National Portrait Gallery Reviews

There are free and paid expositions. Both weren't very impressive or interesting IMHO. The building itself is very nice and has friendly staff.

More to it than I expected, The portraits of writers and poets were especially interesting

I m stunned by the last exhibition of September, next time I ll come again
Classy place is amazing

Lovely security staff and yes, that welcoming smile when you first enter a building is important. The free exhibitions are great.

Interesting museum with very good works and works. A discovery of this last trip.

You definitely should visit. Loads of great portraits for free.

Always fascinating. Especially enjoyed the free lunchtime talk.

I found a fantastic exhibition of Bronte family. I love bronte sisters novels. awesome.

Great place a pop into for a short while, or spend a whole day. Lower floors often crowded, but other areas much quieter. Fantastic exhibitions held throughout the year.

A gem. Free entry to a great gallery. Always worth a visit. Cool and calm inside. A great interlude from the London hustle.

First of all it is free. Then the arrangement of the portraits is very accurate divided by historical periods, this helps to understand who they are and why they were portrayed and then you discover it .....

An exhibition featuring women is a theme on one of the floors.
Also a paid exhibition on MJ is on the ground floor.

So many eras to walk through I am going back...

Great place to view and to be creative.

Wonderful to see these paintings up close. Easy to get to from train station, souvenir shop inside

A fabulous display of every type of portrait that you can imagine. Something for everyone whether you are "into" Art or not.

Very busy, great buskers,great food & great selection.

We were there for half a day and could be for half more.

A wonderful museum. 19th century portraits are very moving. Contextual information is well explained.

I love to visit all the National Portrait Galleries when in a new country. My kids are not usually so enthusiastic; however, they loved the Michael Jackson On the Wall exhibition. MJ is an inspiration for artists and fans. The permanent collection had paintings and sculptures of British history.

Always great exhibitions running and as we are members. Lunch is always a pleasure in the gallery restaurant.

Amazing gallery with a huge collection of portraits from Shakespeare to Queen Elizabeth II

Great place to spend a spare 30 minutes before getting a train

My favourite Art Gallery, other than my own. Just in time to see the BP Award winners - stunning selection of painterly portraits, inspiring. Visited twice in the three days I stayed. Highly recommended!

Fascinating portraits from the 15 century to modern .

Far less crowded than the National Gallery just round the corner. I especially like the history one learns here.

For me to see an App that might offer actual view of my favourite museum in London, my expectations then somewhat dashed to see such a poor so called slideshow of the portraits inside. so not authentic. Doesnt even show one photographic portrait, or the heavenly bookshop downstairs. Still, I enjoyed the actual from the street view. Outside looking at the National Portrait Gallery. Think you should update the whole thing. It is such a good idea but then got to deliver on the promise. Hashtag Lame Passing Cars taking Google Camera polaroids.

The exhibits are very attractive ~ exquisite carving and painting

Absolute gem,can visit many times over and over again to look at nation's High and Mighties,Famous and Rich,Wise and Talented,Beautiful and not so Beautiful,
open conveniently till 9pm on Friday.

Two fascinating hours viewing art both new and revising works previously seen. As always, a delight.

Contemporary exhibition of portraits. A must see. There are some works that literally leave you speechless as to see them at the distance of two / three meters they seem in 4K, then you approach 50cm and you notice that everything is irregular, but it is these irregularities that make the distance vision in high definition . Fantastic experience. It deserves more than 5 stars, really impressive.

Behind the National Gallery, it's all about
portraits - painted and photographed.
Seeing so many faces may sound boring
but it's not - and it's free. A must for art
students.

Went to the Michael Jackson exhibit, was pretty cool and well priced for students but the staff member that served us at the desk wasn't the most polite and confused us about tickets.

Beautiful permanent collection of portraits and wonderful thematic temporary exhibitions.

Favourite gallery in London visit before it closes for a two year refurb

Went to see the Italian artist Lorenzo Lotto. A good exibition. The cafe provides good snacks at a reasonable price for London

Really good for children whether planning a trip or dropping in

It's got good food in an attractive venue and it's attached to a free national museum

We had an excellent visit, friendly attendants, not too busy.

Such a great place. It's hard to put into words. Reviewing each portrait and trying to recall the history and the impact that they have.

Very beautiful gallery, portraits of England royalties and artists.

What a fantastic place to see some if our national treasures and history

Impressive collection of portrait of the Kings and Queens, men and women that made British history.

A very nice gallery, a must visit when visiting London.

Unmissable portrait gallery. It allows you to pleasantly "review" centuries of British history and culture. It currently hosts a beautiful exhibition on the Pre-Raphaelite Sisters.

Pre Raphaelite sister hood exhibition is wonderful.

Always worth a visit if you're in the area and the shop sells prints of a wide range of portraits.

I accidentally went to this, I was going to the National Art Museum. But it s good to see it. There is a very clear British royal timeline for reference learning.

Beautiful paintings to enjoy. Neat little cafe in basement. Sorry to hear it's closed for a revamp from June. Look forward to seeing the new gallery.

Free to enter but please leave a donation to pay for upkeep. Over 3 floors with different exhibits eg Tudor, modern etc. A lot to take in so if you're like me you pick your faves. Cafe and obligatory shop

Light and airey. Not over crowded. Good range of paintings

Fantastic collection that is impossible to explore fully on one visit - you would want to go back again to have a better look.
I was lucky enough to be present for the free lecture, hosted by the museum, about one of the paintings of Bonny Prince Charlie and it was captivating and informative. Will be going back for more when in London again.

One of my favourite galleries in London. A diverse range of arists and styles. Concise, interesting and free!

I planned to hit this gallery in the morning, have lunch and then move on to another. As it turned out, my mother and I accidentally spent 7 1/2 hours here and it felt like 2! There was so much to see and each piece with a little bit of useful information. I'd recommend it to anyone - but don't assume that you will have the afternoon free!!

Love the portrait gallery! Always great exhibitions on, but enjoyed perusing the permanent collections this time