New museums open in London every year - it’s a consequence of being such a history-rich city. Last year, London got a new museum dedicated to its Roman History. The new London Mithraeum is a triumph of heritage preservation and multimedia presentation and shows that as London grows and digs into its distant past, there are still wonderful discoveries to be made and shared with … [Read more...] about The Temple of Mithras: London’s New Roman Museum in the New Bloomberg London HQ
Museums
Top 10 London: Top Ten “Small” Museums
London certainly as a lot of great museums to visit: The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Natural History Museum, The London Museum, and of course The British Museum. However, there are dozens more museums that might get overlooked because they’re not as large, even though they can be just as fascinating. These museums are dedicated to different facets of British culture, … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten “Small” Museums
Exhibition Report: George IV – Art and Spectacle at The Queen’s Gallery
A new exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, looks at a king who collected and commissioned many of the finest works of art in the Royal Collection. George IV: Art and Spectacle makes it clear he was a patron of the arts and while he didn't hold back on the spending, he did have good taste. This is the official state portrait of George IV by Sir Thomas Lawrence, … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: George IV – Art and Spectacle at The Queen’s Gallery
London Alert: The National Portrait Gallery to Close for Three Years for Major Refurbishment
The National Portrait Gallery is often lost in the museum shuffle in London, mostly because it's located behind the National Gallery, so it's often an afterthought for tourists. And frankly, if you're walking from Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square or Covent Garden, it's easy to walk right past it and not know that it's there. They aim to change that with a major renovation … [Read more...] about London Alert: The National Portrait Gallery to Close for Three Years for Major Refurbishment
Exhibition Report: The New Hidden London Exhibition at the London Transport Museum
I'm fortunate to have been on all of the London Transport Museum 'Hidden London' tours of disused stations and tunnels but not everyone has had that opportunity. The tours are only available on certain dates (not all year round), and the (sometimes) long climbs may have put you off. Some say the tours are expensive (I think they are exceptional value) and also, children can't … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: The New Hidden London Exhibition at the London Transport Museum
Top Ten Works of Art to See at the Tate Britain
The Tate Britain is the flagship of the Tate museum group and has been a fixture in British art since it opened in 1897. Its collection is full of art from throughout the United Kingdom going back to the Tudor era and includes some of the country’s biggest names from J.M.W. Turner to William Blake. With so many works over such a long span of time, there are plenty of … [Read more...] about Top Ten Works of Art to See at the Tate Britain
Top Ten Things to See in the Imperial War Museum
Almost immediately following World War I, the United Kingdom felt it was necessary to have a museum to document the civil and military efforts to win the war. Since it opened in 1917, the Imperial War Museum has grown to encompass five locations throughout Britain, including three locations in London. Its collection and exhibits have also grown to include wars from throughout … [Read more...] about Top Ten Things to See in the Imperial War Museum
Exhibition Report: The Moon – 50th Anniversary Apollo Exhibition at National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
To celebrate 50 years since NASA's Apollo 11 mission landed the first humans on the Moon, the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is staging the UK's biggest exhibition dedicated to Earth's nearest celestial neighbour. The Moon is open from 19 July 2019 and charts the cultural and scientific story of our relationship with the moon through over 180 objects, including artefacts … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: The Moon – 50th Anniversary Apollo Exhibition at National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
First Look at the Proposed Designs for the new Museum of London
The Museum of London is moving in a few years, in a deal that has long been in the works. They're moving to the abandoned Smithfield Market, which has been derelict for a few years. It's going to be an amazing project that will transform an iconic London landmark and save it from demolition. As they begin the planning application process to get approval for the new museum, the … [Read more...] about First Look at the Proposed Designs for the new Museum of London
Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See in the Tate Modern Art Museum
Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, the Tate Modern is a repository of art from 1900 to the present. With thousands of items in their collection and over 5 million visitors per year, the Tate Modern is the second-largest art museum in the UK. As such, you can believe there are many interesting works to see from Warhol, Matisse, Picasso, Pollack, and more. Since art … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See in the Tate Modern Art Museum
British Museum: Top Ten Artifacts to See in the British Museum When You Visit
Since 1753, the British Museum has been a repository of world culture in the United Kingdom. The earliest exhibits came from the personal collection of physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane, but was the British Empire rose to prominence; it began to receive many unique items from locations all over the globe. It grew so much over its 250-plus years that it … [Read more...] about British Museum: Top Ten Artifacts to See in the British Museum When You Visit
London Exhibition Report: Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing – Blockbuster New Exhibition at Buckingham Palace
Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, this exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, brings together more than 200 of the Renaissance master's greatest drawings in the Royal Collection. As the Royal Collection has more drawings by Leonardo da Vinci than any other Renaissance artist, it forms the largest exhibition of his work in over 65 … [Read more...] about London Exhibition Report: Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing – Blockbuster New Exhibition at Buckingham Palace
Exhibition Report: The New Secret Rivers Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands
The latest free exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands is Secret Rivers. Open from 24 May to 27 October 2019, it combines art and archaeology with mudlarking, photography, film and much more to uncover the mysteries of London's rivers – both those that flow above ground and those that have been buried beneath our feet. A large wall map shows us the routes of the hidden … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: The New Secret Rivers Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands
London Exhibition Report: A Look at the Blockbuster Queen Victoria 200th Anniversary Exhibition at Kensington Palace
24 May 2019 is the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth at Kensington Palace. To mark the bicentenary of this historic event there is a new visitor route, Victoria: A Royal Childhood, through the suite of rooms she would have known well. And over in the Palace's Pigott Gallery, there is a new temporary exhibition, Victoria: Woman and Crown, that considers the private … [Read more...] about London Exhibition Report: A Look at the Blockbuster Queen Victoria 200th Anniversary Exhibition at Kensington Palace
Top 10 Works of Art to See in London’s National Gallery On Your Next Visit
The National Gallery in London is one of the finest Art Museums in the world - and one of the oldest. It's one of my favorite places to visit when I visit London. This is one of London's top free museums, and you can just walk in whenever you like and admire some of the finest works of art humanity has ever produced. But there are thousands of works in the museum - which ones … [Read more...] about Top 10 Works of Art to See in London’s National Gallery On Your Next Visit
Laura’s London: Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition – The Design Museum – Our Review – Is It Worth Going?
Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition has opened at The Design Museum in Kensington and is on until 15 September 2019. A global touring exhibition which started its journey in 2004, has at last reached London where so many of Kubrick's movies were filmed. Marking the 20th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s death, the exhibition explores his unique command of the whole creative … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition – The Design Museum – Our Review – Is It Worth Going?
Laura’s London: Van Gogh and Britain – Landmark New Exhibtion at Tate Britain – Full Report
This major exhibition at Tate Britain focuses on the time Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) spent in Britain between 1873 and 1876 when he was in his early twenties. He explored the (then) largest city in the world a decade before he became an artist. The exhibition is able to look at the artist's relationship with Britain and explores how Van Gogh was inspired by British art, … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Van Gogh and Britain – Landmark New Exhibtion at Tate Britain – Full Report
Laura’s London: Four New Permanent Galleries at the National Maritime Museum – Here’s Our First Look!
Following a major £12.6M redevelopment project, The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich has new permanent galleries open from 20 September 2018. 1,000m2 of space in the Museum's East Wing, previously closed to visitors, has been converted to public use adding an additional 40% of gallery space. And just like the rest of the Museum, these galleries are free to visit. The … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Four New Permanent Galleries at the National Maritime Museum – Here’s Our First Look!
New Museum Alert: Body Worlds Coming to London as a Permanent Museum
When Ripley's Believe it or Not in Piccadilly Circus closed earlier this year, we all wondered what would replace it since it was such a prominent location. Well, now we have an answer. Body Worlds, the famous exhibition that showcased real preserved bodies in various states, is getting a permanent home in London. Body Worlds is coming to 1 Piccadilly Cirus. … [Read more...] about New Museum Alert: Body Worlds Coming to London as a Permanent Museum
The Best of Free London: The Best Free Museums in London
One of the greatest things about London is that most of the museums are free. Government funding and charitable donations ensure that many of London’s best musuems are obligated to keep entry to the general public free (but they can charge extra for special exhibitions). This makes many of the museums more accessible to those who many not be able to afford a trip to the museum. … [Read more...] about The Best of Free London: The Best Free Museums in London
London Alert: The Courtauld Gallery is Closing for 2 Years – Visit by September!
It's pretty common for London's museums to be variously closed while renovations are done. Next up is the Courtauld Gallery, the art gallery located in Somerset House. This small gallery is often overshadowed by the bigger National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, practically across the street but it's home to some amazing art. As with most museums in London, the building … [Read more...] about London Alert: The Courtauld Gallery is Closing for 2 Years – Visit by September!
Exhibition Alert: My Visit to the New James Cook Exhibition at the British Library – Review
On my final day in England for my trip over to cover the Royal Wedding, I decided to pop into London and visit an exhibition I really didn’t want to miss. The British Library just launched a new exhibition about the voyages of James Cook, putting them into context and showcasing the discoveries he and his crews made (and the damage they wrought). As someone interested in … [Read more...] about Exhibition Alert: My Visit to the New James Cook Exhibition at the British Library – Review
Westminster Abbey Gets a New Tower
Westminster Abbey is a living building. It's been constructed, altered and added to over its over 1,000 years of history. It is not a static building, stuck in time. And the big news is that Westminster Abbey has officially added a new tower to the building. The newly named Weston Tower, so named after the organization that paid for it, will provide access to the new museum … [Read more...] about Westminster Abbey Gets a New Tower
Trafalgar Square: The Fourth Plinth Has a New Artwork – Replica of Statue Destroyed by ISIS
Goodbye, giant Thumb's Up, hello Lamassu. The fourth plinth is one of the best public art projects in London. Every few years, a new artwork is put on display on the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square (empty for a statue that was never made). It's prime place directly in front of the National Gallery is a great place to display a large work of art. There have been some … [Read more...] about Trafalgar Square: The Fourth Plinth Has a New Artwork – Replica of Statue Destroyed by ISIS
London Alert: Next Schedule of Hidden London Tours Revealed – Tickets Go On Sale April 6th
Hidden London tours are some of our favorites. We've been on two - in fact planned two trips around them. They're an excellent opportunity to explore bits of London that are normally closed off to visitors. You can read about one of our tours here. I received an email this morning outlining the next schedule of tours. Here are the details: From Churchill’s secret disused … [Read more...] about London Alert: Next Schedule of Hidden London Tours Revealed – Tickets Go On Sale April 6th
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!
