London is a city full of culture and history, and it's no surprise that it's home to some of the world's best museums and galleries. From the British Museum to the Tate Britain, the Imperial War Museum to the National Gallery, there are plenty of places to explore and learn about the city's past. The Royal Academy, the London Transport Museum, and the Dulwich Picture Gallery are just a few of the other amazing institutions that can be found in London. For those looking for something a little different, there's even a house-museum hybrid that was once home to an eccentric family.
No matter what your interests are, there's something for everyone in London's museums and galleries. The British Museum is one of the largest, busiest, and most popular museums in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses more than 2000 works by artists such as da Vinci, van Gogh, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Turner, Picasso, Matisse and Cézanne. Visitors can explore the museum for free and even try their luck drawing in galleries. The London Transport Museum is located at The Piazza in London and is open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.
It features vintage red Routemasters, the first subway trains, maps, transport signs and uniforms. There are also beautiful posters, works of art and photographs showing London from 1860 to the present day. Visitors can take several tours throughout a year with a single ticket. The Imperial War Museum in London offers a fascinating insight into war and its impact. Starting with World War I, it takes visitors on an incredible journey through time before delving into World War II and other contemporary conflicts.
Focused mainly on Great Britain and its wars, it is one of the main museums that visitors to London go to. The National Gallery is located not far from Trafalgar Square and houses more than 11,000 portraits. It focuses on famous British people over the centuries and features works by William Blake, Francis Bacon and J. M. W.
Turner. With an enormous catalog of contemporary works dating back to the 16th century, it also includes works by Van Gogh, Botticelli and Michelangelo. The Tate Britain was founded by sugar merchant Sir Henry Tate who also founded other Tate galleries. It focuses on works from the mid-13th century to the 1900s with masterpieces by Canaletto, Turner, Hogarth and more. Strolling through its exhibitions and galleries is a charming way to spend the day. The Dulwich Picture Gallery, founded by art enthusiast Sir Francis Bourgeois in the early 19th century, was designed from scratch by architect John Soane.
It contains an alabaster sarcophagus so thin that it is almost translucent as well as many other incredible works of art. The Leighton House, located at the end of a quiet side street in Holland Park, was once home to Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Frederic Leighton. Its interiors were so exaggerated that even his biographer questioned his British character! Its ceramic tile walls, gold-painted dome and stained glass windows show that glitz existed in London as early as the 1830s. Finally, there's Dennis Severs' House, a house-museum hybrid located in what was once the headquarters of the East End in the 1970s. Devised by eccentric Dennis Severs himself, it offers visitors an insight into what life was like during this time. No matter what your interests are or how much time you have available to explore London's museums and galleries, there's something for everyone here. From world-renowned institutions such as The British Museum to lesser-known gems like Dennis Severs' House, you're sure to find something that will capture your imagination.
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