3+3+London: Serpentine Galleries
Wheelchair Accessibility:
Yes
Operating Hours:Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00. Monday: Closed (opening varies by exhibition)
The Vibe:Contemporary art inside Kensington Gardens, free.
Two small galleries sit within Kensington Gardens — the Serpentine and Serpentine North, connected by a footpath across the Serpentine bridge. Since 2000 the gallery has commissioned an annual summer pavilion from a world-leading architect, each one dismantled in autumn.
Lawn and trees frame the first gallery; the Magazine building opposite has Zaha Hadid's restaurant extension. Children play around the summer pavilion; exhibitions inside hush the park's ambient sounds.
- • Free admission to all exhibitions, funded by private donations
- • Summer Pavilion commissioned annually from a major architect since 2000
- • Past pavilion designers include Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel and Ai Weiwei
- • Exhibits leading contemporary artists across two adjacent gallery spaces
Fit For
- 👨👩👧 Families: Kensington Gardens setting makes art-plus-playtime easy
- 💕 Couples: Pavilion café in summer, gallery-hop, picnic on the grass
- 👵 Seniors: Compact gallery scale; benches throughout the adjacent gardens
- 📸 Photographers: Summer Pavilion against Kensington Gardens greenery
Highlights
- Serpentine Pavilion — annual temporary commission by a leading architect, June-October
- Serpentine Gallery — 1934 tea pavilion now exhibiting contemporary art
- Serpentine North Gallery — former gunpowder Magazine with Zaha Hadid extension
- Free exhibitions — major contemporary artists annually
- The Magazine restaurant — Hadid's fluid extension houses a cult restaurant
- Park setting — Kensington Gardens' formal lawns and Long Water — Hidden Gem
London Local Expert
Sarah Riches
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