3+3+London: Tate Britain
Operating Hours:Daily: 10:00 - 18:00. Closed: 24 - 26 December
The Vibe:500 years of British art, framed by the Thames.
The original Tate, founded in 1897 on the site of Millbank Prison, holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present. Its purpose-built Beaux-Arts building is less crowded than its Bankside sister but equally rich.
Light floods into rooms designed specifically for painting; Turner's sunsets dominate an entire gallery named for him. Footsteps soften on wood floors; school groups cluster at the PreRaphaelite canvases.
- • The national collection of British art from 1500 to today, founded in 1897
- • Houses the Clore Gallery with the largest collection of J.M.W. Turner works anywhere
- • Free admission to permanent galleries
- • Annual Turner Prize winner announced here each December
Persona Fit
- 👨👩👧 Families: Less crowded than Tate Modern; children's activity packs available
- 💕 Couples: Quiet afternoon alternative to Tate Modern's bustle
- 👵 Seniors: Full step-free access; benches throughout
- 📸 Photographers: Beaux-Arts rotunda and the Turner galleries' natural light
Highlights
- Clore Gallery — the largest Turner collection in the world, 300+ works
- Ophelia (John Everett Millais, 1852) — Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece
- Mr and Mrs Andrews (Thomas Gainsborough, 1750) — iconic English portrait
- Turner Prize rotation — contemporary British art at the cutting edge
- Walk Through British Art — chronological circuit from 1540 to today
- Manton Entrance — quieter side entrance from Atterbury Street — Hidden Gem
Sarah Riches
Our London Local Expert
Table of Contents
Once You Reach
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Free Entry
