The City of Westminster

Westminster, located on the River Thames to the southwest of the city of London, is the home to many of England's government buildings and tourist destinations. It houses the Royal London residence of the Queen, and Westminster Abbey, the London Zoo, and a slew of other tourist attractions.

Buckingham Palace, the Royal residence and offices of the Queen in London, has numerous tours you can visit. The State Rooms, where the Queen entertains dignitaries from other countries, is only open during August and September, when the Queen vacations in Scotland. The Queen's Royal Garden is home to thirty species of bird and more than 350 species of different wildflowers, and tourists are allowed to walk along the south side of the garden and take in the views of the west front of the Palace and the lake.

Westminster also has many of the world's finest art institutions. The Queen's Gallery is an art gallery in Buckingham Palace with rotating collections of the art held in trust by Her Royal Majesty for the UK. It is open on a daily basis, and is well worth the visit. The National Gallery, which has free entrance to all, is home to the greatest collections of European paintings in the world, and the National Portrait Gallery, showcases the very best in portrait paintings and photographs and is also free. All are fascinating and inexpensive ways to see culture in Westminster.

Under the category "Art of the Strange" is the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, with contemporary wax works of historic and modern personalities. Walking through this museum is truly an odd experience, as you'd swear the wax statues are real. It is, from that perspective, rather impressive, and from an artistic standpoint must be credit. Celebrities include football player Wayne Rooney, Johnney Depp, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell and many more. Perhaps the most spooky room is the Chamber Live room, with wax statues of serial killers and characters from horror films. The museum is open from 9.00 AM to 6PM, and prices are £23.99 per person with a discount for children and seniors.

Westminster also has great family destinations. St. James's Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Regent's Park all have facilities for the children to play. You may want to take a ride on Hyde Park's Solar Shuttle, a solar powered boat powered entirely by the sun. The ride is slow, but gives tourists a great few of the park and river. You may also want to stopy by the world famous London Zoo, home to more than 650 species of rare and endangered animals. The zoo features interactive materials to teach children and adults about many of the zoo's rare and endangered animals. The zoo is open from 10AM to 16.30PM on every day but Christmas and costs £14.50 for adults and £11.50 for children aged 3 to 15.

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See a Map of Westminster