Tate Modern

What to expect

Tate Modern is the national gallery of international modern and contemporary art, housed in the former Bankside Power Station on the south bank of the Thames. Giles Gilbert Scott designed the power station, which closed in 1981, and Herzog & de Meuron converted it into a gallery that opened in 2000. A second tower, now the Blavatnik Building, was added in 2016.

The collection displays are free, and the huge Turbine Hall, about six storeys high, is the place to start. It hosts large commissioned works that change over time. The galleries are arranged by theme rather than strictly by date, and cover artists from Picasso, Matisse and Kusama to newer names. Paid exhibitions are separate. You can easily spend two hours here or only a short stop on a walk along the river.

Don't miss

• The Turbine Hall and its commissioned works
• Works by Picasso and Matisse
• Yayoi Kusama pieces
• The Boiler House galleries
• The Tanks, former oil tanks used for live art

Tips for your visit

• Pick one or two floors rather than trying to see everything in a single visit.
• Free guided tours of part of the gallery run on most days, so ask at the information desk.
• Tate Modern is on the south bank, so it combines well with a river walk.
• Combine it with Shakespeare's Globe, which is only a few minutes' walk along the river.