Best Museums in Apsley

"Located in what was once Bankside Power Station on the south bank of the Thames, Tate Modern is one of the city's most loved attractions. You can enjoy the permanent collection, which includes works by Pollock, Warhol, Matisse and Picasso, for free. The 10th-floor viewing deck of the Blavatnik Building offers wonderful panoramic views over the Thames and beyond, and the building itself is amazing."

"The Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located on the south bank of the River Thames. They have a permanent free exhibition, as well as seasonal ones that you will have to pay for if you want to see them. Personally I found the permanent free exhibition more than enough to occupy a full afternoon."

"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."

"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."

"Additionally, the Amba just might be the best place to stay in London for walking as numerous attractions – including the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, and Covent Garden – lie just steps away. Check rates:Booking.com | Hotels.com | Expedia Read reviews:on TripAdvisor"

"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."

"Around the square you’ll also find two of London’s top art museums, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Both are highly recommended for art lovers and include works by some of the world’s most famous artists from Turner to Monet. Also nearby (hidden underground in St. Martin-in-the-Fields!) you can visit the London Brass Rubbing Centre (fee*) to learn about and create a brass rubbing to take home. A great activity for families (we had fun too!)."

"National Portrait Gallery / Self-Portrait As A Soldier By Ludwig Kirchner. Before there were selfies, you basically had to hire someone to paint you in order for your face to be immortalised for all to see. Next door to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of portraits of historically famous British people."

"This gallery comprises a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people from throughout time. Think Shakespeare, Edward VI, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, to name a few."

"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."

"One of the branches of Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Childhood was founded in 1872, but only in the 1920s began to concentrate primarily on children. With an enormous collection of childhood objects, the Museum successfully fulfils its mission of giving everyone the opportunity to explore the wonderful ways of the designated world. The unique exhibitions, galleries of toys (older and newer) and the entertainment programs prepared for children will definitely get them prancing around."

"Funnily enough, the Museum of Childhood is actually first and foremost geared towards adults who want to relive their own childhoods, but don’t worry – they’ve planned ahead and know that many adults will be bringing their own children. For toddlers, there are interactive exhibits featuring toys and games at the Museum of Childhood, as well as drop-in activities including crafting and storytelling to get your toddler involved in some educational play."

"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."

"Children can handle real torture devices at the world’s most notorious medieval prison at this museum in Southwark, on the original site of The Clink Prison, which dates back to 1144. You’ll find out about a day in the life of a medieval prisoner and hear tales of some of the gruesome prisoners. If you’re feeling brave, it’s a great place to spot ghosts: the prison is reputed to be one of the UK’s most haunted locations and is renowned for its ghostly sightings…"

"A rather arresting spot amongst London museums, The Clink spent some 600 years as one of the city’s most feared prisons. Far from the charming spot it is today, Southwark used to be a lawless place; prostitutes, heretics, and drunkards all graced the cells of The Clink at one point or another."

"The Clink Prison Museum was a prison in England that started in the 12th century and operated through 1780. Today, it is the oldest surviving prison in the country. Notable prisoners of The Clink include Father John Gerard, Father John Jones, Farther George Blackwell, and Edward Knott."

"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…"

"Children and adults alike will enjoy this museum, designed to encourage an interest in science and history through Roald Dahl’s characters and stories. A visit to the gallery has often been described as walking into a giant pop-up book and it’s impossible to leave without a smile on your face. So, whether you want to climb inside a giant peach, crawl through Mr Fantastic Fox’s tunnel (not recommended unless you’re small) or simply pay homage to The Twits, this gallery is well worth a visit."

"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"

"A quick scan of Covent Garden‘s Top Secret Comedy Club line-up will leave you asking: who hasn’t performed at the venue?. Comedians like Eddie Izzard, Jack Whitehall and Michael McIntyre are among the famous faces to have taken to its stage over the years to practice new material before heading off on tour. Not much of a secret anymore, this comedy club is recognised as one of London’s favourites, with tickets for its intimate shows sold on a first-come, first-served basis."

"Contrary to what the name might suggest, this isn’t top secret anymore. Situated in the heart of Covent Garden on Drury Lane, acts perform every night of the week in one of two venues. John Bishop, Eddie Izzard, Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard, Dara O’Briain, Seann Walsh and Jason Manford are among the big-name comedians you might see trialing new material, as well as plenty of upcoming stars."

"Thursdays and Saturdays are laughter days at the Comedy Tree. If you happen to be a student, you'll get in for the bargain price of £6 on Thursday too — not bad when you might end up watching the likes of Scott Capurro or Patrick Monahan. One thing we'd like to see more of from these guys though — female comics!"

"Fleet Street is the former home of London’s printing and publishing industry. It has an old-timey appearance, with tall grey buildings stacked high on either side of the street. It’s a great spot for raw street photography."

"Not only is St Helen’s one of the oldest surviving churches in the City of London, but it is also the largest, and contains more monuments than any other church in London (except Westminster Abbey of course). The church was designed with two parallel naves, which is why is it is so much wider than a usual church, and it was actually divided in two at one point, with half serving the nuns and the other half serving the parishioners (it is also the only nunnery still standing in the City of London). Among the more famous parishioners of this church was William Shakespeare who lived nearby in the 1590s."

"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)."

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

"The Barbican isn’t a single building: it’s an entire estate. It’s in the northern part of the City of London, which was devastated by bombing during World War II. It was eventually replaced by the Barbican Estate, a series of residential towers and courts built in finest British concrete between 1965 and 1976."

"From acclaimed architects to Turner prize-winning artists, as well as stars of design and photography, the Barbican Art Gallery presents major exhibitions by leading international figures. You should also check out the Barbican's Curve, home to an exciting series of new art commissions created for the space."

"Another of London’s brutalist structures, the Barbican Centre hosts regular film screenings, art exhibitions and other events. It is surrounded by the Barbican Housing Estate, making it tricky to navigate round its multiple entrances but giving it a unique architectural feel."

"The University College London Art Museum houses a collection that goes back to 1847. The collection began when artist John Flaxman offered his sculpture models and drawing to the university. Now, there are more than 10,000 objects in the collection, to include etchings by Rembrandt."

"With its Serpentine Pavilion created by a different architect or designer each year, this is a gallery that has a tendency to extend its love for contemporary art outside its walls and into the surrounding park. The rolling exhibition programme always features a huge range of some of the most cutting edge names in contemporary art, showcasing work across all disciplines from video art to architecture. Kensington Gardens, Kensington, W2 3XA​, serpentinegalleries.org"

"Situated in the leafy splendour of Kensington Gardens, the Serpentine presents an innovative contemporary art exhibition programme by established and emerging international artists. The first gallery opened in 1970, in a former tea house on the south side of the Serpentine lake. In 2013, the Sackler Gallery opened in a former gunpowder store with the late Zaha Hadid designing the futuristic restaurant extension."

"Together with the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, is a leading gallery for emerging and established artists from around the world. It is located in Kensington Gardens. Its annual summer Pavilion has become an architectural highlight where international practitioners can experiment with unexpected materials and forms."