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

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

Dickens's Struggles With The Old Masters: Talk event Thursday 9th February
TIMES Thursday 9th February 2012 - 1pm-1.45pm PRICING Free
Nicholas Penny discusses the author's references to paintings.... More about this event

Corot: The Four Times Of Day: Talk event Friday 10th February
TIMES Friday 10th February 2012 - 1pm-2pm PRICING Free
Jo Lewis and Rachel Dow discuss the painting and lead a drawing class.... More about this event

Degas: Combing The Hair: Talk event Friday 10th February
TIMES Friday 10th February 2012 - 6.30pm-7.30pm PRICING Free
A short talk and an informal drawing class about the painting.... More about this event

Van Dyck: Rinaldo Conquered By Love For Armida: Talk event Friday 10th February
TIMES Friday 10th February 2012 - 4pm PRICING Free
A talk about the artist's work.... 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

The Southwell Brothers: Photographers Royal event running until Sunday 19th February 2012
TIMES 11th May 2011 to 19th February 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Examples of the brothers' cartes-de-visite photographic portraits of royalty and aristocracy, including a recently acquired portrait of Queen Victori... More about this event

William Dobson 1611-46 event running until Sunday 18th March 2012
TIMES 17th August 2011 to 18th March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Four oil paintings by the esteemed portrait painter that examine his relationship with printmaker William Faithorne featured alongside examples of his... More about this event

Herbert Morrison: The Cockney Socialist event running until Sunday 18th March 2012
TIMES 26th July 2011 to 18th March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
A display featuring caricatures, drawings, press photographs and paintings, which chart the career of the influential, post-war Labour minister, and g... More about this event

Herbert George Ponting: Scott Of The Antarctic event running until Sunday 22nd April 2012
TIMES 16th August 2011 to 22nd April 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
This display brings together four of Ponting's photographs of the expedition, for which he acted as official photographer and cinematographer. Three ... More about this event

Lucian Freud Portraits event running until Sunday 27th May 2012
TIMES Mon-Wed, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm, Thu & Fri 10am-9pm PRICING £12-£15.40
More than 100 of Lucian Freud's realist portrait paintings are shown in this blockbuster 2012 More about this event

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

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

Defining Sexuality & Gender In Portraiture For LGBT Communities: Guided Tour event Thursday 9th February
TIMES Thursday 9th February 2012 - 7.30pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

All events at National Portrait Gallery

Photographers' Gallery

Ambika P3, Marylebone

The Photographers' Gallery may be closed until Autumn 2011 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.

More info: Photographers' Gallery Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

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

Lygia Pape: Magnetized Space event running until Sunday 19th February 2012
TIMES 7th December 2011 to 19th February 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
The first major exhibition in the UK of sculpture, performances, paintings, films, poems, engravings and collages by one of the founding members of th... 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

Has The Film Already Started? event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 27th June 2011 to 26th February 2012 - 10am-5.40pm PRICING Free
A suite of collection galleries highlighting the presence of performance in art during the last 30 years, featuring Marc Camille Chaimowicz's Partial... More about this event

BP British Art Displays: Don McCullin event running until Sunday 4th March 2012
TIMES 2nd September 2011 to 4th March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Photographs by one of the most significant war photographers of the 20th-century featuring subject matter as diverse as war-torn Vietnam, Lebanon, Cyp... More about this event

BP British Art Displays: Drawings By The Camden Town Group event running until Sunday 18th March 2012
TIMES 1st January 2011 to 18th March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Drawings by members of the London-based society of 16 artists who exhibited three times between 1911 an 1912, highlighting the diverse nature of their... More about this event

BP British Art Displays: Rubens And Britain event running until Sunday 6th May 2012
TIMES 22nd November 2011 to 6th May 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
An exploration into the connection between the Flemish artist and the British monarchy and court, featuring the sketch for the Banqueting House ceilin... More about this event

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

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

BP British Art Displays: Thin Black Line(s) event running until Sunday 18th March 2012
TIMES 2nd September 2011 to 18th March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Works in a variety of media by Black and Asian women artists who worked in the 1980s.... More about this event

Colour & Line: Turner's Experiments event running until Monday 30th April 2012
TIMES 2nd May 2007 to 30th April 2012 - 10am-5.40pm PRICING Free
Works on paper by Turner exploring his working methods and techniques.... 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

Photography: New Documentary Forms event running until Saturday 31st March 2012
TIMES 1st May 2011 to 31st March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Photographs by Luc Delahaye, Mitch Epstein, Guy Tillim and Akram Zaatari in which the artists explore a variety of subjects through documentary photog... More about this event

The Unilever Series: Tacita Dean event running until Monday 9th April 2012
TIMES Mon-Thu, Sun 10am-6pm, Fri & Sat 10am-10pm, closed Dec 24-26 PRICING Free
Berlin-based English visual artists Tacita Dean undertakes the 12th commission in More about this event

No Lone Zone event running until Sunday 13th May 2012
TIMES 27th January 2012 to 13th May 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Contemporary sculpture, videos, photographs and installations exploring the relationship between history, nature and politics, by Teresa Margolles, Ci... More about this event

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

Barbara Hammer Programme 1: Maya Deren And Me event running until Thursday 9th February 2012
TIMES Fri 7.00
... More about this event

Barbara Hammer Programme 2: Hammer Super 8 event running until Thursday 9th February 2012
TIMES Sat 7.00
... More about this event

Barbara Hammer Programme 3: For An Active Cinema event running until Thursday 9th February 2012
TIMES Sun 5.00
... More about this event

Barbara Hammer Programme 4: Hammer Expanded event running until Thursday 9th February 2012
TIMES Sun 7.00
... More about this event

Barbara Hammer Programme 5: Resistance event running until Thursday 9th February 2012
TIMES Thursday 9th February 2012 - 6.30pm
... 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

The Role Of The Conservation Technician: Talk event Thursday 9th February
TIMES Thursday 9th February 2012 - 1pm-2pm PRICING Free
Stephen Craig discusses the technicians' work.... More about this event

Adult Art Class: Learn To Look! Learn To Draw! event Saturday 11th February
TIMES Saturday 11th February 2012 - 11am-4pm PRICING £30
... More about this event

Masterpieces Tour In French: Les Chefs-D'oeuvre De La Wallace Collection: Talk event Saturday 11th February
TIMES Saturday 11th February 2012 - 3pm-4pm PRICING Free
A tour of the collection in French... More about this event

Right Royal Stories: Art And Story Workshop (Over 6s) event Monday 13th February
TIMES Monday 13th February 2012 at 10.30am-12.30pm and 2pm-4pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

The Brilliance Of Boulle: Talk event Monday 13th February
TIMES Monday 13th February 2012 - 1pm-2pm PRICING Free
Jill Bace discusses Andre Charles Boulle's work.... 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

Bridget Baker: Wrecking At Private Siding 661 event running until Saturday 11th February 2012
TIMES 8th Feb, 9th Feb, 10th Feb and 11th Feb 2012 - 12noon-6pm PRICING Free
A site-specific installation based on the immigration of British settlers to East London, South Africa, exploring the notion of misplaced history.... More about this event

Edgar Martins: This Is Not A House event running until Sunday 4th March 2012
TIMES 18th January 2012 to 4th March 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Photographs originally commissioned by the New York Times Magazine as part of a photo-essay documenting the collapse of the US housing market.... 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

Gary Hume: The Indifferent Owl event running until Saturday 25th February 2012
TIMES 17th January 2012 to 25th February 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
Brightly coloured gloss paintings and sculpture.... 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

Government Art Collection: Selected By Simon Schama: Travelling Light event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 16th December 2011 to 26th February 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Contemporary and historical works in a variety of media from the collection based on travel and dating from the 16th century to present day. Selected ... More about this event

Rothko In Britain event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 9th September 2011 to 26th February 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Whitechapel Gallery revisits its original Mark Rothko solo exhibition dating from 1961, with works including the painting Light Red Over Black, origin... More about this event

Zarina Bhimji event running until Friday 9th March 2012
TIMES Tue & Wed, Fri-Sun 11am-6pm, Thu 11am-9pm PRICING Free
A film installation inspired by trade and immigration routes across the Indian Ocean between India and Africa forms the centrepiece of the first major... 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

Artists In Residence: Shiraz Bayjoo & DARTER event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 16th December 2011 to 26th February 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Films, photography and audio-visual installations resulting from year-long residencies in east London schools.... More about this event

All events at Whitechapel Gallery

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Free London Galleries

National Gallery

National Portrait Gallery

Photographers' Gallery

Serpentine Gallery

Tate Britain

Tate Modern

Wallace Collection

The Wapping Project

White Cube Hoxton Square

Whitechapel Gallery

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