The United Kingdom has some of the most prestigious art museums and galleries in the world, like the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. But if you happen to be visiting London and decide that you'd rather see more contemporary art, then you'd better arrange for a visit to the Tate Modern, Britain's main gallery of international modern art.

The museum used to be a building known as the Bankside Power Station, which was closed down in 1981. In 1992, the British National Art Museum held a competition to create a new building for the Tate Gallery, with renovation of the former power station beginning in 1995. This is similar to how the Musée d'Orsay in Paris was born out of a former railway station--what the architecture world calls "adaptive reuse."

After 4.2 million bricks were used to create the distinctive façade and chimney, the Tate Modern was formally opened in the year 2000. However, due to the large audience it has attracted since its opening, the Tate has been undergoing a long-term extension project since 2004. This includes the famous Turbine Hall that visitors enter, showing off the gallery's roots as a power station.

The Tate Modern has an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art from all over the world. It's here that you can see Pablo Picasso's Weeping Woman and the famous stacking sculpture by Donald Judd. Its collection contains mostly Abstract Impressionist works and related art genres from after World War II.

If you're planning to visit the Tate Modern, remember the following tips:

• Admission is free except for special exhibitions; however, Tate Members and Patrons can get free admission to special events.
• If you're traveling by the London Underground, the Jubilee line is the closest route to the gallery; the closest Tube stations are Blackfriars, Southwark, St. Paul's, and Mansion House.
• The gallery is also easy to access by walking the Millennium Bridge from St. Paul's Cathedral.
• Since it's a contemporary art museum rather than a historical one, you'll find that the works are organized by title rather than by chronology.
• Food and drink are available at the level 3 cafe and the level 6 restaurant, which offers an expansive view of the Thames River and central London.
• Tate Members and their guests are allowed access to the Tate Modern Members Room, which serves coffee and light lunch in a contained but relaxing atmosphere.
• Tuesdays are usually the quietest days to visit the Tate Modern.
• 4 free guided tours are available every day at the Tate Modern, each focusing on a different exhibition and lasting about 45 minutes.
• The Tate Modern stays open on bank holidays.

For most information about visiting the Tate Modern and about the Tate Gallery in general, be sure to check out the Visitors page on their website.

Image by Nick Garrod on Flickr