London The South Bank

Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Rd. (020 7416 5000; www.iwm.org.uk">www.iwm.org.uk'>www.iwm.org.uk) Housed in what used to be the infamous Bedlam insane asylum, the Imperial War Museum is mad for history. The exhibits start out right with two massive naval guns guarding the entrance to the imposing building. The first room is cluttered with enough devices of war to make any general salivate. Highlights include a Polaris A3 Missile, the first submarine-launched missile, a full-size German V2 Rocket, and the shell (not the inner mechanisms, luckily) of a "Little Boy," the type of bomb detonated above Hiroshima. Luckily, the bomb is non-functional, but it gets unnerving when kids whack the casing. The third floor houses the expansive Holocaust Exhibition. This haunting exhibit traces the catastrophic injustice of WWII Nazi atrocities with cartographic precision and deep feeling, with miles of film exploring everything from the rhetoric of the Nazi party to a history of anti-Semitism. Of course, many visitors may feel like a visit to a museum would be unbalanced with only such light subject matter, and they’ll take solace in the Crimes Against Humanity exhibition one floor down.
Art nuts will enjoy "Breakthrough," the museum's fantastic art collection. The first floor houses the exciting, if sensational, "Secret War" exhibit of WWII spy gadgetry, providing a brief history of MI5 and the Special Operations Executive. The popular Blitz Experience and Trench Experience exhibits recreate the experience of hiding during an air raid and living in the trenches respectively. Free. Special exhibits £5, students £4. Multimedia guides £3.50. Open daily 10am-6pm. The Blitz Experience daily schedule is downstairs. It lasts around 10min. Wheelchair accessible.

Tate Modern, 53 Bankside (020 7887 8008; www.tate.org.uk) Located in George Gilbert Scott’s Brutalist old Bankside Power Station, Tate Modern defies traditional organizational methods, opting out of the chronological in favor of thematic organization. The permanent collection rotates through two floors. Those desperate to see one work in particular should check out the computers on the fifth floor, which enable users to scan through the entire collection.
Level 3 houses the Material Gestures gallery, which focuses mainly on post-war European and American art and showcases works by Monet, Francis Bacon and Anish Kapoor. Sculptures by Giacometti can also be found here. Poetry and Dream, an area centering on Surrealism and its associated themes, displays the work of Daliand Picasso among others.
On Level 5, Energy and Process looks at Arte Povera, the movement from the 1970s that used everyday materials and natural laws to create art. States of Flux focuses on cubism and futurism as well as other important modern movements, displaying the works of Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Frank, Warhol, and Duchamp, among others. Southwark. Left onto Blackfriars Rd. Right onto Southwark St., left onto Sumner, left onto Holland St. Free. Multimedia guide £3.50, concessions £3. Open M-Th 10am-6pm, F-Sa 10am-10pm, Su 10am-6pm. Free 10min. talks given around the various galleries; check schedule signs for details.

The Hayward Gallery, South Bank Centre (084 4847 9910; www.haywardgallery.org.uk) The Hayward Gallery was opened in 1968 and designed by a group of Brutalist architects. The Gallery has been showing cutting edge modern art in its galleries for years. Two to three shows run at once. Check online to see how the space is currently being used. Waterloo. Head toward York Rd., turn right onto York Rd. and left onto Waterloo Rd. The gallery’s left of the bridge and the signage in the center will help you find it. Mostly wheelchair-accessible. Mostly wheelchair-accessible. £11, seniors £10, concessions £8, ages 12-18 £6.50, under 12 free. Open M-Su 10am-6pm, F 10am-10pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair accessible.

Design Museum, Shad Thames ( 020 7940 8790 ; www.designmuseum.org ) Though the museum has no permanent collection, it is consistently fascinating. Featuring a range of installations from architecture to illustration, fashion, product design, and occasional retrospectives and competitions, the Design Museum is an excellent place to come think about the aesthetics of everyday life and to see those of the future. Tower Hill. Cross Tower Bridge. Left onto Queen Elizabeth St., left onto Shad Thames. £8,50, students £5, concessions £6.50. Open M-Su 10am-5:45pm. Last entry 30min. before close. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair accessible.

The London Eye, Minster Ct. ( 087 0990 8881 ;www.londoneye.com) Also known as the Millenium Wheel, the London Eye is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. The massive Ferris wheel takes visitors on a 30min. ride, giving them unparalleled arial views of London. An exciting 4D movie experience opens the entire trip which, while gimmicky, is worth it. Westminster. Cross the bridge heading toward the Eye. £17.95, seniors and disabled £14.30, ages 4-15 £9.50, under 4 free. 10% discount if you book online. Hours vary. Call or check the website. In general, Oct-Mar daily 10am-8pm; Apr daily 10am-9pm; May-July daily M-Th 10am-9pm, F-Sa 10am-9:30pm, Su 10am-9pm; July-Aug daily 10am-9:30pm; Sept 10am-9pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair accessible.

Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk (020 7902 1500; www.shakespeares-globe.org) A recreation of the original Globe Theatre which burned down during a performance of Henry VIII in 1613—who's idea was it to fire a real cannon toward a thatched roof?—Shakespeare's Globe does a pretty accurate job of recreating the unique, open-air theater, with numerous exhibits and a tour on the history of Shakespeare and area theater. Though short on actual artifacts, the historical overview offered by the exhibit is fascinating and well-designed. Special booths allow visitors to speak lines with automated casts, and other booths enable visitors to hear iconic Shakespearean monologues read by famous actors. Southwark. Left onto Blackfriars Rd., right onto Southwark St., left onto Great Guildford, right onto Park St., left onto Emerson St. For information on productions, see Exhibition £5; exhibition and tour £10.50; exhibition and bankside tour £7.50, students £6.50, ages 5-15 £4.50, under 5 free. Exhibition open daily 9am-5pm. Exhibition and bankside tours T-Sa 1-5pm, Su noon-5pm. Tours stop around 12:30pm, when there's a matinee performance.