London East London

Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High St. ( 020 7522 7888; www.whitechapelgallery.org">www.whitechapelgallery.org'>www.whitechapelgallery.org) This edgy gallery has been showing important contemporary art since it opened in 1901. Originally an effort of hoity-toity uppity-ups to bring art to the culturally decrepit inhabitants of the East End, the gallery's mission has changed, though its commitment to excellence hasn't. Gallery 7 is dedicated to collections that change four times a year. Gallery 2 features year-long commissioned works, and the rest of the gallery deals with contemporary art and occasional mid-career retrospectives. Art films can be seen running on loop in the cinema space. Aldgate East. Left on Whitechapel High St. Free. Special exhibits normally under £10, £2 off for students. Open Tu-Su 11am-6pm. Open 1st Th of every month 11am-9pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.

National Maritime Museum, Romney Rd. (020 8312 6608; www.nmm.ac.uk) "Housed in the formal training center for boys who dreamt of naval careers, the National Maritime Museum provides a history of the organization that gave credence to the claim that Britannia rules the waves. This museum has something for all British naval history fanatics. Exhibits include a recreation of the Starvation Cove, where Sir John Franklin froze to death, complete with a frozen arm hanging over the ship edge, and the uniform in which Horatio Nelson was shot, including blood-soaked stockings and the fatal bullet wound, the museum has something for all fanatics of British naval history. Especially of note are the stained glass windows from the Baltic Exchange which include the intact half-dome which was recreated after it was destroyed in a terrorist attack. The Bridge Simulator allows visitors to take control of a full-size (simulated) ship. Greenwich. Left on Kay Way, right down Straightsmouth to Greenwich High Rd., right onto Stockwell St., left onto Nevada St., left onto King William Walk. Right onto Romney Rd. Free. Open daily 10am-5pm. Last entry 30min. before close. Last entry to the Bridge Simulator M-F 4:35pm, Sa-Su 4:30pm. Wheelchair access.

The Royal Observatory, Blackheath Ave. ( 020 8312 6608 ;www.nnn.ac.uk) Charles II founded the Royal Observatory in 1675 to "advance navigation and astronomy." Translation: to stop British ships from sinking so frequently. Greenwich now serves as a marker of hemispheres, with its Prime Meridian, or longitude 0° 0'0" lying in the courtyard of the Royal Observatory. Visitors to the observatory can take pictures in two hemispheres simultaneously by straddling the red LED strip and taking pictures of the floor. After seeing the intersection of the hemispheres, visitors choose one of two routes. The Meridian route explores the history of time, with most of the exhibition in the Flamsteed House, former home and workspace of John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal. This route features the original Harrison timekeeper intended to solve the longitude problem and more telescopes than should ever be necessary. The Meridian Building features a clever "Time Stood Still For Me When.." exhibit which allows visitors to write about moments when, well, time stood still for them. A true tear-jerker reads, "time stood still for me when I came home to see my pet hamster had died. (His name was Lucky, but in the end he was not)." The Astronomy route will give you the opportunity to touch a 4.5-billion-year-old piece of the Gibeon meteorite and also provides access to the popular planetarium. Greenwich. Left on Kay Way, right down Straightsmouth to Greenwich High Rd., right onto Stockwell St., left onto Nevada St., left onto King William Walk. Right onto Romney Rd., up the hill. Guided tours are free at different times in different languages depending on the day. Check online under events. Handicapped tourists should know that, while there is parking on top of the hill, the hill itself is very steep. Free. Planetarium £6.50, concessions £4.50. Audio guides available £3.50. Open daily in summer 10am-7pm; in winter 10am-5pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.