Guildhall Art Gallery
What Visitors Say
I love this gallery. Many absolutely gorgeous artworks. Mostly pre-1900 but some modern/ultra modern pieces. Some well-known pieces, others less so. Paintings, prints, sculptures... Also, some archaeological finds dating from the Roman period to the 1700s. I especially loved the 'despondent Britannia' Roman coin. Sums up the feeling of the nation these days 😆 Don't miss the artworks by the lifts. Weekdays are fairly quiet. NO admission fee. Every level is fully accessible using the lifts. Lots of seating on each floor. Large cloakroom and copious toilets including disabled facilities. Small gift shop stocks many interesting books and funny greeting cards, amongst other things. Staff are all lovely. Very friendly and helpful.
Recently visited Guildhall Art Gallery and really enjoyed the experience. The gallery has a calm, welcoming atmosphere and a varied collection, with a strong focus on London history and art connected to the City. The exhibitions are well laid out and easy to explore at a relaxed pace. One of the highlights was the Roman amphitheatre in the basement, which adds an extra layer of history and makes the visit feel special. Best of all, entry is free, making it a great cultural stop if you’re nearby. Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy art, history, or quieter galleries.
Really nice gallery, offers free tours!! The giftshop is a bit lacking. The gallery itself is really beautiful, has a good collection of paintings, however, sometimes explanation near each painting is lacking, there is not a lof of museum staff either. Overall - I would recommend going.
This is a medium sized gallery but there is lots to see on several floors. I really enjoyed the paintings and sketches produced by Evelyn de Morgan l, especially as Evelyn is a woman f the Victorian era. The architecture is beautiful and the Roman amphitheatre on the lower ground floor is a surprise and sensational. Staff are very helpful and helped me navigate the gallery and highlighted an event the following week which I’ll attend. As usual there is a gift shop but I didn’t see a cafe but there are many nearby,
Great place to visit if you're in the City anyway. Great building, usually a really good exhibition on. Not the largest by any stretch, but some great art to look at and the Roman amphitheatre in the basement is a great bonus.
Highlights
Victorian Blockbusters
Storytelling on a cinematic scaleDrama, detail, and light effects that feel like early cinema in paint.
Ground floor, main nave
Copley’s ‘Gibraltar’
One of Britain’s largest oil paintingsSmoke, fire, and ships—Copley choreographs chaos with terrifying clarity.
Feature wall, large-format gallery
London Portraits
Faces of a working cityA crash course in who ran London—merchants, mayors, reformers—and how they wanted to be remembered.
Side galleries
Roman Amphitheatre
London’s arena under the Guildhall yardTimbers, walls and a traced outline reveal a lost crowd space where spectacles once roared.
Basement, black-stone ring marks
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
The amphitheatre was only rediscovered in 1988—its footprint is traced in dark stone in the yard above the gallery.
The original gallery was destroyed in the Blitz; today’s light-filled building opened decades later with the Roman site integrated below.
Copley’s ‘Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar’ is so large that it dictates the hang—rooms are literally planned around it.
