National Gallery, The - Sightseeing, Museums, Galleries & Attractions, London Galleries

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National Gallery, The

Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 2885

he National Gallery houses one of the world's finest collections of Western European paintings from 1260 to 1920.

It has a massive collection of over 2300 paintings (all the paintings are on display except those on loan or being repaired) in 68 galleries and well over 4 million visitors per year see them!

This is a far cry from when the gallery was founded in 1824 when Parliament gave £57,000 for the purchase of the first 38 pictures.

William Wilkins built the neoclassical main building in 1838. The main addition to the Gallery has been the Sainsbury Wing built in 1985 and named after its benefactors the Sainsbury family. The Dulwich Picture Gallery influenced its design, which was England's first National gallery.

Some of the best known works in the collection are: The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist by Leonardo Da Vinci, The Hay Wain by Constable, The Water-Lily Pond by Monet, and Sunflowers by Van Gogh.

The Gallery offers free guided tours, lunchtime lectures and shows regular films and audio-visual programmed about artists and paintings.

There is also a self-service café, a restaurant and a comprehensively stocked shop.

Disabled Access
heelchair access to the gallery is via the Sainsbury Wing and Orange Street entrances and wheelchairs can be borrowed on request.

There are charges for some special exhibitions.

If you are thinking of visiting the National Gallery, why not purchase a London Pass which will admit you to this and many other London attractions for a single payment; it also includes travel by public transport within the London area on buses, tubes and trains, zones 1 - 6. For details on the London Pass and a list of attractions that it covers, click here.

When these exhibitions are not featured, The London Pass offers a free copy of a souvenir guide: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, available from the Sainsbury Wing and Room 3 gift shops.

Opening Times
Thursday - Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 21:00

Nearest Underground (Tube) Station: Charing Cross/Leicester Square national gallery london england