Tate Modern, London

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Tate Modern is housed on a former Bankside Power station that turned into a big museum for modern art. I have visited the museum many times as there are often different installations and exhibitions. Sometimes I get bored some other times I get excited here but that’s a risk that you take with modern art.

The museum is usually full of young people that enjoy this amazing gallery, I guess for some of them may be the only museum they have ever visited :)

The collection is big with thousands of paintings, photos, video installations, sculptures etc Of course it includes some masterpieces of famous people like Picasso, Hirst etc

It is open Sunday-Thursday 10.00-18.00 and Friday/Saturday 10.00-22.00

There’s no entrance fee
There are more than one cafes inside the museum but the one at the 7th floor is great even if you don’t want to order something because you will have amazing view over Millennium bridge (and for free!)

For quite a few years, the power station stood neglected on the river opposite St Paul's Cathedral. That was until the Tate Modern Gallery decided that it would make a stunning art gallery.

The gallery has lots of weird and wonderful examples of modern art from artists such as: Thomas Struth, Eduardo Paolozzi, Damien Hirst and Pablo Picasso. All of the main rooms are free to visit but there is a fee to enter the special exhibitions. When we visited it was the last days of the Matisse and Picasso exhibition.

Exhibits include paintings, photos, sculptures and films. Even if you are not a great fan of modern art it is still worth looking around at the surroundings of the exhibits.

The gallery opens at 10am though closing times vary and are late evening at weekends.

Did you know this is the most visited modern art gallery in the world? and it is free!

The Tate Modern is housed in the former Bankside Power Station and for me, as much as I love to wander around the works of art, I love just as much to stroll through the building admiring it's construction.

It is a relaxed gallery which strives to reach people who may not ordinarily visit an art gallery. It is also an incredibly child friendly gallery which frequently runs childre groups, between the galleries and an especially devoted studio.

There are 2 eateries within the Tate Modern. The best one has to be on the top floor due to the exspanse of glass and stunning views along the Thames.

It closes for 3 days a year 24, 25 & 26th December.

One of the newest public contemporary art galleries in the UK. established in 2001. It quickly establised itself as one of the most visited places in the UK, attracting 5 million people in the first year.

A converted power station on the banks of the Thames, the building itself is as interesting as some of the exhibitions, with a stunning central interior concourse.

As well as the permanent collection which is rotated frequently to ensure its extensive collection is seen, it hosts some of the most important names in contemporary art: Warhol established itself as the most popular in ithe gallery's short history, the Matisse & Picasso exhibitions resulting in the galleries been open 24 hours over the weekend!

And what's more, except for the major exhibitions, access is free.

Opening times: 10am-6pm, Sunday-Thursday, 10am-10pm, Friday & Saturday
Closed 24 & 25 December

On the south bank of the Thames just beyond St Pauls via the Millennium bridge, the Tate Modern is, as the name suggests, a museum of modern art. Even if you don't like modern art, it's an amazing space and is a great place to go and take some time to yourself. You need at least a full day to experience it all properly as it is huge! It has a massive high ceiling in the entrance, known as the Turbine Hall, giving a feeling of immense space and freedom and people use the place to meet up with friends, read or soak up the arty atmosphere for hours on end.

The Turbine Hall is where several contraversial installations have been situated. You may have heard of the giant crack in the floor, closed due to health and safety concerns when someone fell into it and the sea of porcelain seeds, roped off due to the fine dust they gave off when walked on.

It has many quiet areas for contemplation or study and is another real haven from the hectic city outside. It also has great views over the Thames from the balconies. There are a few cafes and restaurants there too and entrance is free, as with other London museums.

There are usually special exhibitions some of which are chargeable, but you can access the rest of the museum without paying. Donations are of course welcome.

I just love the Tate Modern. I never need an excuse to visit this art gallery.
Currently showing the amazing Gaugin (until 16th Jan 2011) - I will be reporting back after our next visit.

Tickets aren't cheap at £13.50 (concessions £10)

There is more to do than just the exhibitions. Interactive corner, reading, sketching, filem and media, shop and it's family friendly with changing facilities and buggy parking etc

If you are visiting London - It's a must do.

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Tate Modern is in a disused Power Station on the opposite side of the river to St Paul's Cathedral. You can reach the gallery from the Millennium Bridge. The gallery contains contemporary and modern art.

I visited two sections (August 2010):

States of Flux (Level 5)

My highlight of the visit was seeing Andy Warhol's "Red Star over Russia (and the former Soviet Union)" I also enjoyed the cubism, futurism and after impressionism paintings in those galleries.

Material Gestures (Level 3)

I enjoyed the Claude Monet and Abstract Expressionism.

The highlight was visiting the restaurant/bar at the very top floor where I had an iced coffee and had great views of St Paul's and the London skyline down below.

The gallery is free apart from special exhibitions although donations are appreciated.

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The Tate Modern is well worth a look, so give yourself a couple of hours to wander around the seven floors.

We took refreshments beforehand at the splendid art noveau real ale pub the Black Friar, on the North Bank of the Thames. Then we made the crossing to the South Bank via the famous wobbling Millennium Bridge (Shame it doesn't wobble any more. It was quite safe but made people queasy)

There is free entry to the Tate Modern, although we did pay the discretionary entry fee of £2, which gives you access to most of the exhibitions excluding any major shows.

Not everything is to my taste but there should be something that floats your boat. I particularly liked the video screens depicting the five arc-angels. The good thing about this gallery, as with most, is that they change the exhibitions on a regular basis and so nothing in the art world stands still.

Don't forget to grab a coffee on the 7th floor cafe. Take a seat at the window, give your feet a rest and enjoy the spectacular view.