Tate Modern

The Tate Modern, opened in 2000 in the converted Bankside power station, has since become a huge draw for visitors to London. The spacious building houses an amazingly comprehensive permanent collection of modern art, and allows for very large and exciting temporary exhibits.
Created to hold the UK’s national collection of post-1900 modern art, divided chronologically, as well as by discipline and theme. The museum features paintings, sculptures, photography and much more, including unique and priceless artwork that confounds its viewers and defies description.

The Tate Modern offers a small riverside café, as well as wonderful restaurant on the top level with a beautiful wine list and a lovely view across the Thames to St Paul’s Cathedral and the City of London. During the week, the restaurant serves a light breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea; on Friday and Saturday, it also serves dinner from 6pm to 9:30 pm.

The Tate Modern is located on the south side of the Thames at Bankside, between Blackfriars and Southwark Bridges. {Map} There are two entrances to the building, one facing the river and one heading down a ramp into what was the former power station’s cavernous turbine hall.

This large, open area of the Tate only holds temporary exhibitions (like the globally renowned Turner Prize); 152 meters long and 35 meters high with 3,400 square meters of floor space, it allows artists to think on a big scale.

Through the turbine hall entrance, there’s a bookshop on the left, along with a coat/bag checking area. Escalators and stairs lead to the ticket office and upper levels (wheelchairs are available on request).

It’s free to enter the permanent collection displays, but polite signs request suggested donations of £2 from visitors, to help with the funding of the gallery. A multimedia guide that helps to put the collections in context costs £3.50. Temporary exhibitions require paid entry.

Tate Modern is open Sun-Thurs 10am-6pm and Fri-Sat 10am-10pm, all year round except the 24, 25 and 26 December.

The nearest Tube stations are Southwark on the Jubilee Line and Blackfriars on the District and Circle Lines; mainline trains also stop at Blackfriars.

There’s also a Tate-to-Tate Boat that runs every forty minutes between Tate Britain, the London Eye and Tate Modern.