London Chelsea

Saatchi Art Gallery, Duke of York Sq. ( 020 7811 3085 ;www.saatchigallery.co.uk) It's rare to find a free gallery of this caliber. The rooms are cavernous and bright, providing ample space for each installation. The gallery focuses on contemporary art, all taken from Charles Saatchi's collection. If you see something you really like, be sure to check out the shop where many of the works are condensed into pocket-sized forms. There are three to four shows a year, and the pieces run the gamut from paintings, to sculptures, to really frightening installations of plaster people hunched in corners. If you really want to experience the Saatchi Gallery, stand next to one of the wax/plaster humanoid sculptures and argue with it. Sure, it's weird, but is it art? Sloane Sq. Go straight once out of the Tube and continue onto King’s Rd. Free as the wind. Open M-F 10am-5:50pm, Su-Sa 10am-5:45pm. Wheelchair access.

Chelsea Physic Gardens, 66 Royal Hospital Rd. ( 020 7352 5646 ; www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk) The physic gardens are some of the oldest botanic gardens in Europe. Established in 1673 by a society of apothecaries, the gardens contain pharmaceutical and perfumery plant beds, tropical plant greenhouses, Europe's oldest rock garden, and a total of 5,000 different plants. The garden was also important to the establishment of the tea industry in India, but apart from that, they're simply beautiful, peaceful, and well worth a visit. Sloane Sq. Left onto Lower Sloane St.; right onto Royal Hospital Rd. Call ahead to arrange wheelchair-accessible visits. Free guided tours, depending on availability of guides. £8, children, students, and the unemployed £5, under 5 free. Open Apr 1-Oct 31 W-F noon-5pm, Su noon-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.

Chelsea Old Church 64 Cheyne Walk ( 020 7795 1019; www.chelseaoldchurch.org.uk ) Though this church was bombed like so many others in 1941, the story of its rebuilding is slightly different than most; parishioners simply picked up many of the pieces of destroyed plaques and monuments and put them back together, with the cracks and rough edges serving as delicate reminders of the war. The church has also played host to several celebrity worshippers. Henry VIII is rumored to have married Jane Seymour here, while Queen Elizabeth I, "Bloody" Mary, and Lady Jane Gray, the nine-day queen, worshipped here. Henry James also frequented the church, and Thomas Moore prayed in the chapel that is named after him. In 1958, the church was reconsecrated and opened by the Queen Mother. This quiet, removed church isn't an obvious sight, but it rewards those willing to look closely. Sloane Sq. Left onto Lower Sloane St., right onto Royal Hospital Rd., and right onto Cheyne Walk. Wheelchair-accessible. Free. Open Tu-Th 2-4pm, Su open for services: Holy Communion 8am, children's service 10am, matins 11am. Wheelchair access.

St. Luke's Gardens Sydney St. ( N/A ; N/A ) Only one street removed from the bustle of King's Rd., St. Luke's Gardens feels a world apart. Rose gardens of pink, red, white, and yellow fragrant roses arranged in open circles flourish in the summer, lending a sweet fragrance to the whole park. A large mulberry tree in the center of the park casts a shadow over the benches arranged in a semi-circle around it. On the side of the park sits St. Luke's, a magnificent Gothic church. As it is in a quiet part of town, the park can be safely enjoyed while it's light out. Sloane Sq. Go down King’s Rd. away from the Tube. Take a right onto Sydney St. Open daily 7:30am-dusk.

National Army Museum Royal Hospital Rd. ( 020 7730 0717 ; www.nam.ac.uk ) "Yet another museum with far too many plaster-people for its own good, the National Army Museum answers the question on everybody's mind: what are British soldiers wearing? There are funny hats galore, and the museum is packed with information on British military conquests, even if most of it is directed toward a younger audience. The true gems of this museum are W. Siborn's expansive, 420 sq. ft., 172-year-old model of the battle of Waterloo, and the skeleton of Marengo, Napoleon's favorite horse. Of course, there's the colo(u)ring station and the guns that you can "load" and "fire," but if you want to see what a real gun is like, you might have to wrestle one off an actual guard. Sloane Sq. Left onto Lower Sloane St., right onto Royal Hospital Rd. There is also an art gallery. Free. Open daily 10am-5:30pm. Wheelchair access.

Gagliardi Art Gallery, 509 King's Rd. ( 020 7352 3663 ; www.gagliardi.org ) Run by the Gagliardi family, the gallery showcases contemporary artists painting in styles that include abstract, Surrealist, figurative, and landscapes, among others. Works on display range from the late 20th century to the early 21st century. All the art is for sale and goes for about half as much as it would in the galleries on the West End. Sloane Sq. Exit the Tube and go straight down Sloane Sq. The street slanting gently left is King’s Rd. If you don’t want to walk the road (it’s manageable but long), the following buses service the area: 11, 19, 22, 211, 319. Open daily 1-7pm. Wheelchair access.

Flying Colours, 6 Burnsall St. ( 020 7351 5558 ; www.flyingcoloursgallery.com ) When most people commemorate their trip to London, they buy Big Ben keychains, squeezable Teddy Bears that bark "Mind the gap!" and, for those Americans between 17 and 21, Svedka in the duty-free. If you want to step up your souvenir purchasing, check out Flying Colours. All the art is contemporary British, with a specialty in Scottish painting. Exhibitions change once a month. Even if you aren't going to buy, the paintings are still worth seeing. Sloane Sq. Go down King’s Rd. away from the Tube. Take a right onto Burnsall St. Open M-F 10:30am-5:30pm. Wheelchair access.