Yes — permanent collection admission is free. Temporary exhibitions (major monographic shows) are ticketed.

How long does a visit take?

2 hours for highlights; a full day for thorough coverage. The museum spans two buildings (Natalie Bell and Blavatnik) with 11 floors combined.

Can I get between Tate Modern and Tate Britain?

Yes — the Tate Boat runs hourly between the two galleries, passing Westminster and the London Eye en route (20 minutes).

Is the viewing terrace free?

Yes — Level 10 of the Blavatnik Building is free and open during gallery hours. One of London's best free viewpoints.

sddefault — Photos and videos of Tate Modern

https://aws-tiqets-cdn.imgix.net/images/content/43c36bfff77d4851abc0b01e83d0b132.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=1284&q=70&w=1284 — Photos and videos of Tate Modern

London: Tate Modern

2-4 hours

Bankside

Wheelchair Accessibility:

Yes

Operating Hours:Daily: 10:00 - 18:00. Friday - Saturday: 10:00 - 22:00

The Vibe:A decommissioned power station, now the world's art gallery.

Herzog & de Meuron's conversion of the Bankside Power Station opened in 2000 and transformed London's contemporary art scene. Its Turbine Hall hosts a new monumental commission each year; its galleries trace international modern art from 1900 to today.
The Turbine Hall soars five storeys; voices echo off industrial brickwork. The Blavatnik Building's viewing gallery shows London across the Thames; footsteps resonate on polished concrete.

• The world's most visited modern art gallery, with over 6 million annual visitors
• Opened in 2000 in the converted Bankside Power Station
• Free admission to permanent galleries
• Houses Rothko, Warhol, Picasso, Hockney and Matisse's Snail among highlights

Fit For

👨‍👩‍👧 Families: The Turbine Hall commissions engage children instinctively
💕 Couples: Friday late openings with live music and bars across the galleries
👵 Seniors: Full step-free access; benches throughout
📸 Photographers: Millennium Bridge approach and Turbine Hall's dramatic scale

Highlights

Turbine Hall — 35-metre-high entrance hall with annual monumental art commissions
Hyundai Commission — the yearly Turbine Hall installation, changes each October
Matisse's The Snail — cut-paper collage from the artist's final years
Rothko Room — dedicated space for the Seagram Murals
Blavatnik Building viewing terrace — free panoramic London views from Level 10
Natalie Bell Building — original power station with its brick industrial façade preserved — Hidden Gem

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Tate Modern: Official Discovery Tour

4.6 (14)

Partial Refund on Cancellation

Official 75-minute guided highlights tour
Covers the Turbine Hall and key permanent-collection works
Expert commentary on modern and contemporary highlights
Ideal introduction for first-time visitors

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Tate Modern: Semi-Private Guided Tour

4.7 (3)

Partial Refund on Cancellation

Small-group semi-private tour (max 12 participants)
Deeper engagement with the collection than the official highlights tour
Curator-level commentary across both Natalie Bell and Blavatnik buildings
Best for first-time visitors wanting substance over rush

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Plan Your Visit

Things To Do Nearby

Millennium Bridge — pedestrian bridge to St Paul's, directly outside the main entrance

Shakespeare's Globe — reconstructed Elizabethan theatre, two minutes west

Borough Market — historic food market, 10 minutes east

Tate Boat — the river service to Tate Britain via Westminster

Millennium Bridge — pedestrian bridge to St Paul's, directly outside the main entrance

Shakespeare's Globe — reconstructed Elizabethan theatre, two minutes west

Borough Market — historic food market, 10 minutes east

Tate Boat — the river service to Tate Britain via Westminster

TJ's Guide - Tate Modern

Know Before You Go

Insider Tips

Best Time: Friday or Saturday evening for late opening with bars; weekday mornings for quiet viewing

Hack: The Blavatnik Building's Level 10 viewing terrace is free and gives stunning London views

Hidden Gem: Walk the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's — the best approach on foot

The Tate Boat to Tate Britain is a great side-trip, using one ticket

Major exhibitions book out weeks ahead — check the Tate website early

Best Time: Friday or Saturday evening for late opening with bars; weekday mornings for quiet viewing

Hack: The Blavatnik Building's Level 10 viewing terrace is free and gives stunning London views

Hidden Gem: Walk the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's — the best approach on foot

The Tate Boat to Tate Britain is a great side-trip, using one ticket

Major exhibitions book out weeks ahead — check the Tate website early

Know Your Facts

Closest Tube: Southwark (Jubilee) or Blackfriars (Circle, District)
Main entrance: Natalie Bell Building on the river side
Alternative entrance: Turbine Hall west entrance on Sumner Street
First-time tip: Cross Millennium Bridge from St Paul's for the most dramatic approach

Once You Reach

Internal Navigation

Two buildings: Natalie Bell (original power station) and Blavatnik (2016 extension)

Turbine Hall: The dramatic entrance space between the two buildings

Permanent galleries: Free, spread across Levels 2 and 4

Accessibility: Lifts to all floors; step-free throughout

Efficient route: Turbine Hall first, then Level 2 of Natalie Bell, then cross to Blavatnik for viewing terrace

Food & Coffee Shops

Terrace Bar (Level 9, Blavatnik): Full menu with panoramic river views

Kitchen & Bar (Level 1, Natalie Bell): Casual lunches and light meals

Borough Market (10 minutes east): Hot street food with seating

Photography Tips

Non-flash photography permitted in permanent galleries; no tripods

Temporary exhibitions often prohibit photography — check at entry

Turbine Hall permits photography of the annual commission without flash

Viewing terrace gives the best London exterior composition — St Paul's directly opposite

Explore Deeper

Giles Gilbert Scott's Bankside Power Station opened in 1952 and closed in 1981. The conversion to Tate Modern, led by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, preserved the industrial exterior and single-oil turbine hall, transforming them into the gallery's dramatic entrance. It opened on 12 May 2000.

The Blavatnik Building extension, also by Herzog & de Meuron, opened in 2016 and doubled the gallery's exhibition space

The Tate Modern collection displays approximately 800 works at any time — less than 5% of the 70,000+ holdings

The annual Hyundai Commission for the Turbine Hall has featured Olafur Eliasson's Weather Project (artificial sun), Rachel Whiteread's Embankment (plaster boxes), and Ai Weiwei's 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds

Giles Gilbert Scott also designed Battersea Power Station and the iconic red telephone box — his industrial designs shape modern London's visual identity

Did You Know?

Visitor count — Tate Modern is the world's most-visited modern-art gallery, averaging 6 million annually

Conversion cost — The original 2000 conversion cost £134 million; the 2016 Blavatnik extension added £260 million

Collection scope — Holds around 70,000 works of modern and contemporary art from 1900

Power station chimney — The central chimney is 99 metres high, deliberately one metre shorter than St Paul's opposite

Fit For

Highlights

Once You Reach

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