Free Museums in Hampton Wick

"Another great one for name-dropping, but also for keeping your finger on the pulse. Tate Modern showcases work from 1900 onwards, which means modernist pioneers mix with work that’s happening right now. The addition of the Herzog de Meuron-designed building has made it both bigger and better, but the grand old Turbine Hall still has the power to strike awe into visitors, particularly when hosting one of its signature epic installations."

"Sitting grandly on the banks of the Thames is Tate Modern.Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art has a unique design due to the building's previous life as a power station. Inside, you'll find temporary exhibitions by top artists from Damien Hirst to Gauguin and restaurants offering fabulous views across the city."

"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."

"Housing masterpieces by painters including van Gogh, Renoir, da Vinci and Michelangelo, the National Gallery is home to one of the world’s most impressive art collections, and sees over six million visitors every year. Avoid the hordes by visiting on weekday mornings or Friday evenings. Whatever time you go, the permanent collections are always free."

"From Michelangelo to Monet and Raphael to Rembrandt, almost all of the old European masters can be found on the walls of the National Gallery, overlooking London’s famous Trafalgar Square. Crowd favorites include Van Gogh’s "Sunflowers"; Botticelli’s "Venus and Mars;" and Monet’s "The Water-Lily Pond." (If you’re short on time, you can pre-plan your trip around the gallery’s 30 must-see paintings.)"

"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."

"While the Tate Modern focuses on more recent art, Tate Britain is all about the past with a big collection of historical British art."

"London’s West End is pretty good for celeb spotting, but the easiest place to do it is probably at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s home to kings, queens, cultural juggernauts and sporting heroes – all in portrait form, of course – with a collection spanning over five hundred years of painting history. You can find Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in the Tudor galleries, Mary Jane Seacole and the Bronte sisters in the Victorian galleries, right up to Amy Winehouse and the Queen in the contemporary galleries."

"Located in an adjoining building to the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of historic portraits of important and famous British people. Nearest tube station: Charing Cross."

"This excellent branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum displays one of the best collections of childhood-related objects in the world. Kids are fascinated by the immense number of dolls, dolls’ houses through the ages, vintage board games, construction toys (Lego, Meccano), battery-powered robots and favourite toys from the 20th century, decade by decade. Action figures, teddy bears, puppets, magic lanterns and MicroMachines are among the highlights here."

"Out in Bethnal Green, you’ll discover the free Museum of Childhood. Operated and curated by the V&A, it’s home to toys, dolls houses, and thousands of other interesting items, but a major refurbishment is aiming to turn it into a “world-leading museum of design and creativity for children and young people”."

"Spanning the 1600s to the present day—toys, clothes and interactive displays are set within a 1872 hangar with marble floor and visible cast iron frame."

"Also known as the Temple of Mithras, this museum is centered around the remains of an ancient Roman temple in the City of London, left from the days of Roman rule, and is one of the lesser-known free museums in the capital. Named as one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites, the museum showcases the ancient temple and a selection of interesting Roman artefacts found during excavations, including fragments of writing-tablets which feature the first known reference to London and the earliest hand-written document in Britain."

"One of London’s quirkier and lesser-known spots is literally a blend of old and new. The London Mithraeum is a museum centred around the ruins of a Roman Temple and is located, rather oddly, underneath the shiny glass Bloomberg Buildings in the middle of the city. A visit to the Mithraeum is not just looking at old artefacts, but a full on sensory experience."

"Year Built: c.240 CE Location: Modern-day Walbrook Purpose:  Temple/sanctuary Still Standing:  No – only partial ruins remain. photo source: Wikimedia Commons. The Temple of Mithras is one of the few remnants leftover from the Roman Empire’s time in the area and is one of the oldest buildings ever discovered in London."

"Based in south London’s Brixton, the Black Cultural Archives is the only place in Britain that is dedicated to the history of the country’s black communities. The museum has a great collection of modern and historical artefacts and photographs that all tell their own stories on the topic of black British culture. When the museum was first coming together 30 years ago, it was a time when the African and Caribbean community in London was severely underappreciated, so the co-founder Len Garrison began collecting what is now one of the most comprehensive collections documenting the cultural heritage of Black Britain."

"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."

"Another of the best free museums in London, and one of my personal favourites, is South Kenisngton’s Science Museum, covering various aspects of science and human achievement, from the exploration of space to the invention of modern digital technologies. Spanning multiple floors, the museum has a collection of over 300,000 items, including some amazing world-famous objects such as the Apollo 10 command capsule, Helen Sharman’s spacesuit(the first Briton in Space) and Puffing Billy (world’s oldest surviving steam locomotive). There are also a number of interactive exhibits such as a 3D IMAX cinema showing science and nature documentaries throughout the day."

"A futuristic museum that is spread across seven floors of interactive and entertaining exhibits and explores everything from space travel to the Industrial Revolution. There’s something here for kids of all ages, including toddlers. Highlights include the giant telescope in the Exploring Space section, flying machines in the Flight Gallery – from hot air balloons to vintage planes, and the IMAX cinema shows on deep space and the underwater world."

"OK, now we know this next suggestion for the best desserts in London, isn’t a restaurant or cafes – but if you’re looking for an amazing dessert on-the-go, then I don’t think you can top Ben’s Cookies for deliciousness and price. Yummy, gooey, tasty cookies that dreams are made of."

"In response to the second lockdown Le Comptoir Robuchon began delivering its signature high-end food for lucky Londoners. The restaurant endorses the legacy of chef Joël Robuchon – who held the accolade of the most Michelin starred chef in the world at one point. Menu highlights include ‘Le Thon’, a smoked tuna tart with avocado guacamole and citrus dressing, ‘Le Poireau’, a smoked leek dish with mimosa eggs and Shitake mushroom and ‘Le Burger’, which combines beef with foie gras and peppers."

"Not all romantic restaurants need to have candlelight and dark corners. Consider Le Comptoir Robuchon instead, a light, bright, marble and velvet-clad temple to classic high-end French cuisine by the late, great Joel Robuchon. It's on the pricier end of the spectrum but so worth it for the indulgent flavours, rich dishes and sleek surroundings."

"A stylish restaurant with a distinctly modern approach to French cooking. L’Atelier exudes charm and elegance, which explains why it’s the only Michelin star restaurant in Covent Garden. Tackle the eight-course tasting menu if you’ve got the time (and funds)."

"Soho is proudly unique and non-conforming, so you’d expect any gin distilled there to offer something that bit different. With 12 botanicals and made according to 11th century methods, the King of Soho doesn’t disappoint. Made by the son of late Soho personality Paul Raymond, this tipple is a love letter to the borough."