Best Arts and Culture Places in Hemel Hempstead

"One of the biggest, busiest and most popular museums in the United Kingdom, the British Museum is astounding to visit and is home to one of the largest collections in the world. With huge galleries that house artifacts from around the globe, one could spend months in the museum and still not see everything. There are over eight million items on show; visitors will pass sarcophaguses and statues, ancient texts, art and armor, as well as jewelry, coins and more on their voyage of discovery around the museum."

"The British Museum has been offering free admission to ‘studious and curious persons’ since it was first founded in 1753. It’s the most popular museum in the country, with over 6 million visitors a year but don’t worry, it’s big – very big, so there’s room for everyone. Where to start with this magnificent, overwhelming place, dedicated to human history, art and culture?"

"The British Museum in London holds in trust for the nation and the world a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures. Housed in one of Britain's architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. Access to the collection is free."

"In what was once the Bankside Power Station, the Tate Modern looms over the waterfront of the South Bank. Its permanent collections house a wealth of modern British art – see pieces from Damien Hirst and Jackson Pollock – and international artists including Henri Matisse and Auguste Rodin. The immense Turbine Hall is dominated by a changing display of site-specific installations: millions of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds filled the space in 2010-11, while Olafur Eliasson took over with The Weather Project in 2003 and a blinding sun installation."

"As entwined with the art world as paint, no list of London galleries would be complete without one incarnation of the Tate. Without a doubt the art giant of London, the Tate Modern is home to all things contemporary and unique and always worth a visit. “When my daughter Coco was born, we visited Tate Modern 11 times in her first 6 months!"

"London’s best contemporary art gallery has plenty of interactive activities for kids. It’s inside the former Bankside Power Station and younger kids can run around the vast Turbine Hall. Kids aged 3 and older can sketch their own masterpieces at the Bloomberg digital drawing bar and then have their art projected onto the gallery’s walls."

"The National Gallery is the first place to go if you want to see work by some of the most famous artists from history. Nearly seven hundred years of work from the world’s greatest artists can be found here, including Leonardo, Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Rubens – seriously we could go on for a while. A wander from the The Wilton Diptych in the 14th century galleries to Pablo Picasso’s early works is both an intensely pleasant afternoon and a pretty consummate art history lesson."

"Ranking among the top art museums in the world, London's National Gallery represents an almost complete survey of European painting from 1260 until 1920. The museum's greatest strengths are in its collections of Dutch Masters and Italian Schools of the 15th and 16th centuries. Among its highlights are a cartoon (preliminary sketch) of the Madonna and Child by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo's The Entombment, Botticelli's Venus and Mars, van Gogh's Sunflowers, and The Water-Lily Pond by Monet."

"One of the most famous and indeed most prestigious art galleries in the world, the National Gallery rightfully commands a domineering position overlooking Trafalgar Square. Home to a huge collection of paintings, it is a marvelous place to visit. An almost endless array of stupendous artworks greet you from every conceivable wall space."

"The greatest city in the world deserves its own museum, and that’s exactly what the Museum of London provides!. Set somewhat incongruously in the middle of a brutalist roundabout, exhibits here cover everything from the city’s ancient past as a Roman settlement right up to the present day, featuring both the 2012 Olympic cauldron…  to a congealed lump of sewer blockage from our city’s great nemesis, the Fatberg. A planned move to the site of the old Smithfield meat market is expected to occur in the coming years, but they’re still at London Wall for now."

"The Museum of London is a history museum focused on the history of London dating back to prehistoric times with a special focus on the city's social history. The Museum of London sits on the edge of the oldest part of the city, with the ruins of the Roman city wall in its sights. With more than six million objects in its collection, the museum houses the world's biggest urban history collection."

"The Museum of London is the world's largest urban museum, packed with historic objects and exhibitions telling the story of London's past. Discover prehistoric London, the city under Roman rule, and the grandeur of medieval London. Don't miss the permanent galleries, spanning before London was built to the present day world city."

"Before Google or Wikipedia, the British came here to put a face to the names of famous historical figures from the country's history. As such, the paintings are prized more for their subjects rather than their artists. Highlights include portraits of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth II, the latter courtesy of pop art sensation Andy Warhol."

"Not to be confused with the preceding listing, this gallery does what it says on the tin: housing a huge collection of portraits that depict important and famous British people from throughout history. It was the first portrait gallery in the whole world when it opened in 1856, so this place really is the OG. The gallery is set to close for three years, so if you want to see it before 2023, you better get there sharp-ish."

"The University College London Art Museum houses a collection that goes back to 1847. The collection began when artist John Flaxman offered his sculpture models and drawing to the university. Now, there are more than 10,000 objects in the collection, to include etchings by Rembrandt."

"As part of one of the biggest arts centre’s in Europe, the Barbican’s art gallery is known for pushing the boundaries with brilliant shows. As well as this kudos, it has a reputation for bringing artists and subjects on the outskirts of modern art history to a wider audience through incisive exhibitions. Recent shows have included retrospectives on Dorothea Lange, Lee Krasner, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and an exploration of artistic couples."

"The Barbican is Europe’s largest performing arts centre, located right in the City of London. Its Brutalist styled architecture offers lots of opportunities to take some unique photos, like the one below by Chris Martin Scholl. Make sure to plan enough time to explore all the hidden corners of this fascinating landmark."

"Housed in the old Hampstead Central Library on Finchley Road, Camden Arts Centre began life as a local initiative, providing art classes for the community. Now, it is a powerhouse of contemporary art showing ambitious exhibitions by well-known British and international artists such as Kara Walker, Rose English, Ben Rivers and Jennifer Tee. The bookshop stocks a range of artist’s editions, and the garden is the perfect spot for a sunny afternoon."

"In 1965 a former library was converted into a gallery to promote contemporary art. The exhibitions feature emerging artists, international artists debuting in London, significant historic figures who have inspired contemporary practice, and group shows relevant to current debate. Arkwright Road, NW3 6DG Free entrycamdenartscentre.org"

"The restaurant has been around for 38 years — possibly the oldest Japanese restaurant in the UK. Kenichi Ikeda, the second-generation owner, acts as restaurant manager, with his brother supporting the operation as chef. The menu is wide reaching, traditional but top-notch and full of seasonal wow moments."

"St Mary Woolnoth was said to have been founded originally by Wulfnoth, a Saxon noble, on a Roman Temple to Concord. The church is famous among architects. It was built by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1716-1721."

"This bizarre looking Anglican church was designed by Hawksmoor – his only City of London church. The original dated back to Norman times"

"The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a London historic house and museum. Burgh House was first built in 1704. Famous inhabitants include Dr. George Williamson, Captain Constantine Evelyn Benson, the daughter of author Rudyard Kipling, and, in the late 1800s, the Royal East Middlesex Militia, who used it as their headquarters."

"Visitors to the Burgh House & Hampstead Museum can try on period costumes|© Ethel Davies / Alamy Stock Photo. The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a popular place for families with young children. This historic property has period costumes visitors can try on, a reading corner and a museum trail to explore."

"Fine art from the 15th to 19th centuries is displayed at one of London’s loveliest small art galleries, set in the 18th-century townhouse of Sir Richard and Lady Wallace, who collected fine paintings, porcelain, artefacts and furniture over generations. See paintings by Caneletto and Rembrandt, and exhibitions on fashion, furniture, ceramics and more. Address: The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BNTelephone: +44 20 7563 9500Website:wallacecollection.orgEntry fee: admission is free, exhibitions cost extra"

"One of London's best small galleries, hidden away just north of Oxford Street, the Wallace Collection is an enthralling glimpse into 18th-century aristocratic life, set up in a lavishly restored Italianate mansion stuffed with 17th and 18th century art."