Tate Modern is the pick for international modern and contemporary art, the Turbine Hall and a free view over the Thames. Tate Britain is the pick for five centuries of British art, the biggest Turner collection anywhere and a much quieter room to stand in. Entry to both is free. Got a Friday or Saturday spare? Do both, Tate Britain first, because it shuts at 18:00.
- Pick Tate Modern for international modern and contemporary art, the Turbine Hall and a free view over the Thames.
- Pick Tate Britain for five centuries of British art and the world’s largest Turner collection, in a quieter setting.
- Entry is free to the permanent collections at both. Major temporary shows like Frida and The 90s are ticketed.
- Late opening: Tate Modern stays open until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Tate Britain closes at 18:00 every day.
- Crowds: Tate Modern had 4,514,266 visits in 2025 against 1,149,325 at Tate Britain, roughly four to one.
- Tate Britain’s Millbank entrance is closed until 2027. Use the step-free Manton Entrance on Atterbury Street.
- To do both in a day, start at Tate Britain at 10:00, cross by Tate Boat or Tube, and finish at Tate Modern.
Tate Modern vs Tate Britain At A Glance
| Tate Modern | Tate Britain |
|---|---|
| What it shows | International modern and contemporary art, roughly 1900 to now |
| Building | Former Bankside Power Station, with the Blavatnik Building extension |
| Address | Bankside, London SE1 9TG |
| Opening hours | Sun to Thu 10:00 to 18:00; Fri and Sat 10:00 to 21:00 |
| Permanent collection | Free |
| Known for | Turbine Hall commissions, Rothko’s Seagram Murals, the free viewing level |
| 2025 visits (ALVA) | 4,514,266 (4th in the UK) |
| Crowds | Busy, especially weekends |
Why The Two Galleries Are So Different
It’s easy to assume the two are wings of one museum. They aren’t. Tate Britain opened in 1897 as the National Gallery of British Art, and when Tate Modern arrived on Bankside in 2000 the collection was carved in two: British art stayed at Millbank, international modern work went east to the river.
That split is really the whole decision. Tate Modern hangs things by theme and connection rather than by date, so you can go from Surrealism to Pop to a contemporary film in a few rooms and not always know why. Tate Britain simply starts in the 1500s and walks you forward. If you like a story with a beginning and an end, that’s your gallery.
The buildings couldn’t be less alike. Tate Modern is a brick power station with a tall chimney, and a Turbine Hall big enough to hold whole installations. Tate Britain is Victorian and porticoed, with a rotunda and a spiral staircase. It feels older, and a good deal calmer, before you’ve looked at a single picture.
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What Each Gallery Does Best
Tate Modern wins on scale and variety. There’s Picasso, Warhol and Rothko, plus plenty of living artists working in photography, film, sound and installation. If someone swears they hate modern art, the Rothko room with the Seagram Murals is where people usually send them. And the free viewing level at the top of the Blavatnik Building gives a wide view across the city, with St Paul’s straight over the Millennium Bridge.
Tate Britain wins on depth. Its Clore Gallery holds the Turner Bequest: about 300 oil paintings and many thousands of watercolours and sketches, which Tate describes as the largest Turner collection in the world. The rest of the building covers Hogarth, Blake, Constable, the Pre-Raphaelites, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon and David Hockney. One catch for Turner fans: a few of his best-known oils, The Fighting Temeraire and Rain, Steam and Speed among them, hang at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, not here.
What’s On Right Now (November 2026)
The permanent collections are free at both galleries. The big temporary shows mostly aren’t. Here’s the autumn and winter line-up.
At Tate Modern
- Hyundai Commission: Tarek Atoui: Hold is in the Turbine Hall from 13 October 2026 to 11 April 2027. It’s a sound-based installation, the eleventh in the annual series, and free to see.
- Frida: The Making of an Icon runs to 3 January 2027. Put together with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, it looks at how Frida Kahlo became a global icon. Ticketed, and the clock is ticking.
- Julio Le Parc: Light. Colour. Action. runs to 3 May 2027: seven decades of work by the Argentine-born kinetic artist, who died in 2026. Ticketed.
- Ana Mendieta and Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography are also on this season, both ticketed. Tate’s listings have the exact dates.
At Tate Britain
- The 90s: Art and Fashion runs from 8 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. Edward Enninful curated it, mixing art, photography and fashion from the decade. Ticketed.
- Tate Britain Commission 2026: Zineb Sedira takes over the Duveen Galleries until 17 January 2027. Free.
- Chris Ofili’s Requiem, the north staircase mural honouring Khadija Saye and remembering the Grenfell Tower fire, is free too.
Sometimes one show settles it. Check Tate’s exhibition pages for current prices, since they differ from show to show. Worth knowing: 16 to 25 year olds can get £5 exhibition tickets through Tate Collective, and up to four children aged 11 and under go free per parent or guardian.
Crowds: Four Visitors To One
ALVA’s 2025 figures show how different the two feel. Tate Modern logged 4,514,266 visits and came fourth among UK attractions. Tate Britain logged 1,149,325 and came thirtieth. That’s roughly four to one.
Neither has fully bounced back from the pandemic. Tate Modern was down 2% on 2024 and still more than a quarter below 2019. Tate Britain slipped 6% year on year.
In practice that means queues for the lifts and crowded viewing areas at Tate Modern, especially at weekends and in school holidays. At Tate Britain you can often stand in front of a major painting without anyone hovering behind you.
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Practical Details That Can Change Your Plans
Opening hours. Tate Modern is open Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 18:00, and until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Tate Britain is open every day 10:00 to 18:00. Both usually close from 24 to 26 December. Some older guides still print out-of-date Friday closing times, so check Tate’s website if you’re planning a late evening.
Tate Britain’s main entrance. The Millbank entrance on the river side is shut until 2027 while the Clore Garden is built. Go in through the Manton Entrance on Atterbury Street instead. It’s step-free, with a ramp and automatic doors.
Tate Modern access. Tate says every entrance is step-free: through the Turbine Hall, the Natalie Bell Building on Holland Street, or the Blavatnik Building on Sumner Street.
Bags and payment. Tate Britain wants cabin-size bags or smaller, has a free cloakroom, and takes cards only, so don’t count on cash.
Getting there. For Tate Modern, Blackfriars and Southwark are the nearest stations, and you can walk over the Millennium Bridge from St Paul’s. For Tate Britain, Pimlico is the usual Tube stop, with Vauxhall also within walking distance. Buses 87, 88 and C10 stop nearby.
Travelling Between The Two: The Tate Boat
The Tate Boat runs between Bankside Pier, next to Tate Modern, and Millbank Pier, next to Tate Britain. It’s the RB1 on weekdays and the RB2 at weekends, run by Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. Tickets come from a machine on the pier, the Uber app, the website, or a phone call to Tate.
Expect roughly 20 to 30 minutes on the water, depending on the service and stops, with views of Westminster you won’t get from the Tube. Thames Clippers changed its fares in March 2026, so older guides may quote prices that no longer apply. Check the current fare before you go. If the boat isn’t worth the money to you, the Tube does the job.
Which One Should You Choose?
Pick Tate Modern if:
- It’s your first trip to London and you only have time for one gallery.
- You want the building and the view to be part of the visit.
- You like installation, film, photography and conceptual work, or you’d like to find out whether you do.
- You want somewhere open late on a Friday or Saturday.
- You’re already on the South Bank, near St Paul’s, Shakespeare’s Globe or Borough Market.
Pick Tate Britain if:
- Turner, Constable, Blake or the Pre-Raphaelites are the reason you’re coming.
- You’d rather read paintings as a story, in date order.
- You want a slower, quieter visit.
- Your day is built around Westminster or Pimlico.
- You’ve already done Tate Modern.
Still torn? Ask yourself whether you’d rather be surprised or guided. Tate Modern is the first, Tate Britain the second.
How To See Both In One Day
This works best on a Friday or Saturday, when Tate Modern’s late opening takes the pressure off.
- 10:00, Tate Britain. Be there at opening, come in by Atterbury Street, and give it 90 minutes to two hours. Do the Turner rooms in the Clore Gallery first, then the Duveen commission and Ofili’s staircase mural.
- Midday, cross the river. Take the Tate Boat or the Tube over to Bankside, and grab lunch on the way.
- Afternoon into evening, Tate Modern. Collection and Turbine Hall in the afternoon. If you’ve booked a ticketed show, do that first. Finish at the free viewing level as the light goes.
Don’t do it the other way round. Tate Britain shuts at 18:00 every day, so you’d turn up tired and short of time at the gallery that most rewards taking it slowly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Tate Modern and Tate Britain?
Tate Modern shows international modern and contemporary art from around 1900 onwards, in a converted power station on Bankside. Tate Britain shows British art from about 1500 to the present, in a Victorian gallery on Millbank.
Are Tate Modern and Tate Britain free?
Yes. Entry to the permanent collection is free at both. Temporary exhibitions such as Frida: The Making of an Icon and The 90s: Art and Fashion are ticketed.
Which Tate is better for a first-time visitor to London?
For most first-timers with limited time, Tate Modern is the easier call. The building, the views and the South Bank location do a lot of the work. If it’s British art history or Turner you’re after, start at Tate Britain.
Can you visit both Tate galleries in one day?
Yes. Begin at Tate Britain in the morning, cross by Tate Boat or Tube, and finish at Tate Modern. Fridays and Saturdays suit best because Tate Modern stays open until 21:00.
Which gallery has the Turner paintings?
Tate Britain, in the Clore Gallery, which holds the world’s largest collection of his work. A few famous oils, including The Fighting Temeraire, hang at the National Gallery instead.
Which Tate is less crowded?
Tate Britain. In 2025 it had 1,149,325 visits against 4,514,266 at Tate Modern.
Is Tate Britain’s main entrance open?
No. The Millbank entrance facing the river is closed until 2027 for the Clore Garden works. Use the step-free Manton Entrance on Atterbury Street.
