Top 10 British museums and galleries on Instagram.
The United Kingdom has a fine line of artists, designers, architects and painters to its name. The cold winter months make for the perfect time to discover the cultural heritage of Britain by visiting one of the many museums and art galleries on offer. Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals, has analysed the popularity of British museums and galleries on Instagram,
taking into account the number of hashtags that appear for each of them. These are the museums that most inspire the millennial art and history lovers, who visit these buildings to enrich their knowledge (and Instagram feeds).
- Tate Modern | London | #1,048,124
The most hashtagged British museum on Instagram is the Tate Modern in London! Opened by the Queen in May 2000, this is a relatively young gallery when compared to some of the other institutions that make the list. But the Tate’s extensive collection of international contemporary and modern art has made its popularity skyrocket in the past two decades, making it one of the top visitor attractions in the whole of the UK. With an impressive 3.2 million followers on Instagram, it’s only fair that the Tate Modern receives the crown.
Interesting fact: The architect who designed the power station that houses the Tate Gallery, is the same man who designed the iconic red telephone boxes!
2. British Museum | London | #544,519
Second place goes to the British Museum, with a history that dates back to 1759, making it one of the oldest museums in the entire world. A visit here will leave you totally inspired! It has over seven million objects available to view, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the world that contains materials from all continents, giving visitors an in depth
insight into the history of human culture from the past and up until where we are today.
Interesting fact: Believe it or not, but the British Museum is in fact OLDER than the United States of America
3. Victoria and Albert Museum | London | #255,954
Dubbed as “the world's greatest museum of art and design”, it’s unsurprising that the V&A Museum rounds off the top three. This prestigious museum contains an amazing collection of art pieces, sculptures and also artifacts. What's perhaps most appealing about this museum is that it manages to strike a perfect balance between classical and modern: the architecture of half of the museum is very old-fashioned with intricate marble walls and pieces that are centuries old, while the other half is an ode to the contemporary age we are living in today, with a very futuristic style. There is definitely something to suit art lovers of every taste preference and age here.
Interesting fact: Leading the way, the V&A was the world’s first museum to have an in-house restaurant, which is still open today.
4. Tate Britain | London | #200,161
If you’re interested in Britain and also art, the Tate Britain is a must-visit for you on your next trip to the English capital. Housing collections of British art that date all the way back to 1500 and up to the present day, you can marvel at the classical pieces whilst witnessing the ways in which art in the UK has evolved over the years. As if the art itself was not enough to entice you, this museum can be found within the walls of an equally stunning building that will appeal to any architecture lover.
Interesting fact: You can quickly get from the Tate Britain to its sister gallery, Tate Modern, by taking a high speed boat that connects the two along the River Thames!
5. National Portrait Gallery | London | #157,235
Holding the special title of being the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856, this institution houses a collection of portraits of important British men and women, past and present, who have had a significant impact on the making of British history and culture. The art gallery will close its doors this June to prepare for a massive three-year refurbishment plan, so make sure you arrange a visit before then!
Interesting fact: The National Portrait Gallery is where you can view the largest collection of historic portraits in the world.
6. Beamish Museum | Beamish | #106,833
Highly regarded as one of the best open air museums in the world, Beamish passionately tells the story of the people who lived in North East England during the 1820s, 1900s & 1940s. Fun for all the family, take a stroll around the amazing museum and learn about the fascinating facts and tales in which are to be shared. With a special perk of the entrance ticket being valid for a whole year, you will be sure to want to visit again and again.
Interesting fact: Whilst the costumed people at Beamish are actors, the buildings seen here are entirely authentic, and were rebuilt using bricks from around the region to give a true authentic sense of the history.
7. Natural History Museum | London | #45,064
Next up, located on the same road as the third place Victoria and Albert Museum, you will find the Natural History Museum. Have you ever wanted to see a 25.2-metre-long skeleton of a blue whale? Well, look no further than the Hintze Hall where you can see just that. Explore the rest of the museum to feast your eyes upon their amazing paleontology section (which is what they’re famous for), but they also proudly display over 80 million specimens which date back to the whole 4.5 billion years of Earth's history! A truly fascinating experience awaits.
Interesting fact: This museum welcomes over 5 million visitors a year who all flock to view the most important natural history collection in the world.
8. Titanic Belfast | Belfast | #38,566
Infamously known as one of modern history's deadliest peacetime commercial marine disasters, the Titanic now is one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic symbols. This interactive museum in Belfast takes visitors through the Titanic story from new and interesting perspectives, covering information from the ships conception in the early 1900s, the devastating maiden voyage and sinking, and also beyond that, including the discovery of the
Interesting fact: The museum can hold over 3,547 visitors at any one time, this is the exact same number of capacity that the Titanic ship had!
9. Tate Liverpool | Liverpool | #36,648
The third Tate gallery to feature in this top 10, the Tate Liverpool displays collections of both British and international modern and contemporary art. Located at the Royal Albert Dock, the Tate Liverpool is nestled between a number of other interesting museums, top restaurants and bars that all overlook the water. Since its opening, this gallery has housed over 150 exhibitions and collections of work done by hundreds of different artists. It is definitely a special place to visit the next time you’re in Liverpool.
Interesting fact: In 2007, the Tate Liverpool hosted the Turner Prize, which was the first time the prestigious competition was held outside of London.
10. Ashmolean Museum | Oxford | #35,955
Finally, last but not least, we have the Ashmolean Museum. Ashmolean is the museum of the University of Oxford, and was the world’s first university museum when it opened in 1683. This museum is a true gem, housing collections covering a wide range of topics, from Ancient Egypt and the History of Buddhism, to art from both the East and West.
Interesting fact: As well as being the world’s first university museum, the Ashmolean also holds the title of being the world’s first public museum, officially opened in 1683!
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.