Just across the Millennium Bridge from St. Paul's Cathedral, on the banks of the Thames, the Tate Modern is a perfect example of the proximity of old and new that is so characteristic of London. The museum is housed in an old warehouse that is not much to look at from the outside, but has been renovated inside into a space fit for a well-rounded collection of the world's best modern art. To tell the truth, I sometimes find it challenging to enjoy modern art, and I expected to be somewhat bored when I first visited the Tate. This turned out to be far from the case.
You enter on the lowest level, where you can walk into a huge, open courtyard area that houses interesting rotating exhibits. For example, when I visited, a mammoth several-storied red funnel provided a whimsical greeting. Through a few visits, I found that it seemed best to start out by taking the escalators all the way up to the top floors and work my way down. The galleries are organized by subject matter, theme, or medium (the nudes are all grouped together and easy to avoid with kids), but are also connected, which makes it possible to choose a certain mood or simply wander from room to room. Each floor has sitting areas, some of which incorporate reading and research. There are a couple gorgeous reading rooms overlooking the Thames, as well as a restaurant. The museum offers a varied but quality collection that is stimulating without becoming overwhelming. I would recommend the Tate even to those who typically dislike modern art. Admission is free, so there's not much to lose.