Best Arts and Culture Places in Raynes Park

"The British Museum, founded in 1753, is a history, arts, and culture museum in London. With more than eight million objects in its collection, the British Museum has one of the world's biggest museum collections. Much of the collection is focused on human culture as it dates back to the earliest times."

"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."

"Most of the museums in London are free to visit including the British Museum seen below. This hall is huge, so to really capture it you would need a wide-angle lens. I actually used a GoPro for this particular shot."

"Not just one of the best museums in London but also the world’s largest collection of decorative arts and design, the V&A is comprised of more than 150 separate galleries over seven floors of furniture, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, posters, jewellery, metalwork, glass, textiles, dress, architecture and photography spanning several centuries. Plus it’s home to the beautiful William Morris tearoom and a water-filled courtyard; both excellent spots for a scone break."

"Over in South Kensington, the V&A is another of the best museums in London. Dedicated to all things aesthetic, it’s the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design. Walking through the V&A is a treat for the eyes."

"This includes the V&A, Natural History Museum, The Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park!. What’s more, all the other London landmarks are just a hop, skip, and jump away. This makes it our top choice for a short summer getaway in London"

"Art-lovers can spend hours inside the Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery, while theater-goers will want to buy tickets for Shakespeare’s Globe or the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Walking through one of London’s numerous parks is also an option, and so is admiring the architecture of Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, or St. Paul’s Cathedral. In the evenings, have some fish and chips in a pub or enjoy London’s multicultural dining options. You will stay in the city until the morning of Day 3."

"Tate Modern is one of the world’s most prominent museums for modern art. It’s situated across the Thames from St. Paul’s Cathedral, inside a converted power station. Aside from a 360 degree viewpoint, it offers great architectural design inside."

"Located in a beautiful Grade I listed Neoclassical building on the edge of Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery is one of London’s most important art galleries and is completely free to visit. The museum contains over 2,300 works from between the mid-13th century to 1900, with famous pieces by artists including Michelangelo, Velázquez, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh."

"The crowning glory of Trafalgar Square, London's 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. Some exhibitions require tickets."

"The National Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the world. Constructed in 1937, it attracts more than 4 million tourists yearly. Unlike many other museums, this one is free to enter, so you don't have to worry about paying an admission fee."

"The greatest city in the world deserves its own museum, and that’s exactly what the Museum of London provides!. Set somewhat incongruously in the middle of a brutalist roundabout, exhibits here cover everything from the city’s ancient past as a Roman settlement right up to the present day, featuring both the 2012 Olympic cauldron…  to a congealed lump of sewer blockage from our city’s great nemesis, the Fatberg. A planned move to the site of the old Smithfield meat market is expected to occur in the coming years, but they’re still at London Wall for now."

"If there's one place to absorb the history of London, from 450,000 BC to the present day, it's here. There are 7,000 objects to wonder…"

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"Exhibiting modern art by both up-and-coming and established artists from the USA, Europe and Asia, Victoria Miro is a gallery that is all about the wow factor. “Their recent Idris Kahn exhibition, Beyond the Black in 2013, gave me the same wow effect as when I went to see Mark Rothko at Tate Modern” says Matthew, recalling to us how the atmosphere of the gallery that day was both powerful and enthralling. Having worked closely with Idris Kahn in the past, Matthew told us he felt very proud to see what he had achieved."

"Victoria Miro is recognised for celebrating new artists from America, Europe and Asia as well as sustaining amazing homegrown London talent. The large space is set across two floors, and the gallery is particularly unique as it has its own garden. The studio represents established installation artist Doug Aitken as well as more modern artists including Conrad Shawcross and Alice Neel."

"This gallery is in an 8,000-square-foot former furniture factory situated between Hoxton and Islington in north east London. Victoria Miro can be relied upon to exhibit the very best and most extraordinary in contemporary art. For example, currently it is showing work by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama whose iconic pumpkin sculptures are a sight to behold."

"Britain’s oldest society devoted to fine arts was founded in 1768 and moved here to Burlington House a century later. For its 250th birthday in 2018, the RA gave itself a £56-million makeover, opening up 70% more public space. It also made it free to visit its historic collection, which includes drawings, paintings, architectural designs, photographs and sculptures by past and present Royal Academicians, such as Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, JMW Turner, David Hockney and Norman Foster."

"Head to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the evolution of contemporary art unfold before your very eyes. It’s no accident that this is known as the spot for finding London’s hottest talents. The academy is led by its Royal Academicians, a group of peer-elected artists, the works of whom are displayed in their defiant exhibits."

"The prize for the most surreal gallery experience in London goes to The Crypt Gallery, which operates from the hauntingly beautiful 200-year-old crypts beneath St Pancras Parish Church. The gallery specialises in exhibiting contemporary art, which creates a striking juxtaposition to the historic arching walls that encase visitors. Its exhibitions and events are so well-curated, you almost forget you’re walking beside 557 bodies, all of whom were buried there between 1822 and 1854."

"St Helen Bishopsgate was formed originally of two medieval churches joined together. On the left is the nave of a Benedictine Nunnery, which, in the early 13th century was built onto the existing parish church. The two congregations were then separated by a solid screen (now columns)."

"St Helen’s Church in Bishopsgate is another survivor of the Great Fire, and indeed the Blitz. However, an IRA bomb blew its roof off. It originally belonged to a nunnery which was dissolved in 1538."

"This church dates from the 12th-century and managed to survive both the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz"

"Westminster Abbey is often mistaken as one of the cathedrals of London. It’s an easy mistake to make, but it’s an Abbey which has served as the Coronation Church for Kings and Queens of England for almost a thousand years. Westminster Abbey is one of the big-ticket top three or four things to do in London, and it’s something we suggest you make time for, even if you only have a 1-day London itinerary."

"Standing proudly next to the Westminster Houses of Parliament, the home of British politics, is the beautiful and hugely significant Westminster Abbey. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site back in 1987, this church is one of the most important in the UK and dates back to around 800AD. Westminster Abbey is steeped in history and has been the scene of royalty since William the Conqueror in the 1000s."

"If walls could talk, Westminster Abbey would have plenty to say!. The site of every coronation since 1066, this Gothic church is the final resting place for 17 monarchs, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Sir Laurence Olivier, and many, many others. It’s also a favourite for royal weddings—in 2011 Prince William married Kate Middleton here."

"The Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide is the oldest organization in the world devoted to the study of the Holocaust. The Wiener Library was founded in 1933 to keep Jewish communities up to date on Nazi persecution. Later, it became a research institute and public access library following the end of World War II. The library today has an estimated 70,000 books, 2,000 document, 45,000 photographs and 3,000 periodicals."

"The Ragged School Museum in London opened in 1990 at the former Dr Barnardo's Copperfield Road Ragged School. The school opened in 1877 to provide the children in the area with a basic education, making it the biggest school of its kind for the period. By 1908, the government had taken over public education and the school was closed."

"Rich Mix allows creativity in all its magnificent forms – live music, theatre, poetry, film, art, design and drawing, so it’s a little distinct from the other places on the list, but the charity behind the cross-media arts centre, The Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, has a pretty inspiring goal. And that’s to offer the public space to discover more about the creative offerings of people from various migrant populations. Since taking over the former clothing factory on Bethnal Green Road, Rich Mix has put on many free exhibitions, screenings and concerts."

"This fantastic creative space in the East End, on the site of what used to be in a leather factory, has regular exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists. 39-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Free entryrichmix.org.uk"

"Many of the greatest stage performers have appeared on the boards at the Theatre Royal in Windsor since it opened for business in 1910. This intimate performance venue often puts on preview performances for new productions before they move on to the famous venues of the West End. The Theatre Royal pantomime is a regular fixture on the calendar – one that is popular with local people and visitors to the town."

"A post shared by Theatre Royal Windsor (@theatrewindsor) on Aug 4, 2017 at 9:18am PDT. For year-round entertainment, ranging from musicals to comedy, snag tickets to a show at this stunning historic theatre, located near Windsor Castle. Looking for a performance the whole family will enjoy?"