Best Arts and Culture Places in Barnes Pond

"The British Museum is one of the world’s largest and most important museums of human history and culture. The building’s courtyard features an impressive glass-and-steel roof, which manages to respect the classical architecture of the building but also provide a modern touch. Our photographer duo recommends to make sure to visit early in morning or in the late hours to avoid the crowds and harsh lighting."

"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"

"The British Museum is the world’s oldest public national museum, dating back to 1753. It is also home to the largest covered public square in Europe; the Great Court. This two-acre space is enclosed by a spectacular roof of glass and steel and comprised of 3312 panes of glass."

"Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the V&A wears the crown as the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design. Its priceless collection includes sculptures, paintings, ceramics, fashion, drawings, and books from ancient times to present day. Like most of London’s museums, admission to the Victoria and Albert is free."

"4,700,000 visitors went to Tate Modern in 2015, an enormous gallery on the edge of the River Thames in a converted power station. The awe-inspiring Turbine Hall (which has hosted works by Anish Kapoor, Rachel Whiteread and Ai Weiwei) leads to mutiple floor of contemporary art, with eight areas divided into different themes. As well as the art, there are events and screenings, a fantastic bookshop, and a restaurant and cafe, the latter with a fabulous balcony view over the city."

"Modern art finds its spiritual home at Tate Modern – the most popular art gallery in the world and the UK’s most-visited attraction. Unlike Tate Britain, which houses a permanent collection of historic British art, Tate Modern is all about the here and now. Everything you’ll find within the gallery is modern art, dating only as far back as 1900."

"The Tate Modern opened in 2000, so it is one of the newer free museums in London, but it has wasted no time in establishing a great name for itself. Situated inside an old power station on the South Bank, it is one of London’s most impressive museums. A towering monolith of art on the banks of the Thames."

"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."

"1824: The première of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; the Egyptians capture Crete; ‘New Holland’ becomes ‘Australia’; some government guys in Britain bought 38 paintings. Now: Beethoven’s no longer in the charts, Australia still has an identity crisis, and The National Gallery has over 2,300 works tracing the complete development of Western European painting from virtually every European school of art."

"The National Gallery is an art museum with a worldwide known collection of classical paintings. One of the most famous works is certainly the -Sunflowers- by Vincent van Gogh. Read which is the most well-liked British painting, where it is located and which other art works are definitely worth seeing ...Images, Info & Tips"

"One of the best places to visit in London when you want to learn all about the city’s rich history through time is the iconic Museum of London. Attracting over a million visitors each year, you can expect to go on a deep discovery spanning Ancient, Roman and Medieval London all the way to present day. Ideal for kids with interactive children’s galleries, free activity bags and stimulating online games, there’s enough to keep the young ones entertained while the adults get clued up on all there is to know about England."

"This museum tells the story of London from the Roman times right through to the present day with interactive and educational displays."

"A very cool gallery that is accessed through an industrial yard in Bethnal Green, via an entryway brimming with sub-tropical plants. An independent gallery founded in 1999, it has an packed programme of exhibitions, projects, talks, screenings, and events. 258 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9DAC Free entrycellprojects.org"

"One of the earliest specialised photography galleries in London, Hamiltons, founded in 1977, offers novel perspectives on some of the giants of 20th century and contemporary photography. In a striking exhibition space, the likes of Irving Penn and Annie Leibovitz have had their work displayed in a honed and evocative environment. The gallery has cultivated a reputation for representing the true masters of the field, and it is unsurprising that their exhibitions never fail to reflect this level of prestige."

"Hamiltons was a trendsetter for photography-filled private galleries when it opened in 1977, and has since hosted some of the biggest names in the business. Specialising in modern masters, the likes of Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Robert Mapplethorpe have graced the walls over the years. This year, the gallery is showing the works of Sir Don McCullin, a British photojournalist known for his war photography."

"Billed as ‘the free destination for the incurably curious’, this weird and wonderful museum explores what it means to be human through interactive and playful exhibitions. You’ll learn stacks of obscure and fascinating facts without even trying, as you admire medical artefacts, x-rated phallic ornaments or cheeky chamber pots. And there are plenty of opportunities to unleash your own creativity and become part of the exhibition: use the free experimental photo booth to capture your psychic transparencies, or borrow some felt tips to contribute your interpretation of ‘curious’, ‘torture’, or ‘nude’ to the museum’s walls ."

"An museum mostly consisting of art about medicine might seem like a bit of a strange one, but the Wellcome Collection attracts more than 700,000 visitors every year. Inside, you’ll find an oddly fascinating collection of art, books and artefacts relating to the development of medicine around the globe. It’s certainly enough to evoke some morbid curiosity!"

"This international chain of galleries lands its London branch on Saville Row, spread across two exhibition spaces: the North Gallery and the South Gallery. Enjoy a range of engaging events with Hauser & Wirth; from artist talks, film screenings and workshops, to their dynamic exhibition programme that showcases modern art from emerging and established artists around the world."

"Cay Tre is a Shoreditch institution, having been doing its thing since 2001. It’s one of the top authentic and traditional Vietnamese restaurants in east London and it’s a cheap eat that rocks. We love the charm of the place, which is a polite way to say it’s a little rough around the edges, but that doesn’t seem to affect its popularity at all."