Free Museums in Teddington

"The most-visited modern art gallery in the world, partly because it holds the national collection of British art from 1900 to the present day, as well as international modern and contemporary art, but mainly because the 6th floor members’ cafe has one of London’s best views. Which is like art in itself, man."

"If you’re into contemporary art then Tate Modern is the place to come and the Switch House galleries are well worth a look. Best shot: from the viewing terrace on the top floor of Switch House. The views of the River Thames and the Northbank are spectacular."

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Time slots must be booked in advance on the museum’s website here. Admission to the general exhibit is 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.)"

"The National Gallery is my personal favourite gallery in the world. You’ll find some of Europe’s greatest masterpieces here, from Van Gogh, to Monet, to Rembrandt. I still remember being brought to tears by the doleful beauty of Turner’s Margate (?) from the Sea."

"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–"

"Tate Britain, which opened its doors in 1897, has a quite incredible collection of art on display in its beautiful riverside building, including paintings by William Blake, John Constable, Whistler and Millais (his iconic painting of Ophelia). It also has the largest number of Turner paintings in the world. A truly wonderful location, and a really first class selection If you want to visit both Tates on the same day, you can take a boat ride from one museum to the other, a much recommended trip in itself."

"Explore the world's biggest collection of British art at Tate Britain. Spanning pieces by renowned artists, including JMW Turner, Lucian Freud, David Hockney and more, you can enjoy the museum independently or on a guided tour. After admiring the artworks, refuel at the Djanogly Café or pick up souvenirs from the museum shop."

"Home to over 11,000 portraits, this delightful art gallery focusses on famous British people through the ages and is located not too far from Trafalgar Square. A remarkable place to wander around, portraits, photos, sculptures and drawings of some of the country’s most influential and well-known figures gaze upon you as you make your way through the galleries. While its most famous portrait is undoubtedly the painting of William Shakespeare, more contemporary pieces do not look out of place alongside artworks that date back hundreds of years."

"A post shared by National Portrait Gallery (@nationalportraitgallery). In art, there’s nothing more intimate than a portrait, and at this landmark London art gallery, you can get intimate with some very famous faces. From Queen Elizabeth I to Queen Elizabeth II, The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of the United Kingdom’s most important monarchs."

"Where else but the National Portrait Gallery can you find oils of the Brontë sisters and William Shakespeare alongside black and white photographs of the Spice Girls and a mixed media portrait of J.K."

"One of the best London attractions for kids is the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhoodin Bethnal Green. The museum is a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum in Knightsbridge and houses an impressive collection of toys and other childhood-related objects from the 1600s to the present day. The museum holds the largest collection of dolls in the UK with dolls representing people of different nationalities, a collection of Barbie dolls, the Kammer & Reinhardt dolls (popular life-like baby dolls) and the Tiny Tears dolls (from the USA) to name a few."

"Located in a beautiful redbrick building in Bethnal Green, this museum is the largest of its kind in the world. It’s not just for kids, though – it provides a delightful, nostalgic trip back to more innocent times, with a fascinating collection of toys and games from yesteryear. The current temporary exhibition is dedicated to board games and it’s an absolute treat."

"The V&A Museum of Childhood, part of the Victoria & Albert Museum, is a London museum dedicated to housing collections by and for children. The museum's collection includes costumes, toys, and objects dedicated to celebrating childhood. In addition to its permanent collection, the V&A Museum of Childhood regularly hosts temporary exhibits."

"One of London's most beloved art collections, the Courtauld is to your right as you pass through the archway into the grounds of the…"

"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."

"The Brunel museum is situated above the Thames Tunnel, Brunel's amazing feat of engineering which saw him construct the oldest tunnel under water in the oldest metro system in the world. A visit to the museum tells visitors how he built the tunnel, which took 18 long years and cost many lives, and if you book a guided tour, you can climb down in to the shaft which used to serve the tunnel, and listen to an actor guide recreate the conditions that Brunel and his workers faced more than 185 years ago when they started construction. It is a fascinating piece of history and the museum is simply but fascinatingly done."

"It’s time to get physical with this museum, which is dedicated to the Industrial Revolution’s biggest engineering science don, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The museum is actually housed inside one of Brunel’s extraordinary creations: the Thames Tunnel, which is the oldest tunnel to run under a river in the world. Discover how the tunnel was constructed and explore the chamber where Brunel nearly drowned trying to build it."

"The Saatchi Gallery is a London museum for contemporary art. The museum's displays have gone through different eras and artists, to include Young British Artists and American-based contemporary artists. Saatchi Gallery has a tendency to showcase unknown artists, and has often been seen as a launching pad for many careers."

"Chelsea's Saatchi Gallery is all about contemporary art, with work by young artists or international artists rarely exhibited in the UK. It will be renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, London upon the retirement of owner Charles Saatchi, who has donated the gallery's collection to the nation."

"Restaurants Street food London. If you’re in Soho, why not head to Street Food Union, a collection of a dozen or so stalls that sets up shop on Rupert Street five days a week. Traders are on rotation and newcomers are added regularly, but the line-up currently includes self-explanatory names like Confit Street (fine French food) and Lil’ Falafel, plus more obscure-sounding outfits such as Oshpaz – a quirky one-off specialising in authentic ‘plov’, Uzbekistan’s legendary national dish (slow-cooked lamb on the bone, in case you were wondering)."

"Assembling all the right stuff for a hand-held nosh, Lils Falafel is all about unusually moist vegan/veggie balls which come packed into wraps with vibrant salads, pickles and sauces. These impressively moist little beauties are full to bursting with all those vibrant flavours and textures we love so much. If you’re after a takeaway lunch, we suggest ordering one of their salad boxes, and adding some feta for an extra quid."

"Stop by Street Food Union Soho for some of the best street food in London, with a small group of passionate traders. There are many options, but I particularly love the New Orleans-inspired Slinging Poboys. On Saturdays Street Food Union transforms itself into one of the best vegan food markets in London – packed with innovative and delicious eats."

"This Southeast-Asian restaurant comes from two of the founders of Icebar. The walls here are adorned with the trippy works of Hong Kong-based artist Lunatic, while head chef Jon de Villa (previously Nobu Mayfair), turns out an array of sharing dishes. Our sticky, juicy chicken wings were followed by scallop, prawn and chive dumplings, with a kick of chilli and ginger."

"Ice cream that’s sold on the streets of Manila is nicknamed ‘dirty ice cream’. Known for being super affordable yet still delicious, it’s made using little more than ice, salt, a steel pot and a pair of strong hands. Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream is the first filipino ice cream parlour in London and they try to recapture the authenticity, and of course, simplicity of Manila ice cream."

"Omar Shah and Florence Mae Magnaloc’s Mamasons is packaging up its range of Filipino-influenced ice creams for delivery and is open for takeaways, with ube, milo, and calamansi among the flavours. Expect bilog, the pandesal ice cream sandwich, to go quickly, with the Chinatown branch open from 12 p.m."

"You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by MAMASONS DIRTY ICE CREAM (@mamasonsdirtyicecream)"