Turner Contemporary
About
The David Chipperfield building on the seafront at Rendezvous is the reason most people outside Kent have heard of Margate again, and it is free. It opened in 2011 on the site of the lodging house where JMW Turner stayed on his visits to the town, which is the connection the name is doing: Turner came to Margate repeatedly and said the skies over the Isle of Thanet were the loveliest in all Europe. Standing on the gallery's north-facing seaward side at the end of an afternoon, you can see the argument. The programme is contemporary rather than historical, it changes several times a year, and there is no permanent collection to plan a visit around, so check what is on before you commit a whole afternoon. What does not change: entry is free with donations invited, it is open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holidays from 11:00 to 17:00, it is closed on Mondays, and it is step-free throughout, which makes it the most reliably accessible thing in Margate. There is a cafe and a shop. On a wet day it is the best room in the town.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Free entry, donations invited
- ✓Built on the site of Turner's Margate lodging house
- ✓North-facing sea view over the harbour
- ✓Step-free throughout
- ✓Changing contemporary programme, no permanent collection
Tips
- →It opens at 11:00, not 10:00. This catches people out.
- →Closed Mondays. If you are here on a Monday, the Shell Grotto and Margate Caves are the indoor alternatives.
- →The seaward gallery windows face north over open water, which is why the light is what it is. Late afternoon is the time.
- →Rendezvous Car Park next door is ANPR-metered 24 hours a day and offers no Blue Badge concession; Blue Badge holders can park free on the promenade itself for up to three hours.
Best Season
Accessibility
Purpose-built and step-free throughout. Blue Badge holders can park free on the seafront promenade at Rendezvous for up to three hours; the adjacent car park itself has no Blue Badge concession, which the gallery states plainly on its own getting-here page. Mobility scooters are welcome in the gallery but must not be ridden inside.
Last verified 2026-08-17
More Attraction Activities
Dreamland
Free to enter, pay per ride. Vintage rides, a roller disco and a summer outdoor gig season. The Scenic Railway still stands but is retired and cannot be ridden. Opening pattern changes constantly.
The Shell Grotto
4.6 million shells in a tunnel under a Cliftonville side street. Discovered in 1835 and never explained. Grade I listed.
Margate Caves
A chalk excavation on Northdown Road with a documented history, run by a community trust. Open daily, the most dependable indoor option in town.