National Portrait Gallery, London Museum

Address: St Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.npg.org.uk/

Hours: Usually daily 10am-6pm; Fridays often open later (check website for current hours).

Admission: Free entry to the main collection; major exhibitions and special displays may charge. Guided tours available for a fee.

The National Portrait Gallery is the United Kingdom’s national collection of portraits, located on St Martin’s Place in central London. It was founded in 1856 to collect and display likenesses of historically important and famous British people.

The gallery’s holdings include paintings, photographs, drawings and sculpture across more than 215,000 items, covering Tudor to contemporary subjects. Highlights spread across the collection include formal painted portraits, studio photography and contemporary commissions; temporary exhibitions focus on single artists, themes or periods.

The institution was established in 1856 and expanded its collection through purchases, bequests and commissions over the late 19th and 20th centuries. The gallery has occupied its St Martin’s Place site since the late 19th century and has undergone curatorial and display updates to accommodate modern media and exhibitions.

Sited in central London adjacent to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, the building sits on St Martin’s Place off Charing Cross Road. It is in the West End cultural district and is within walking distance of major central London transport hubs.

• Admission: General admission to the permanent collection is free; special exhibitions are usually ticketed.

The National Portrait Gallery is a two-minute walk from Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross station (National Rail and Bakerloo/Northern lines). Leicester Square (Northern/Piccadilly) is also close.

• Arrive early to see popular portraits (the Tudor and Elizabethan rooms) before the crowds gather.
• Pick up a free audio guide for contextual stories beyond the wall text - the gallery's human tales make the portraits sharper.
• Don't miss the Raphael Court and the contemporary portrait displays; the juxtaposition is telling.