Free London Galleries

Nearly all of London's major public galleries are completely free so you know you're not compromising on quality by choosing the cheaper option. Lots offer free talks and tours if you time your visit cleverly. Some special exhibitions do attract an admission fee but there's more than enough in each gallery to keep you well and truly absorbed without having to pay to visit these.

National Gallery

Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN

The National Gallery dominates over London's Trafalgar Square as it dominates all other galleries in the city in terms of world renown. Some of the finest examples of European art, ranging from 1260 to 1900, are included among the 2300 paintings filling its halls and rooms. Holbein's 'The Ambassadors', 'The Hay Wain' by Constable, and Jan Van Eyck's 'Arnolfini Marriage' are just some of the major attractions. Works on display also include those of Botticelli, Monet, Constable, Van Gogh and Rembrandt. This really is the place to come for top quality artwork spanning a wide spectrum of styles and periods. From the Early Renaissance to the Post-Impressionists, every significant stage in the development of painting is represented in its collection, often by masterpieces. Originally established by Parliament in 1824, the collection belongs to the British public and every effort is made to encourage the public to visit, view and experience the art: free entry, free events, free talks and free tours support this ethos of encouragement and enthusiasm. Regular weekend activities include: guided tours at 11.30am, 2.30pm with extra tours at 12.30pm and 3.30pm on Saturdays, lunchtime talks on Saturdays at 1am, and Art Through Words sessions for visitors with a visual impairment at 11.30am on the last Saturday of the month.

Current events at National Gallery

Turner Inspired: In The Light Of Claude event running until Tuesday 5th June 2012
TIMES 14th March 2012 to 5th June 2012 PRICING £13.20 (Adults), £12.10 (Seniors), £6 (Students/Job seekers/12-18s)
When Turner left the National Gallery two paintings - Dido building Carthage and Sun rising through Vapour ... More about this event

National Gallery - Permanent Collection event running until Monday 31st December 2012
TIMES 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free, additional charges for special exhibitions
Located on Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery houses one of the greatest collections of European paintings in the world. Masterpieces on permanent... More about this event

The Comte De Vaudreuil: Courtier And Collector event running until Tuesday 12th June 2012
TIMES 6th April 2012 to 12th June 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Dutch and Flemish old Master paintings from the leading courtier and collector of the France in the 1780s.... More about this event

Titian's Diana And Callisto event running until Sunday 1st July 2012
TIMES 6th April 2012 to 1st July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
A celebration of the recent acquisition of one of the artist's mythological pieces.... More about this event

Titian's First Masterpiece: The Flight Into Egypt event running until Sunday 19th August 2012
TIMES 4th April 2012 to 19th August 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
The painting, one of Titian's earliest pieces, is shown alongside contemporary Venetian works.... More about this event

All events at National Gallery

National Portrait Gallery

St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE

This isn't the place to come for serious works of exceptional artistic merit - the overriding aim of the National Portrait Gallery is to reflect the status of the sitter, not the artist - but where else in London could you hope to find The Beatles, Henry VIII, Sir Richard Branson and JK Rowling all hanging out together? The appeal of this gallery (opened in 1856) rests simply in its comprehensive commemoration of British history from the late 15th century to the present day through the medium of portraiture. The sense of progression and the feeling of familiarity with many subjects are what make the gallery so appealing. Having said that, critically acclaimed self-portraits by William Hogarth, Sir Joshua Reynolds and other notable British artists are also displayed alongside the 10,000 portraits of everyone from statesmen to showbiz stars and media barons. The collection represents Britain and is arranged thematically, starting with the Tudors and ending with present day politicians and pop stars. Look out for the only surviving portrait of Shakespeare taken from life in The Ondaajte Wing, the Hans Holbein cartoon of Henry VIII, the anamorphic portrait of Edward VI, and the sculpture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in medieval costume. Photographs, caricatures, drawings and sculpture are included in the collection which also boasts 250,000 archived images. The National Portrait Gallery also hosts the annual Portrait Prize competition alongside ever-changing collections of contemporary work.

Current events at National Portrait Gallery

Victorian Connections event running until Sunday 17th June 2012
TIMES 8th December 2011 to 17th June 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
A photographic exploration evaluating the impact made by prominent Victorians such as Charles Darwin and Robert Browning on the lives and careers of c... More about this event

Beautiful Souls event running until Tuesday 7th August 2012
TIMES 5th December 2011 to 7th August 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Photographs and prints of the group of 19th-century aristocrats and socialites known as The Souls, which included former-Prime Minister Arthur Balfour... More about this event

Sixteen By Fourteen: Recent Photographic Acquisitions event running until Saturday 1st September 2012
TIMES 7th February 2012 to 1st September 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Contemporary photographs acquired by the gallery by photographers including Jay Brooks, Henry Browne, James Galloway, Francesco Guidicini and Tricia M... More about this event

The Queen: Art And Image event running until Sunday 21st October 2012
TIMES 17th May 2012 to 21st October 2012 - Various Times PRICING To be confirmed
There are several exhibitions marking The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, but of these the National Portrait Gallery More about this event

National Portrait Gallery - Permanent Collection event running until Monday 31st December 2012
TIMES 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free, additional charge for some special exhibitions
Founded in 1856, the gallery collects portraits of famous British men and women, around 1,400 of which are on display throughout the year in London. T... More about this event

Imagined Lives: Portraits Of Unknown People event running until Sunday 8th July 2012
TIMES 3rd December 2011 to 8th July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Fourteen portraits of people whose identities are uncertain, including works by artists who are also unknown.... More about this event

Sandra Lousada: Work And Performance event running until Tuesday 10th July 2012
TIMES 28th November 2011 to 10th July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Images spanning the photographers' 50 year career, including several images from her book Public Faces Private Places.... More about this event

Cavendish Morton: A Man Of Many Parts event running until Sunday 15th July 2012
TIMES 12th December 2011 to 15th July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Photographic portraits, including that of the artist's wife.... More about this event

Spotlight On Peter Rand event running until Sunday 16th September 2012
TIMES 17th April 2012 to 16th September 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Sixteen recently-acquired photographs by the Vogue photographer featuring images of famous actors, playwrights and musicians.... More about this event

Cambridge Connections: Photographs By Antony Barrington Brown event running until Sunday 16th September 2012
TIMES 6th April 2012 to 16th September 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Photographs that document life at Cambridge taken between 1953 and 1958 gifted by the photographer.... More about this event

All events at National Portrait Gallery

Photographers' Gallery

Ambika P3, Marylebone

The Photographers' Gallery may be closed until Spring 2012 but Britain's leading centre for contemporary photography continues to run various projects in the meantime, most notably the Deutsche Borse Prize, the photographer's equivalent of the Turner. Held at Ambika P3 at the University of Westminster, visiting the exhibition is free and, for those into photography, it's a must-see. When the Ramilies Street gallery re-opens it promises to provide a cultural oasis in the centre of the city, with a commitment to continued free admission.

Current events at Photographers' Gallery

Edward Burtynsky: OIL event running until Sunday 1st July 2012
TIMES 19th May 2012 to 1st July 2012 PRICING Free
Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky's 10-year study of the manufacture, distribution and use of oil is on... More about this event

Raqs Media Collective event running until Sunday 1st July 2012
TIMES 19th May 2012 to 1st July 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
This show of works by the New Delhi Raqs Media Collective is one of two exhibitions to mark the re-opening of... More about this event

All events at Photographers' Gallery

Saatchi Gallery

Duke of York's Square, King's Road, London, SW3 4SQ

The Saatchi Gallery re-opened on 9th October 2008 in the former military barracks of the Duke of York's Headquarters. The 70,000 square feet represents a significantly larger space than its previous 40,000 occupancy at County Hall. Ousted from the Southbank site in 2005, the re-location of the gallery had long been speculated upon and hotly anticipated. The former ad man Charles Saatchi made the transition to the art world in the 1990s, championing young artists and buying in bulk the works of Young British Artists like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. In keeping with this trait, the gallery includes a dedicated space for emerging artists from the Saatchi Online website

Current events at Saatchi Gallery

Out of Focus event running until Sunday 22nd July 2012
TIMES 25th April 2012 to 22nd July 2012 PRICING Free
The first major photography exhibition at the More about this event

All events at Saatchi Gallery

Serpentine Gallery

Kensington Gardens, London, W2 3XA

The Serpentine provides a platform for contemporary artists, both British and international, with changing exhibitions. There's a permanent work comprising eight benches, a tree-plaque, and a carved stone circle by artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay in the grounds of the gallery which is dedicated to the Serpentine's former Patron Diana, Princess of Wales. In July, the annual Summer Party is a highlight on the party circuit, attracting celebrities, fashionistas and models showing the latest designer dresses. Rather more artistically important is the Summer Pavilion; each year a distinguished architect is invited to build a temporary structure which sits alongside the gallery for the summer months. Often controversial and always a talking point, the Summer Pavilion is arguably one of the most interesting exhibitions that the Serpentine presents.

Current events at Serpentine Gallery

Hans-Peter Feldmann event running until Sunday 3rd June 2012
TIMES 11th April 2012 to 3rd June 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
A large-scale collection of photographs spanning the artist's career presented in a variety of ways including books, posters, postcards and gallery i... More about this event

Yoko Ono event Tuesday 19th June until Sunday 9th September
TIMES 19th June 2012 to 9th September 2012 PRICING Admission Free
The Serpentine Gallery presents a major exhibition of work by celebrated artist More about this event

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012: Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei event Friday 1st June until Wednesday 31st October
TIMES 1st June 2012 to 31st October 2012 PRICING Free
The world-renowned architect pairing of Jacques Herzog an... More about this event

All events at Serpentine Gallery

Tate Britain

Millbank, SW1P 4RG

Overlooking the River Thames, Tate Britain was originally founded through the philanthropy of the sugar magnate Sir Henry Tate. The Tate legacy now encompasses three other galleries around the UK, including Tate Modern also in London. Dedicated to showcasing Britain's artistic talent, Tate Britain is home to the greatest collection of British art from 1500 to the present day. Since it opened in 1897, the collection has expanded to include works from Blake, Rossetti, Spencer and Stubbs. It also hosts the Turner Prize - the contemporary art world's premier award. Turner's Gallery (another tribute to the artist himself) is a virtual reconstruction of the room in which Turner showed his own paintings.

Current events at Tate Britain

Romantics event running until Sunday 3rd June 2012
TIMES 9th August 2010 to 3rd June 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Paintings by Henry Fuseli, JMW Turner, John Constable, Samuel Palmer and William Blake, exploring the origins, influence and legacies of Romantic art ... More about this event

Picasso and Modern British Art event running until Sunday 15th July 2012
TIMES 15th February 2012 to 15th July 2012 - 10am-5.40pm PRICING £15.50 (Adults), £13.50 (Concessions)
Tate Britain hosts a major show to explore the influence of Pablo Picasso More about this event

Migrations event running until Sunday 12th August 2012
TIMES 31st January 2012 to 12th August 2012 - 10am-5.40pm PRICING Phone for prices
An exploration of British art seen through the theme of migration from the 1500s onwards, featuring works by Lely, Kneller, Fuseli, Sargent, Epstein, ... More about this event

Tate Britain Commission 2012: Patrick Keiller: The Robinson Instate event running until Sunday 14th October 2012
TIMES 27th March 2012 to 14th October 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
A multimedia installation produced in response to the Tate collection by the acclaimed independent film-maker.... More about this event

David Tremlett: Drawing For Free Thinking event running until Monday 31st December 2012
TIMES 19th September 2011 to 31st December 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
A large-scale wall drawing consisting of bold blocks of colour and clean lines that are inspired by traditional styles of 20th-century constructivism.... More about this event

All events at Tate Britain

Tate Modern

Bankside Power Station, 25 Sumner Street, London, SE1 9TG

Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, Tate Modern pays homage to art from 1900 to the present day. Located along the banks of the River Thames, the gallery opened to great acclaim in 2000 and has since welcomed millions of visitors through its imposing doors. If you are visiting for the first time, you should approach from Blackfriars station, crossing Norman Foster's 'Blade of Light' footbridge walking towards this spectacular modernist masterpiece with the dome of St Paul's Cathedral behind you. The awesome Turbine Hall creates a stunning entrance and a vast space, used to display temporary installations on a grand scale. There are three levels of galleries enclosed by a spectacular two-storey glass roof that provides fantastic views of London and a great cafe. Full of the jokey eccentricities of contemporary art, it's one of the few art galleries that children and teenagers will enjoy, but it also offers the full set of iconic twentieth century artists, from Matisse to Moore, Dali to Picasso. Justifiably the most popular art gallery in Europe.

Current events at Tate Modern

Yayoi Kusama event running until Tuesday 5th June 2012
TIMES 9th February 2012 to 5th June 2012 - Various Times PRICING £10 (Adults), £8.50 (Concessions)
Well-known for her repeating dot patterns, influential Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama first came to prominence ... More about this event

Damien Hirst event running until Sunday 9th September 2012
TIMES 4th April 2012 to 9th September 2012 - Various Times PRICING £14, concs £12.20, Tate Members Free
Damien Hirst, one of the most influential artists of his generation,... More about this event

100 Years Of Adolf Hitler: The Last Hour In The Fuhrerbunker event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES 25th May to 31st May 2012
... More about this event

Kusama On Film event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES 25th May to 31st May 2012
... More about this event

Terror 2000 event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES 25th May to 31st May 2012
... More about this event

The Forgotten Space event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES 25th May to 31st May 2012
... More about this event

The German Chainsaw Massacre event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES 25th May to 31st May 2012
... More about this event

United Trash: The Slit event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES 25th May to 31st May 2012
... More about this event

Open Studio: Weekend Sessions event running until Saturday 29th September 2012
TIMES 28th April 2012 to 29th September 2012 PRICING Free, included in admission
Drop-in activities.... More about this event

All events at Tate Modern

Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN

Free art classes and workshops, talks and tours, bring alive to visitors the varied works of art on display in Hertford House - the original family home of The Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace. European paintings, miniatures and sculpture, French 18th-century furniture, Sevres and Meissen porcelain, goldsmiths' work and Oriental and European arms and armour combine to form one of the finest collections of art amassed by one family. Sir Richard Wallace - the illegitimate son of the 4th Marquess of Hertford - built up the original collection left to him by his father. Several Old Master paintings, notably 'The Laughing Cavalier', works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Reynolds, Rubens, Gainsborough, Titian and Romney make this gallery a worthy rival of others in the city. Renovations to the town house, which uniquely occupies the whole side of a garden square, include a glass-roofed courtyard - home to Oliver Peyton's brasserie - four new galleries and educational facilities. The acquisitions, bequeathed to the nation by Wallace's widow in 1897, are all free to view. There are regular tours during the week and weekend tours take place on Saturdays at 11.30am and Sundays at 3pm.

Current events at Wallace Collection

Masterpieces Of Dutch Art: The Italianate Painters: Lecture event Thursday 31st May
TIMES Thursday 31st May 2012 - 1pm-2pm PRICING Free
With Lucy Davis.... More about this event

Meet The Young Archer: Talk event Friday 1st June
TIMES Friday 1st June 2012 - 1pm-1.45pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

The Little Draw: Workshop event Sunday 3rd June
TIMES Sunday 3rd June 2012 - 1.30pm-4.30pm PRICING Free
Anna Saunders leads a session about looking, drawing and interpretation.... More about this event

Reticent Royalty And Lesser Known Portraits: Talk event Tuesday 5th June
TIMES Tuesday 5th June 2012 - 1pm-2pm PRICING Free
With Gabrielle Verrall.... More about this event

A Sevres Porcelain Vase And Cover C 1768: Talk event Wednesday 6th June
TIMES Wednesday 6th June 2012 - 1pm-1.20pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

All events at Wallace Collection

The Wapping Project

Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, Wapping Wall, E1W 3SG

Built in 1890 and originally used to power machinery using steam and later electricity, this unique space is now a thriving centre for the arts. After its closure as a pumping station in 1977, it emerged as a multi-purpose exhibition and performance space. What makes this east London venue so interesting is that, as well as featuring newly commissioned, ever-changing works by visual artists, choreographers, composers, writers, poets, designers and film makers, it still boasts much of the original hydraulic equipment and machinery. The Wapping Project - unlike the Tate Modern which removed all of its turbines - has made a feature of its inheritance. Bathed in atmospheric pools of natural light, pressure pipes, rusty chains, huge hooks, valves and bare brick walls form the backdrop for changing exhibitions of paintings, photographs and performances. The original square boiler house, with its cracked, crumbling walls makes a refreshingly real gallery space. A restaurant and bar are also open in the Engine and Turbine Houses, while the historic pub The Prospect of Whitby can be found on the other side of the road.

Current events at The Wapping Project

Mikhail Karikis: SeaWomen event running until Sunday 8th July 2012
TIMES 26th May 2012 to 8th July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
A sound and film installation depicting the community of female sea workers who live on the North Pacific island of Jeju, whose ancient profession of ... More about this event

All events at The Wapping Project

White Cube Hoxton Square

48 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PB

A leading part of the ferociously fashionable East London art scene, the first of White Cube's two galleries is invariably filled with some of the world's most cutting-edge art. Owner Jay Jopling is as A-list as the artists he collects. Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Gilbert & George and his former wife Sam Taylor-Wood are all represented and their works shown at the two galleries and beyond. Together with the second gallery (at Mason's Yard, Piccadilly), White Cube has over 1,000 square metres of exhibition space. Head down to either gallery for the opening nights of new shows to enjoy free beer with the cream of London's starving young artists.

Current events at White Cube Mason's Yard

Doris Salcedo event running until Saturday 30th June 2012
TIMES 25th May 2012 to 30th June 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
Sculptural installations and interventions, featuring an amended version of the major work Plegaria Muda, based on research into life in the ghettos o... More about this event

All events at White Cube Mason's Yard

Whitechapel Gallery

80 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX
Designed in a distinctive Arts and Crafts architecture style by Charles Harrison Townsend, the Whitechapel, Britain's first purpose-built arts gallery, is renowned both for the beauty of its light, airy space and for embracing the local community in its work. Founded in 1901, extensive refurbishment saw the gallery double in size when it reopened in April 2009. The gallery does not have a permanent collection, preferring instead to host a constantly evolving programme of works and there is always something free to see. Community projects and retrospective exhibitions now rest alongside landmark examples of contemporary work. The Pop Art 'This is Tomorrow' exhibition of 1956 is often hailed as the gallery's most iconic event, although there are a number of other exhibitions worthy of note. Picasso's 'Guernica' was displayed here in 1938, Jackson Pollock had work exhibited at the gallery in the 1950s, David Hockney's first show was held here in 1970 and Lucian Freud had a major exhibition in 1993. With its pillared supports and high ceilings, The Lower Gallery, in particular, is a fantastic exhibition space.

Current events at Whitechapel Gallery

Gilian Wearing event running until Sunday 17th June 2012
TIMES 28th March 2012 to 17th June 2012 PRICING £9.50, concession £7.50
Turner Prize winner More about this event

Josiah McElheny: The Bloomberg Commission event running until Sunday 12th August 2012
TIMES 6th September 2011 to 12th August 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Asked to create a new piece for the Bloomberg Commission, the New York-based artist offers a display of seven large-scaled mirrored sculptures, acting... More about this event

Government Art Collection: At Work event running until Tuesday 4th September 2012
TIMES 3rd June 2011 to 4th September 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
A diverse selection of works, darting from the 16th century to the present day, chosen by high profile political figures, including Nick Clegg, Lord M... More about this event

Open Screening event running until Thursday 31st May 2012
TIMES Thursday 31st May 2012 - 7pm
... More about this event

Government Art Collection: Selected By Downing Street Staff: 12 From No 10 event running until Sunday 10th June 2012
TIMES 18th April 2012 to 10th June 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Gain insight into the image of British culture that is portrayed through the art on the walls on Downing Street.... More about this event

The Story Of The Government Art Collection event running until Sunday 2nd September 2012
TIMES 18th April 2012 to 2nd September 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Featuring 13,500 works which date from the 16th century to the present day and have been displayed in over 420 government buildings around the world.... More about this event

Social Sculpture event running until Tuesday 31st December 2013
TIMES 18th April 2012 to 31st December 2013 - Various Times PRICING Free
Contemporary sculpture by artists including Christian Boltanski, Janet Cardiff, Liam Gillick, Rodney Graham, Annie Ratti, Tobias Rehberger and Franz W... More about this event

All events at Whitechapel Gallery