The Tate Britain is a London museum dedicated to British art from the 16th century until today. It is the largest of its kind, and it is famous especially for its large collection of J.M.W. Turner works. The Tate Britain is one of the two London Tate museums (the other one being the Tate Modern). The institution is dedicated to the preservation and display of British art.

The museum, previously known by the name National Gallery of British Art, houses several permanent display spaces and a few temporary exhibition areas. Among the permanent collections here, you’ll find historical as well as contemporary British art, whereas the Tate Modern only houses modern art, both British and international.

Not all areas at the Tate Britain are organised by theme, as there are several rooms dedicated to the work of individual artists. Some of the most appreciated by the public are the J.M.W. Turner room, the John Constable room, and the Francis Bacon room. Among the most notable holdings inside the Tate Britain, organised on two floors, you can find the following.

• Newton, by William Blake
• Satan Smiting Job with Sore Boils, by William Blake
• Ophelia, by John Everett Millais
• The Beloved, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
• The Magic Circle, by John William Waterhouse
• Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth, by J. M. W. Turner
• The Golden Bough, by J. M. W. Turner

Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they wish inside the Tate Britain, but we recommend setting aside at least one and a half hours to view all permanent exhibitions at the museum.

Location

Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG.

The Tate Britain is located at the edge of the Westminster area in Central London, just by the River Thames’ northern bank. Not far from Pimlico, the Tate Britain is in a mostly residential area, so it isn’t as close to other sights as its partner museum, the Tate Modern.

The closest attractions are all north of the museum. Closest to river banks are the London Eye, the Sea Life London Centre, Big Ben, and Westminster Palace. Just behind the latter is also Westminster Abbey. All of them are a 15-20 minute walk from the Tate Britain.

Tickets and price

All permanent exhibitions at the Tate Britain in London are free to enter. Booking for permanent exhibitions is not necessary, visitors can simply turn up on the day.

The only case in which you need a ticket is if you want to visit a temporary exhibition. Unless you are a Member, these exhibitions will have an entry cost. You should purchase temporary exhibition tickets in advance on the Tate Britain’s website , but you might find last-minute tickets at the door as well. If you want to become a member, you can do so on the Tate’s website .

Schedule

The Tate Britain is open every day of the week from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Entries are allowed until half an hour before closure, at 5:30 pm.

Transport

Reaching the Tate Britain is by no means difficult, however, you do have to consider that the museum is not as central as other popular ones, so you will have fewer options. If you are taking the Tube, the closest stop is Pimlico, along the Victoria line.

By bus, your best options are lines 87, 88, and C10, which will drop you off right in front of the museum or on John Islip Street. Alternatively, lines 2, 36, 185, and 360 can leave you on Vauxhall Bridge Road, not far from the museum.

You can find a summary of the public transport options in the table below.

If you want you can also get a cab to take you to the Tate Britain. We don’t recommend it, especially if you are getting there from a more central area, since traffic there tends to be heavy and slow.

Nearby sights

Westminster Abbey - 1.1 km (0.7 miles), 14-minute walk.

Westminster Palace - 1.3 km (0.8 miles) north, 17-minute walk.

St James’s Park - 1.3 km (0.8 miles) nort, 17-minute walk.

Big Ben - 1.5 km (0.9 miles) north, 18-minute walk.

Sea Life London Centre - 1.6 km (1 mile) north, 20-minute walk.

London Eye - 1.8 km (1.1 miles), 22-minute walk.

Buckingham Palace - 1.9 km (1.2 miles) northwest, 24-minute walk.