From 2000 to 2007 the Hermitage Rooms at Somerset House housed superb exhibitions of works of art on loan from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and between 2000 and 2008 Somerset House was home to the Gilbert Collection.
The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, which is the first major public fountain scheme to be commissioned in London since 1845, has seen the courtyard transformed into one of the capital's most vibrant public spaces. The restoration of the Somerset House courtyard was recognised at the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust's Building of the Year Awards 2001, when Somerset House Trust; and architects Donald Insall Associates, and Jeremy Dixon / Edward Jones, were announced winners of the 'Public Space' category.
Following extensive restoration, the River Terrace opened to the public for the first time after more than 100 years in 2000, and provides the setting for a summer café. In addition, a restaurant, bar, deli and a shop feature on the ground floor of the South Building.
Elsewhere, displays can be found which explain the building and the intriguing story of the site, which has played a key role in the nation's history, including a cast of characters such as Protector Somerset himself, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I), Queen Henrietta Maria, Oliver Cromwell and Admiral Nelson.