Tate Modern - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Tate Modern
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Explore modern and contemporary art from around the world. Entry to the gallery is free – there’s no need to book. Booking a ticket is recommended for exhibitions but some tickets may be available at the door. Members enjoy unlimited free entry to exhibitions with no need to book. Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms, however, still requires a free Members ticket, given the show’s special and intimate scale. Tate Modern has over a hundred years of art, from modernism in the early 1900s, to exciting works created today. This includes paintings, sculptures, and more made by artists all over the world such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, and Jenny Holzer. Experience Tate’s iconic Turbine Hall. In the Natalie Bell Building you can see how artists create new ideas. In the Blavatnik Building you can explore the underground Tanks, dedicated to performances, installations and video works.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Southwark
Even before the arrival of the instantly iconic Shard, the riverside scene in Southwark had moved well beyond any up-and-coming phase of development. For quite some time, locals and out-of-towners alike have loved browsing the boutiques of Bermondsey High Street, foraging through the bounteous stalls at centuries old foodie haven Borough Market, and flocking to the banks of the Thames to enjoy some of Britain's biggest attractions such as Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe. Despite Southwark's many popular draws, instant calm can be achieved easily by turning down almost any side street. For more urban buzz, a quick stroll across famed bridges like the pedestrianized Millennium Bridge or the ever photogenic Tower Bridge yields access to the very core of Central London. And with London Bridge Station as this neighborhood's main transportation hub, getting across town (or to anywhere in England for that matter) is a relative breeze.
How to get there
  • Blackfriars • 7 min walk
  • Southwark • 8 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
  • pfefmeister
    San Francisco, California4,120 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Big Empty Building
    It’s wonderful they repurposed this buildings, but it feels sooooo empty. Not much art, and certainly less that appeals to me. The best part was the tower of radios - we walked through the place fairly quickly. Maybe in a few more years, it will fill better, but, for now, didn’t think worth the price of admission.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 18, 2023
  • Tomek T
    Warsaw, Poland451 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tate Modern
    This one of the most important places to visit on the London map. The buidling modern architecture with outstanding location is already a great reason for being there. It’s worth to review the choice of the temporary exhibitions. They might need the Tate pass or additional ticket. One of the many grand prizes for being in Tate is tthe 6th floor bar/restaurant.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written June 21, 2023
  • Michael C
    41 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent collection
    Nice free collection. The special exhibits were worth the price. This rates up there with other famous modern art museums and it was easy to move through the collection. We liked it so much we revisited a few days later to take in a paid exhibit - MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ. We had a late lunch at the Kitchen and Bar. What a surprise. We expected stereotypical museum food. Lunch was a delicious work of art.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 24, 2023
  • EilSat
    Methuen, Massachusetts326 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Extensive Modern Art Museum.
    The museum is in a modern building which is very handy to public transportation on the Thames River. The featured exhibition we saw was Hilma Af Klint and Piet Mondrian, two ground breaking modern artists. The museum is open and airy and it is easy to get around.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 29, 2023
  • Eli P
    10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Coolest Museum in London
    The Tate is can't miss if you are even slightly interested in modern art. The space is really unique, and the art here is genuinely some of the best I've ever seen. There's tons of legitimately thought provoking stuff, and the entire museum is just excellent. Big fan.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 29, 2023
  • Lee
    Liverpool, United Kingdom691 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great special exhibitions
    We visited for the first time recently and found that one day was definitely not enough to see everything. We particularly liked the special exhibitions. I felt as if the gallery assistants were much less helpful than other Tate sites such a in the Liverpool gallery. They were either chatty to each other or constantly looking at their phones! The restaurant on the top floor was fabulous with amazing views, attentive service and delicious food.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 4, 2023
  • Quaker1
    Doylestown, Pennsylvania228 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    We took 12 year old snd she was enthralled
    The notes say one to two hours. That would mean running through. At best two to three hours. Exhibits are front forward and not at all stayed. Provocative, thought provoking, and both contemporary and historical. The space is very relaxing with large rooms and high ceilings. Not at all crowded during our visit.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 7, 2023
  • tasgard
    Hobart, Australia316 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great Experience
    The Tate Modern is located in a vast building that has been repurposed to provide a modern space with clean, even clinical, lines. You enter via a massive ramp into a colossal void called appropriately the Turbine Hall. At this level you will find the Tate Modern shop which in itself is fascinating, also the ticketing off is on the same level. As you move up the levels there are free and ticketed exhibition space. When we were there the popular Mondrian and Hilma Klint exhibitions were open. Not all levels house exhibitions or are open to the public. There is a bar and café onsite.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 10, 2023
  • Nicholas W
    2 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Yayoi Kusama very disappointing . A World in Common interesting.
    I’m sorry to say but my sons and I found the Kusama exhibition to be a non-event. ‘Tacky’ is the first word that springs to mind. John McEnroe would have rightly said ‘you cannot be serious’. I found the World in Common interesting and thought provoking but the supporting text needed to work harder to pull out underlying themes and to develop ideas.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 20, 2023
  • MichaelMc777
    Sunnyvale, California5,198 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A smaller but interesting collection of modern art.
    The museum devotes large spaces for its art pieces. I found the works to be interesting and at the same time, a bit limited. It seemed like the museum had half of its space devoted to paid entry exhibitions. I explored both the free portion and all the paid exhibitions. It worth a look and it is in a wonderful location. I would add a great walk along the river and lunch at the Borough Market.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 20, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles10,644 reviews
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MrsSAJennings
London, UK511 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Couples
My husband and I visited today seeing the general collections.
A vast building with very few pieces of artwork in the main foyer , but an impressive fountain .
Covid precautions in place.
I like art but, I struggled to be impressed by a lot of the artwork here.
Some were obviously brilliant , clever pieces, but I have to admit, a lot just seemed to be indiscriminate items that failed to inspire us or even seem like art at all.
We were very puzzled by a lot of the pieces.
I am glad that the tickets for the general collections were free to be honest.
The special exhibitions can be seen at a cost and the Andy Warhol one would have been interesting to see, but it was fully booked.
Plenty of toilets available, a small cafe and lots of lifts to take you to all the floors.
A lot of the galleries were shut.
Not for everyone but I think you should visit at least once.

Written August 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paige M
43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
I took my 5 year old son to the Tate Modern as he has been studying The Snail by Henri Matisse in his last term of school. It was a beautiful day and he really enjoyed seeing the artwork. For the museum you needed a time-slot ticket (understandable of course) and there was plenty of hand sanitiser and a one way system in place. I was very happy with the safety measurements in place, including staff who challenged people who did not adhere to the one way system or 2 metre rules.
The art itself is just phenomenal. I was so pleased to see a variety of work from different artists in a less crowded atmosphere.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

violet339
London, UK407 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
I found the publicity for this exhibition intriguing and I wasn't disappointed. For me, Dora's photos are much more compelling than her canvases, perhaps a bit more so her street photography than her surrealism. What I found most interesting though was actually the stories of her relationships with the people she encountered and was inspired by during the period. She almost certainly would've been happier and more successful had she never Picasso. It seems the exhibition wasn't such a big draw as the entry fee was a bit lower than usual and it wasn't very busy, but this was great as I really dislike crowded exhibitions.
Written March 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jackie G
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK126 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Family
Stunning building, but couldn't say that about the artwork. Went into the general collection area which was free, but seriously disappointing. There were one or two inspiring pieces, but on the whole, children would have made more amusing and interesting paintings and displays. The Andy Warhol exhibition cost £13 each, but my purse had been well and truly emptied from all of the other places we had seen, meals eaten and coffees etc. London is SO expensive I know why we Brits go abroad to holiday. Little social distancing was encouraged, but people were wearing masks. Go for the free exhibitions, but not worth paying for the few meagre Warhol exhibits as advertised.
Written September 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

anthony e
Burry Port, UK93 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Honestly, we didn't know what to expect and we were happily surprised. The Tate Modern is a huge building which is home to some of the finest Art we have seen.
We all know art is open to interpretation but the pieces on display may not have been for everyone's taste but for us ti was a great day out. Only five of the floors were open to the public and we still managed to spend almost three hours here.

The building is clean and well maintained. There are stewards positioned all the way throughout the floors to help you or guide you along. There is one side of the building I enjoyed a little more than the other but you can decide which one you prefer yourselves. Only one of the Cafes was open and it served cold and hot drinks and a small selection of sandwiches and cakes.

This is definitely worth the visit, the Tate Modern is free to enter but by time slot only so make sure you book that before you show up as you could be made to wait around. There are places to make donations all around on all of the floors.
Not all of the pieces were open and some of the rooms were a little tight. some people chose to wear a mask but it is only advisory.

The only encounters we had with the staff were on entrance and in the cafe and both times they were friendly and helpful,
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mia
Exeter, UK176 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
If you are really into art, I would suggest a visit here. When I visited in October, I went to see the Olaffur Eliasson exhibition which was amazing and I revisited the Tate Modern in February the following here (this month) and enjoyed that too. If you don’t really “get” art, you may not enjoy it here as the work is very abstract and different (I did find some of it a little tricky to fully understand), but if you like art, it is worth a visit. I enjoyed it here. There’s a shop and a restaurant too and I think you could spend a good few hours here.
Written February 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David-Kevin B
Washington DC, DC408 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2020
One of the greatest modern art museums in the world, The Tate should be on your must-see list.

Located in the Bankside area south of the Thames, the museum occupies what was once the Bankside Power Station.  It's now iconic chimney can be seen from nearly everywhere in the city. When you enter, your first impression will be, "wow," as the soaring turbine hall forms the entrance and what a statement it makes.

The museum features contemporary art from local artists and those abroad.  The building is divided into two main wings, East and West, each of which features smaller galleries.  Because of the museum's size, seeing it in one day is an exercise in futility.  To fully appreciate it, spend one day in the East wing; then return another day for the West.  Admission is free for the permanent exhibitions but tickets need to be purchased for temporary shows.

#london #tatemodern
Written March 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

patrickperbkk
Perth, Australia1,181 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
One of the biggest plus of TATE modern is it's free entrance (but by donation). If the Shard is too expensive to fo, it's is highly recommended to go to the top of the TATE building to get 360 degree view of London, and it's FREE!!
It's a great idea to lose yourself on one hot day or rainy day if you love art! Two main buildings show a number of modern art pieces. Tate art shop also sells interesting gift, books, posters and so on. I love it.
Written March 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SKALondon
London, UK2,478 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Couples
We booked earlier in the week for our visit on Friday morning of the bank holiday weekend. We changed our mind on the time we wanted and I bought the wrong time online. After a bit of a wait in a queue on the phone they were cancelled and tickets for the time we wanted booked. These had to be collected as they couldn’t be emailed.

On arrival there is clear signage to enter at the Turbine Hall entrance, then inside the routes are signed and the one way system. There is hand sanitiser at various locations. It was always clear to us which way we needed to go.

We had booked for the All Collections which took just under two hours - modern art is not of great interest to us and we had a restaurant booking at Borough Market so you might want to leave longer if you want to study the art / information more.

It’s been a while since we last visited but we saw a Pablo Picasso and Dali. The Surrealists and Pop Art amongst others.

Other than for the view, as the viewing gallery isn’t open due to Covid give the Espresso Bar a miss for espresso and pastries.
Written August 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Charlie66
Alderton, UK515 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
The words above are immortalised in David Bowie's song Andy Warhol. And in these few lines he absolutely nailed what Andy Warhol was doing in the art world through his Factory workshop and the celebrity he both courted and became. Warhol was a pioneer in mass produced screen prints which aimed to bring mass production into the art world. With his origins in commercial graphic design this was an obvious leap into the art world. Best shown in his work "why have one Mona Lisa when you can have 32" (I cant remember the actual number, but it doesn't matter, and that's the point.) That work is sadly not on show, and here is the rub with this exhibition. If you are expecting a Warhol "Greatest Hits" album then you will be disappointed. Yes, there is a Debbie Harry print, and there is a Campbell's Soup one too - but not those ones! His Last Supper series is here and is worth the entry price all by itself. Displayed in its own dark and gloomy room, evoking religious scenes repeated (operative word) in churches and cathedrals the world over every Sunday. You can count how many of them there are for yourself. Warhol is probably as hard to curate as a Picasso exhibition and they do a good job here for the purist. But hey, it's Warhol, so you will go and see it - and you should, especially in the current environment where we must support the arts even more than normal! Perhaps Warhol has the last laugh - because arguably the best part of this exhibition is the gift shop. Mass produced Warholalia, and you can't tell 'em apart at all...
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Tate Modern - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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