For family activities in London this summer, FRAMELESS is the one to put at the top of your list.
Some days out are quietly enjoyed by the children while the adults look at their watches. Others are quietly endured by the adults while the children look at everything else. The ones that genuinely work for everyone are rarer than most would like, but FRAMELESS is one of them.
Located at Marble Arch in London, it’s the capital’s first — and favourite — permanent immersive art experience, and it’s unlike anything else in the city. Ranked the number one Art Gallery in London on TripAdvisor, it spans over 30,000 square feet of colour, movement, music and light. First-timers tend to walk in, look up, and go quiet.
And this summer, there’s even more to discover. Every standard ticket includes something extra: Stories – Brought to Life, a free limited-run residency created in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.
Inside FRAMELESS, see and feel more from the world’s greatest art
There’s no map to follow, no route to stick to, no hushed obligation to move on before you’re ready. FRAMELESS has four multi-award-winning immersive galleries, each doing something completely different, and the whole place is yours to explore at whatever pace feels right. Wander, double back, plant yourself in a favourite corner. The experience is entirely your own.
Beyond Reality transports you into the dreamlike worlds of the Surrealists — Dalí and others, brought to life through wrap-around projection and mirrored surfaces. It’s a conversation starter, and the questions it draws keep going long after you’ve left.
Colour in Motion celebrates Impressionism through motion tracking technology that transforms the iconic masterpieces of Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat and more into their individual brushstrokes, all around you. Interactive, playful, and endlessly watchable, it’s the gallery families find themselves returning to.
The World Around Us immerses you in sweeping 360-degree landscapes through six-sided panoramic projection — changing seasons, stunning vistas, the hum of city life — beautifully bringing some of the greatest masterpieces of all time to life.
The Art of Abstraction guides you through a maze of colour, shape and form, uncovering the pioneers of abstract art in an ever-shifting sensory experience.
There’s also Blank Canvas — FRAMELESS’s fifth gallery, dedicated to limited-run residencies that showcase emerging digital art talent and specially commissioned seasonal experiences. It’s where the programme stays surprising, no matter how many times you’ve visited.
Across all five galleries, more than 40 masterpieces are reimagined at an extraordinary scale using cinematic visual effects, cutting-edge digital technology and a powerful original score, created to help every visitor see and feel more from the art than ever before. Little ones marvel at the colour and movement; teens discover familiar artists in a completely new light; adults find themselves genuinely moved. You don’t need to love art to love it.
Included this summer: Stories – Brought to Life
Free with every standard ticket until 13 August, Stories – Brought to Life is a new residency in the Blank Canvas Gallery, created in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.
In 15 immersive minutes, it tells the stories behind five people who changed the world: Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, William Shakespeare, Amy Winehouse and Malala Yousafzai. Through portraiture, archival imagery, animation, music and narration, it draws you into the lives behind the portraits with storytelling that resonates at eight, at eighteen and at forty-eight.
One thing worth knowing: from 13 August, the residency moves exclusively to the adults-only FRAMELESS Lates programme on Friday and Saturday evenings. For families, the window is this summer.
Why FRAMELESS is one of the best family days out in London
Great family activities in London need to hold up in the real world — unpredictable weather, varying energy levels, the chaos of getting everyone out of the house. FRAMELESS is built for it.
Fully indoors and step-free throughout, it’s one of the most reliable indoor activities in London for families whatever the forecast. Just two minutes from Marble Arch and well connected by tube, bus and rail, it’s easy to get to and even easier to lose yourself in. Once you’re inside, there’s no time limit — stay for two hours, stay for four.
The Family Flexi ticket covers two adults and two children aged 3–15 from £21.50 per person when booked online. No rigid arrival slots, just a date and the freedom to turn up when the morning has actually cooperated. For days out in London for families navigating different ages, that kind of breathing room is worth its weight.
Four multi-award-winning galleries. 40+ masterpieces reimagined at extraordinary scale. A free residency with the National Portrait Gallery. No time limit, no fixed route, no contingency plan needed.
FRAMELESS is where family days out in London start feeling like the kind of day everyone wants to do again.
Want to know more? Explore the complete guide to visiting FRAMELESS and take a behind-the-scenes look with our London Pass interview.