Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum has the largest collection of decorative arts and design in the world

With a collection exceeding 4.5 million different items, London's Victoria and Albert Museum is unrivalled in its category. In spite of having 145 galleries spread over 51000 square metres, only a portion of the massive collection of fine arts can be displayed at any one time. Items go back as far as 5000 years and cover nearly every medium of art.
Here you will find a vast collection of items including, sculptures, textiles, glass and ceramics, jewellery, silver, iron works, furniture, textiles, costumes, prints, photographs and drawings from every corner of the world.
The Victoria and Albert museum is named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The first building on the site was constructed in 1857. Subsequent expansions and updates have resulted in today's large museum and its variety of architecture. Another feature is a central garden area with a water feature and summertime cafe. Inside there is a cafe offering hot and cold meals that is open year round.
Since this is a public museum, admission to all of the permanent galleries is free, making it a great place to visit even when travelling on a budget.
This museum is located on Exhibition Road adjacent to both the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, so you may want to consider visiting them while in the area.
To learn more about the Victoria and Albert Museum as well as special exhibitions and hours you can visit their official website linked above.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: NoVictoria and Albert Museum Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM
- Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM
Address: Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL, UK
Phone: 020 7942 2000
Official Website: Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum Reviews
Rated
This is a spectacular museum in all respects.
The architecture and internal features and décor are a work of art in themselves and extremely impressive.
The museum is free to enter although a donation is appreciated and there is no wait or booking needed.
This museum is vast over many floors and wings and I am quite certain that we missed some of it. I think I did my daily 10,000 steps just wandering around here!!
The collection is extremely impressive and covers all periods of time, regions and subjects.
You could easily spend all day here and not adequately cover everything.
There is a beautiful courtyard area with a lovely water feature and a coffee shop.
This is a fantastic museum and a must visit!
Stuart Johnson - in the last week
The V & A Museum is a wonderful museum to visit and learn about history. The current exhibition of the Cartier history is sensational and worth visiting. Make sure you buy tickets well in advance so you don’t miss out. Take time before or after to view the rest of the museum to enjoy the superb collections. Enjoy
J T G Nielsen - in the last week
What an amazing museum! I didn’t expect much since it was a free admission and you don’t need to make a reservation.
Architecture is stunning and the collection is amazing. It has multiple floors of endless beauty. From sculptures, Asian, European & Britain Medieval, Renaissance, fashion, design, furniture.. it was overwhelming.
My daughter who attends Fashion school in NYC really loved this museum and learned a lot about design and fashion in different eras.
We ended up spending 3 hours there and enjoyed sitting outdoor to relax and have coffee.. Must-visit museum while in London.
Amy Kang - a month ago
This is easily my favourite museum in the entire world. It is not as well known as some of the other major museums in the world, such as The British Museum. In my opinion, it is vastly superior to the aforementioned museum, or any other museum for that matter.
It is classified as an "arts" museum, which doesn't really give enough of an indication as to what the museum contains within it.
The museum is absolutely massive, with a huge variety of ancient sculptures, some of which are enormous. The atmosphere is also incredible, and really peaceful.
There are plenty of places to stop and rest, as well as cafes and a restaurant.
Entrance to the museum is free, which is amazing, given the amount of artefacts on display. I wish other cities and countries around the world would take note of this and follow suit.
There are regular events throughout the year which require payment (or a membership) but even without paying for any of the events, the museum has more than enough on display to keep you occupied for hours. I always see or discover something new whenever I visit.
Highly recommended!
Tintin - 3 weeks ago
The V&A Museum in London is a world-class destination for art, design, and performance. Its impressive collections range from art and sculpture to photography, ceramics, all housed in a stunning historic building. Entry is free, with some special exhibitions requiring a ticket. The peaceful courtyard, complete with a shallow pool for a quick feet splash on warm days, adds to its charm. A perfect mix of culture, beauty, and inspiration.
Bruno Collignon - a week ago
Directions
Tube Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
---|---|---|
District, Circle and Piccadilly Lines | South Kensington Station | 5 MInutes |
How to get to Victoria and Albert Museum by Tube
From South Kensington Station exit onto Thurloe Street and walk to your right (east) ½ block to Exhibition Road and follow it north then right on Cromwell Gardens to the entrance on your left side.
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Photo Gallery
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Entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum cc licensed photo by Ewan-M -
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Photo Credit: John Briody Photography - cc license via Flickr -
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