Your guide to London gallery and museum memberships to gift this Christmas
This Christmas, why not give a gift that keeps on giving? London’s cultural scene, a gallery or museum membership is the perfect alternative to another pair of socks. From unlimited access to exhibitions and exclusive events to discounts in shops and cafés, these memberships offer experiences that can be enjoyed throughout the year, while also supporting the vital work of arts organisations. Whether it’s a treat for someone special or a gift to yourself, our guide highlights the best London memberships to make your festive giving a little more inspiring.
National Gallery Membership
Image courtesy of National Gallery
#FLODown: The National Gallery is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Western European paintings, spanning the 13th to the early 20th century. An Exhibition Membership offers unlimited free entry to all exhibitions, invitations to member-only preview days, and access to a curated programme of events led by curators and art experts. Members also receive priority booking for gallery events and courses, a 10% discount in restaurants, cafés, and shops, and complimentary cloakroom service.
Price: £78. Buy now
Tate Membership
Image courtesy of Tate
#FLODown: Tate is the UK’s national institution for British art and international modern and contemporary art, spanning four galleries: Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. Tate Membership offers unlimited free entry to exhibitions across all its galleries, early access during dedicated hours, private members’ rooms to relax, 10% off in the Tate Shop, and invitations to special members-only events. You can choose from membership options that cover just yourself, you plus one guest, or you with up to three guests, with extra cards available.
Price: £78 for an individual, £120 for Member & Guest, and £162 for Member, Guest & Extra Card in the first year, while a 25-year membership is available for £2,500. Buy now
Whitechapel Gallery Membership
Image courtesy of Whitechapel Gallery
#FLODown: The Whitechapel Gallery is a leading centre for modern and contemporary art, known for its groundbreaking exhibitions, artist commissions, and long history of championing emerging and international talent. Whitechapel Gallery membership offers exclusive access to exhibitions, artist commissions, and public programmes, plus discounts on limited-edition artworks, in the bookshop, and at its on-site restaurant.
Price: £50 Buy now
National Art Pass
Image courtesy of National Art Pass
#FLODown: Becoming a National Art Pass member gives you free or reduced-price access to more than 250 museums, galleries, and historic sites, plus 50% off major exhibitions, and discounts in cafés and shops. You also receive an Art Map, a subscription to Art Quarterly magazine, and “Art in your inbox” emails. Your membership supports museums too, helping them fund acquisitions, outreach, and conservation.
Price: Individual: £62.25 (annual direct debit) or £83 (one-off card payment); Under-30: £37.50 (annual direct debit) or £50 (one-off card payment); Double (two adults): £93 (annual direct debit) or £124 (one-off card payment. Buy now
V&A Museum Membership
Image courtesy of V&A Museum
#FLODown: The V&A Museum is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts, design, and performance, with a collection spanning over 5,000 years and 2.8 million objects from around the globe. V&A Membership gives you unlimited free access to all exhibitions without needing to pre-book, even when tickets are sold out. Members can choose individual, guest, or extra-card options, or a discounted under-26 membership. Membership also includes free entry for up to four under-16s and can pay for itself in as little as three visits.
Price: Under‑26 Individual: £45/year; Individual: £82 per year (or £94 on single payment); Plus Guest: £122 per year via Direct Debit, or £134 one‑off payment; Extra Card (2 cards + 2 guests): £174/year via Direct Debit, or £186 one‑off. Buy now
Royal Academy of Arts Membership
Image courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts
#FLODown: The Royal Academy of Arts is an independent, artist-led institution founded in 1768 to promote the creation, study, and enjoyment of the visual arts through exhibitions, education, and events. Friends of the Royal Academy of Arts enjoy free and priority access to all exhibitions for themselves and a guest, along with discounts in the members’ café and shop, and provides a great opportunity to engage with the Academy’s community.
Price: Young Friend (1 cardholder aged 16–35 +1 family member): from £70; Friend (1 adult cardholder +1 family member): from £148; Joint Friend (2 adult cardholders +2 family members): from £220. Buy now
Garden Museum Membership
Image courtesy of Garden Museum
#FLODown: The Garden Museum is dedicated to celebrating and preserving Britain’s garden history, showcasing historic gardens, horticultural exhibitions, and related collections. Becoming a Friend of the Garden Museum gives you free, unlimited entry to exhibitions, priority booking for garden visits, discounted tickets to talks and events, a copy of the Garden Museum Journal, and a 15% discount in the shop. There are several membership levels to suit different needs, from individual and couple memberships to lifetime options. Your membership helps support the museum’s work, preserving and celebrating Britain’s garden heritage.
Price: Friend (individual): £45 per year; Friend + Guest: £60 per year; Couple: £70 per year; Lifetime Friend: £750 one-off; Lifetime Friend + Guest: £950 one-off. Buy now
Freud Museum Membership
Image courtesy of Freud Museum
#FLODown: The Freud Museum is the former home of Sigmund and Anna Freud, a historic house that preserves Freud’s study and iconic psychoanalytic couch and explores the continuing legacy of psychoanalysis. Membership at the Freud Museum offers free admission with a guest, 20% off events and courses, 10% off in the gift shop, invitations to exclusive events including private views and the annual party, a free annual magazine, and regular news and event updates. Joining supports the museum, its exhibitions and programmes.
Price: £55.00 per year. Buy now
Dulwich Picture Gallery Membership
Image courtesy of Dulwich Picture Gallery
#FLODown: Dulwich Picture Gallery, England’s first purpose-built public art gallery designed by Sir John Soane and home to a renowned collection of Old Master paintings, has a programme of temporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection. Becoming a Friend offers unlimited free access to all exhibitions, priority booking, and invitations to exclusive events such as private views, specialist tours, and conversations with artists and curators. Friends also receive 10% off lectures, workshops, ArtPlay sessions, and shop purchases, along with the In View members’ magazine and regular e-newsletter updates. Joining supports the Gallery’s work and connects you to a vibrant community of over 7,000 members.
Price: Individual Friend: £56 per year (or £46 by direct debit); Friend +1: £84 per year (or £74 by direct debit); Friend +2: £102 per year (or £92 by direct debit). Buy now
Courtauld Membership
Image courtesy of Courtauld Membership
#FLODown: The Courtauld is a prestigious art institution based at Somerset House, known for its remarkable collection of paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, and decorative arts, and especially celebrated for its Impressionist and Post‑Impressionist masterpieces, including works by Monet, Van Gogh, and Cézanne. Courtauld Friends Membership offers unlimited access to expertly curated exhibitions, talks, and events; exclusive previews, priority booking, and discounts; the Courtauld News magazine and e‑newsletter updates; plus a tailored programme of events and lectures just for Friends.
Price: Individual Friend: £66; Friend Plus Guest: £90. Buy now
ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) Membership
Image courtesy of ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) Membership
#FLODown: The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London is a leading centre for contemporary culture, known for its cutting-edge programme of exhibitions, films, performance, talks, and experimental artistic practices. ICA Membership offers increased access to this programme, providing free or discounted entry to exhibitions and cinema screenings, priority booking, and members-only events such as Mondays for Members and the Members’ Book Club. Members also receive discounts in the ICA Bar, Bookstore, and on ICA Editions, supporting the ICA’s ongoing work while connecting you to its community of art enthusiasts.
Price: Concession Membership: £30/year – for students, under-26s, pensioners, jobseekers, and disabled members; Membership: £60/year – free exhibition entry, 50% off other ICA programme tickets, guest cinema ticket, priority booking, and discounts; Membership+: £300/year or £25/month – free entry to all ICA programmes, multiple guest tickets, priority booking, enhanced discounts, and additional benefits Buy now
Design Museum Membership
Image courtesy of Design Museum
#FLODown: The Design Museum is devoted to contemporary design in all its forms, from architecture and fashion to graphics, product design, and digital innovation. Membership gives you a full year of unlimited free entry to all Design Museum exhibitions, including those that sell out, and supports the museum’s charitable mission to champion design that benefits people and the planet.
Price: Student Membership: £45; Access Membership: £45; Individual Membership: £60; Member and Guest: £75; Family Membership: £90. Buy now
Natural History Museum Membership
Image courtesy of Natural History Museum
#FLODown: The Natural History Museum is one of the world’s foremost centres for the study of the natural world, home to vast collections spanning life on Earth, from dinosaurs and ancient fossils to minerals, wildlife, and cutting-edge scientific research. Membership offers free, unlimited entry to exhibitions, including ticketed shows like Wildlife Photographer of the Year even when sold out. Members can skip the queue, enjoy discounts in shops, cafés, and for special events, and access member-only previews and experiences such as the popular Dino Snores sleepovers for families. Additional benefits include free issues of the Natural History Museum Magazine and the children’s magazine Wild World, priority booking for events, and discounts on online courses with the museum’s scientists.
Price: One-adult family membership (up to four children under 17): £6 per month or £68 per year; Two-adult family membership (up to four children under 17): £8 per month or £87 per year. Buy now
