The Wallace Collection is a free museum in a beautiful townhome near Manchester Square. I visited…read morewith my husband about two weeks ago to see their current temporary exhibit (more on that below), and we had a great visit. The museum is located in the former townhouse of the Seymore family - the Marquesses of Hertford. The museum is named after Sir Richard Wallace, who built a collection of fine and decorative arts from the 1th to the 19th centuries along, with the Marquesses of Hertford. The collection opened to public view in 1900. The townhouse itself is gorgeous. From the second I walked in and saw the staircase in the Entrance Hall, I knew I was in for a treat. With several gorgeous rooms, the museum is worth visiting to see a beautifully preserved 19th century London townhome. Each room has beautiful chandeliers, furniture, paintings, sculptures, and more. The museum also has a collection of European arms and armor, which take several rooms to display. In addition to their permanent collections, they also show temporary exhibitions. Right now and through November 29, their exhibit is "Winston Churchill: The Painter," which is the first major retrospective of Sir Winston Churchill's paintings since his death and brings together more than 50 of his works (half of which come from private collections). While visiting the museum is free, there is a fee to visit the temporary exhibit (20 pounds for adults, 18 if you buy online ahead of time). The exhibit was incredible and well worth a visit. I learned a lot about Churchill that I didn't know prior to the exhibit (most of what I knew about him concerned his political leadership), and I found many of his paintings quite beautiful and moving. Whether you're visiting for a temporary exhibit or just to see the townhouse and its permanent collection, the Wallace Collection is incredible. It's a special museum in London, well worth including on an itinerary for a trip to London.

I went to see the exhibition of Churchill paintings. It was absolutely stunning! It was well…read morecurated, and the audio guide really gave you a sense of importance of painting in his life. I walked through the rest of the collection, which is almost overwhelming. There is a lot to see there. You really do need to use the audio guide, because there is so much art in a small space. I also appreciated the staff. They were helpful, without being intrusive. One of the things I enjoy the most was that people there were truly interested in art. They stopped and looked. Unlike the crowd at the National Gallery, which just went up to a painting, took a photo, and left without ever even looking at it.

While exploring Kensington Gardens a few weeks ago, my husband and I stopped in at the Serpentine…read moreSouth Gallery for the last day of their Cecily Brown exhibition. The Serpentine Galleries is a free contemporary art gallery (split into two different buildings) in Kensington Gardens. "Cecily Brown: Picture Making" was a treat. The South Gallery is beautiful, and Cecily Brown's work was displayed beautifully. The exhibit was the first major solo exhibition of her paintings in the UK since 2005, and the works, and it was well worth a visit. If you're exploring Kensington Gardens and are interested in contemporary art, check to see if the Serpentine Gallery has an exhibit! Our visit was a treat.

Free and interesting. The Serpentine Galleries are two small…read moregalleries located in Hyde Park, which are much closer together than I anticipated. They are easily both visited in the same stop in the park. On my visit, there was a contemporary landscape exhibit in one gallery, which unfortunately for me was also currently being visited by a large group of elementary aged school children (there was a lot of shouting, by the students and the teachers/minders trying to keep them in line). That encouraged me to...not linger long, though I liked the style of the art on display. In the other gallery was a large-scale digital work by David Hockney, along with paintings on display in the inner rooms. I happened to visit early in the day of the day he actually passed away. Just an interesting coincidence, and I assume it likely that the gallery may have been much busier in subsequent days following the news. Both galleries have gift shops, and one has a cafe and small garden. Certainly worth a stop in if you are in the park, and especially in the summer if you need a dose of climate control for a few minutes.

Beautiful executed exhibition relating to the moon and the sun…read moreDefinitely recommend spending at least a few hours discovering the different artistic and scientific viewpoints

As we can assume from the name of this establishment, the Saatchi Gallery is a midsize…read morespace/facility that can be host to very interesting installments. I was visiting Saatchi during their Flowers installations. The collection was just ok, could be better. Since there is admission fee I was expecting more art works on the view. Saatchi is accessible facility with walking distance to public transport. Crew at Saatchi are engaging and very helpful. With so many other galleries and museums in London, I wouldn't recommend visiting unless they have interesting artworks on view that compromise the entrance fee.

Lazarides is one of the most unique art gallery spaces in London that I've visited. The current…read moreinstallation they are exhibiting is for a group of artists showcased in a book called Outsiders. Most of these artists are from street art backgrounds, but none of their work is graffiti. In fact most of their pieces are really intense, formidable modern works that are definitely worth viewing. The walls in this space are not stark white. They are painted with rogue imagery, stapled and abused, adding an additional flair to the display of these artists' works. I found some paintings selling for just over £100 and others selling for thousands. If you have a hundred quid to spare you may be purchasing a work by the next Andy Warhol. You never know.

I first came here for the Michael Craig Martin Private view which was some time ago. The difference…read morebetween going to a private view in the Gagosian and a private view in other galleries is there is no wine, I might have been a bit early but I didn't see a glass in sight. The space itself is great though, with one main large room and two smaller rooms to each side, I've been in the gallery in New York as well and it's a similar layout. The location could be better, situated in Britannia Street so the nearest tube station is Kings Cross.

Huzzah for UK Yelp! Finally! So I am going to Yelp a two year old show and gallery visit for my…read more400th review. Nyah. This gallery was the art highlight (and only art visit since I went with and for my two teenage sons who abhor art galleries/museums) of my very short trip to London two years ago. I came to see the Francis Bacon triptychs and was not disappointed. For an added bonus, Damien Hirst's works were being shown as well. The gallery is pretty nondescript from the outside located on a small side street near the Kings Cross Station. The front belies the large, well-lighted space inside. The Bacon works were positively glowing. This space seems nicer than the New York Gagosian but maybe I was just enamored by the Bacon paintings.

I have--since relinquishing my guns as a trainee artist, resolving somewhat of an infrequent…read more"hobby" artist--for a long-time been fascinated by Japanese artwork and printing. It shouldn't be much of a surprise then, that I have often found myself in the Japanese Gallery on the Camden Passage in Islington. Neatly laid out, in a very minimalist Japanese fashion, the Japanese Gallery has been collecting an abundant selection of Ukiyo-e ("sad" or "floating world") wood-block prints that range from: antique originals that around 200 years old, if not more; to contemporary Manga reprints. The prices are quite infrequent as well, some of the stock is well out of reach for my pockets, but some antique-reprints can be as low as £10, if not lower. The varied stock is then categorised into further sections: Beauty and Female; Animals; Shunga and so on. Downstairs there are a couple of exhibitions spaces, which usually display Geisha (traditionally referring to a person of the arts) works. There are also a few reference books and knickknacks floating around, so if you're interested it's probably worth checking out.

Set in the quaint, cobble-stoned Camden Passage in Islington is this lovely little shop which sells…read morea range of delicate Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. This form of art is the most well known of the Japanese arts where the prints are of traditional Japanese images such as geishas, samurais, sumo wrestlers, kabuki male/ female actors, landscapes and birds. You can purchase original prints ranging from just under a £100 up to thousands of pounds. However, the great thing about Japanese Gallery is that for those who can't afford to or are unwilling to spend so much on a print, can buy reproductions for £10, or slightly more if framed. The images all hold an element of charm, each telling a certain narrative and look very good hung up on a wall at home, as well as making very appropriate gifts.

My very kind & generous sister treated us to lunch at The Keeper's House restaurant located on the…read moregrounds of this lovely place. Afterward we went to the Oceania exhibition which was really fascinating. From historic to contemporary, there was plenty to see. There are about 200 artifacts that range over a 500 year span. From shell, greenstone and ceramic ornaments, to huge canoes and stunning god images, you travel from room to room mesmerized by the craftsmanship & artistry. Please note that there are some human remains used in some of the displays. Really fascinating! The academy is based in the Burlington House which used to be the private residence of the Earl of Burlington. It's absolutely gorgeous! The institution is an independent & privately funded which got us the reservation at The Keeper's House. While this is not the usual museum or art gallery, this place is worth the trip.

My husband and I visited the Royal Academy of Arts a couple of weeks ago when we were visiting…read moreLondon for a few days. I'd never visited before and didn't know what to expect! The Royal Academy of Arts has an incredible and interesting history. It dates back to 1768, when it was founded through a personal act of King George III with a mission "to establish a school or academy of design for the use of students in the arts." Joshua Reynolds was its first president, but the Royal Academy has had dozens if not hundreds of famous leaders and students throughout its history. The Royal Academy's building in Piccadilly is beautiful, but it's not large. There is some art displayed in a few rooms of the building, but the main draw (certainly ours when we visited recently) is the large upstairs space used for the Academy's temporary exhibits. When we visited (and through October 25, 2026), the temporary exhibit is "Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam." Dadd was a student of the Royal Academy School. In the 1840s, he was becoming known as a painter of Shakespearean fairy scenes and paintings of his travels across the Mediterranean when he suffered a psychotic break and killed his father. He spent the rest of his life as a patient in two different psychiatric hospitals in London where he continued to produce oil paintings and watercolors. The exhibit was incredible. In addition to everything else, the Royal Academy has to offer, there's a little cafe in front of the museum, where lots of people were enjoying coffees and pastries on a beautiful day. Especially as the museum is in such a convenient location, with other attractions, amazing shops, restaurants, and bars around it, the Royal Academy is a great museum to include on a London itinerary - especially if you're interested in the temporary exhibit!

They have free admission on Friday afternoons as of August 2026. This is museum is a must visit in…read morethe SOHO neighborhood of London. The exhibits really make you think.

One of my last days in London, and I could not leave without going to a photo gallery! Glad I did…read more There was a piece on the top floor by Bieke Depoorter that was really engaging. And another work about Thamesmead that was equally as interesting. The showings rotate, so it's really luck of the draw as to what you'll see. The gift shop is epic. They have so many books that I wanted to get, but alas, I am but a disabled traveller, unfit for carry large volumes across the pond. Most importantly, they sell all types of film in the shop. Film and even cameras. Who needs candy when you can lick the delicious toxic chemicals of celluloid?

A small Contemporary Art Gallery with free entrance. Such a lovely find. Well worth the 30 mins out…read moreof your busy life to view what they are displaying. Highly recommended if you are in the Soho area and enjoy intriguing pieces of art.

Controversial art exhibition, which makes you think and is one of the quirkiest places you'll…read morevisit! Highly reccomend a visit if you're in the soho area.

A real delight! Not only were the staff and owner extremely helpfull and enlightening about the…read morework but they were genuinely welcoming without commercial charm laid on for the sale. A fantastic collection of paintings in a gallery as galleries are supposed to be.