houses of Parliament. You could also do both of course!. If you want to do the London Eye, we’ve found the best prices are available by booking your ticket online here."

"St Botolph was a Saxon saint who built a large monastery near to modern-day Boston (a corruption of Botolph’s town) in Lincolnshire in 654. He was the English patron saint of travellers and has three surviving churches in the City dedicated to him. They are all situated next to old city gates, presumably so that those about to set off could dedicate so"

"For the Mr Darcys and Elizabeth Bennets of this world, a cosy night in a Georgian townhouse should do just the trick. Add the fact that French restaurant L’Escargot has entertained most of Soho’s most famous bon viveurs in its 90-year history, and you’ll detect a frisson of scandal in the air. For ultimate date ambience, be sure to grab a table in the front dining room: plush velvet furnishings, scarlet red walls and a chandelier hanging from its period ceiling are all built for romantic revellers."

"Just a short walk from London’s West End theatres,L’Escargot offers a fantastic pre-theatre menu as well as their usual a la carte fare and Sunday lunch options. Choose a table in front of the roaring wood fire and enjoy a whole lobster, sample the liquorice beef or opt for the traditional snails. All of the dishes on offer are the usual French bistro classics with a L’Escargot twist, and can be accompanied by a bottle of fine French wine; just ask the waiter to hand-pair the wine with the dishes."

"Coco Chanel, Mick Jagger, and Princess Diana have all dined here, so you know it’s going to be good. A fixture in Soho since 1927, you can’t leave without trying the dish the restaurant is named after: the snails."

"Cafe de Nata specialise in one thing and one thing only – authentic Portuguese custard tarts (or Pastéis de Nata if you want the real name!) Hundreds of these gorgeous little tarts are made baked by hand every single day in each of their bakeries and if you’re lucky enough you might catch one coming straight from the oven. Takeaway mostly but there are 2 seats in the window if you can grab one."

"Besides coffee, they only serve Pastel de Nata, which are Portuguese Custard Tarts, THE sweet treat of Portugal. If you’ve been wanting to try one, this is the place to do it. They’re baked fresh every day right in front of customers, and they’ve really got it down to an art."

"If you’ve ever had a Portuguese tart (also called a Pastel de Nata) you’ll know why Cafe de Nata is so popular. It’s one of our favourite dessert places in London, and whilst these tarts may be small – they’re also mighty."

"Ok, it’s not technically a park, but it most definitely is one of London’s foremost green spaces. Speaking of technicalities, its proper title is actually Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, but when did anyone last call it that?. However you refer to it, Kew is a glorious day out, and with 300 acres and 50,000 plants, you could go every week of the year and discover something new every time."

"Whether you’re a fan of gardens or not, Kew Gardens is one of the most beautiful places in London. The Hive is a unique new structure exploring the story of the honey bee, and children will love the Treetop Walkway. Best shot: the Waterlily House or the spiral staircase make for superb captures."

"If you’re into floral photography, Kew Gardens houses one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of living plants. This expansive botanical garden is absolutely magical. It contains numerous greenhouses, a tree-top walkway, an exotic rainforest, and so much more."

"Full of rare and unusual trees and shrubs, the Isabella Plantation is a beautiful spot set in the depths of Richmond Park. It’s a green space for most of the year, but in April & May, the azaleas bloom and Isabella Plantation becomes a perfect pink paradise. COVID-19 UPDATE: Isabella Plantation is currently closed to the public."