Victoria and Albert Museum
V&A
A world-class museum of decorative arts and design, free to enter. Its Chinese porcelain collection and jewelry galleries are especially impressive.
Commonly known as the V&A, the museum holds more than 2 million objects, including fashion and dress, jewelry, plaster cast sculpture reproductions, furniture, ceramics, and Asian art. The Chinese galleries, Japanese galleries, Raphael cartoons, and the Cast Courts are all worth seeing. The courtyard garden is a pleasant place to rest, and in summer visitors sometimes dip their feet in the fountain. The Morris Room restaurant, dating from the Victorian era, is one of the world's earliest museum restaurants. The permanent galleries are free, but popular fashion exhibitions require advance tickets. Opening hours are roughly 10:00 to 17:45. It sits beside the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, so you can easily spend a full day in the area.
Opening hours
10:00–17:45 (extended on Fridays)
Nearby sights
- Science Museum
- Natural History Museum
- Royal Albert Hall
- Harrods
- Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
- Kensington Palace
- Design Museum
- Buckingham Palace