Royal Academy of Arts

Britain’s first art school was founded in 1768, though it only moved here in the following century. It’s a great place to come for some free art, thanks to the John Madej-ski’s Fine Rooms, where drawings ranging from Constable, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Turner to Hockney are displayed for now. The Academy’s galleries have sprung back to life in recent years with megasuccessful exhibitions such as the great Byzantium and Kuniyoshi shows. The famous Summer Exhibition (early June to mid-August), which has showcased art submitted by the general public for nearly 250 years, is the Academy’s biggest event.

The Academy’s Annenberg Courtyard features a dashing stone-paved piazza with choreographed lights and fountains flanking a statue of founder Joshua Reynolds, though he’s often replaced or joined by various (and dubious) art pieces.