About
Tate Modern is Britain's national gallery of international modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day, and the most visited modern art museum in the world. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station on the banks of the River Thames, this dramatic industrial cathedral was transformed by architects Herzog & de Meuron into an iconic cultural landmark.
The vast Turbine Hall - once housing the power station's generators - now hosts spectacular large-scale installations that have redefined museum experience.
The collection spans Cubism to Conceptual art, Surrealism to Installation art, with masterworks by Picasso, Matisse, Warhol, Rothko, Dalí, Pollock, Hockney, and Bourgeois. The 2016 Blavatnik Building extension added 60% more gallery space, rooftop viewing terraces, and performance spaces. Free admission to world-class modern art, breathtaking riverside location, and innovative programming make Tate Modern essential viewing for anyone interested in how art shapes our world.
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Annual Visitors (2019)
5,868,562
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings or Friday/Saturday evenings for extended hours and special atmosphere
💡 Visitor Tips
- Start with the Turbine Hall - the annual commission is usually spectacular and sets the tone for your visit
- Don't miss the Level 10 viewing gallery - it's free and offers the best panoramic views in London
- Visit on Friday or Saturday evenings (open until 22:00) for a different, more social atmosphere with the bar open
- The Rothko Room on Level 2 is designed for slow, meditative viewing - allow time to sit and absorb
- Collections are arranged thematically, not chronologically - pick up a floor plan to navigate
- The Millennium Bridge connects directly to St Paul's Cathedral - combine both in one visit
- Take the Tate Boat to Tate Britain for a scenic 18-minute Thames journey connecting both galleries
- Free guided tours run throughout the day - they're excellent for understanding contemporary art
Highlights
The Turbine Hall
The vast industrial heart of Tate Modern, this 3,400 square metre space (155m long, 23m wide, 35m high) once housed the power station's electricity generators. Since 2000, it has hosted the annual Hyundai Commission, showcasing monumental installations by artists including Olafur Eliasson's artificial sun ('The Weather Project'), Carsten Höller's slides, Ai Weiwei's porcelain sunflower seeds, and Kara Walker's Fons Americanus fountain.
This spectacular space has redefined what a museum can be, offering visitors unforgettable experiences that blur the boundaries between art and architecture.
Rothko Room - The Seagram Murals
An immersive encounter with Mark Rothko's monumental Seagram Murals (1958-59). Originally commissioned for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York's Seagram Building, Rothko ultimately refused to complete the commission, unhappy with the context. Nine of these deeply contemplative canvases in dark reds and maroons now hang in a dedicated room, creating an intensely meditative space.
Rothko intended viewers to feel 'trapped in a room where all the doors and windows are bricked up', creating an experience of profound emotional intensity.
Level 10 Viewing Gallery
The dramatic 360-degree viewing gallery atop the Blavatnik Building offers spectacular panoramic views across London. From this vantage point 64 metres high, see St Paul's Cathedral, the Shard, the City skyline, Westminster, and the Thames snaking through the city. The outdoor terrace wraps around the building, providing constantly changing perspectives.
Free to access and particularly stunning at sunset or during Friday/Saturday evening openings.
Picasso's The Three Dancers (1925)
A pivotal work marking Picasso's violent break with classical harmony and his turn toward a more savage, distorted vision. Painted in 1925 after the death of a close friend, this large canvas shows three writhing figures in a frenzied dance, combining Cubist fragmentation with raw emotional expression.
The wild, almost brutal distortions and clashing colors presage Guernica's power, making this one of the most important works in Tate's collection.
Collections
Tate Modern holds the national collection of international modern art from 1900 to the present, with over 70,000 works. Major collection strengths include: Cubism and early Modernism (Picasso, Braque, Léger); Surrealism (Dalí, Miró, Magritte, Ernst); Abstract Expressionism (Pollock, Rothko, Newman); Pop Art (Warhol, Lichtenstein, Hamilton); Minimalism and Conceptual Art (Judd, Andre, LeWitt, Kosuth); Contemporary installations and performance art; Photography and video art; Postwar European art (Fontana, Klein, Beuys); British art (Bacon, Hockney, Riley, Hirst).
The collection is displayed thematically rather than chronologically, encouraging new ways of seeing connections between movements and artists.
Surrealism and Beyond
Dreams, the unconscious, and the irrational in 20th century art
📍 Various levels
In the Studio
Artists' processes, materials, and creative practices
📍 Level 2
Materials and Objects
How artists have transformed everyday materials into art
📍 Level 3
Media Networks
Photography, film, video and digital art
📍 Level 4
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.