Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria & Albert Museum AKA V&A Museum in London is the world’s largest museum of the decorative arts and has 146 galleries, including national collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion and photographs. It also houses the National Art Library.

Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the Museum on 17th May 1899. The V&A has a collection of more than 4 million objects. The holdings of ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewellery, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints and printmaking, drawings and photographs are among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

The museum possesses the world’s largest collection of post-classical sculpture, the holdings of Italian Renaissance items are the largest outside Italy. The departments of Asia include art from South Asia, China, Japan, Korea and the Islamic world.

The East Asian collections are among the best in Europe, with particular strengths in ceramics and metalwork, while the Islamic collection, alongside the Musée du Louvre and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is amongst the largest in the world.

Alongside other neighbouring institutions, including the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, the V&A is located in what is termed London’s “Albertopolis”, an area of immense cultural, scientific and educational importance. Since 2001, the Museum has embarked on a major £150m renovation program which has seen a major overhaul of the departments including the introduction of newer galleries, gardens, shops and visitor facilities.

Following in similar vein to other national UK museums, entrance to the museum has been free since 2001.

Opening Times
Mon-Sun 1000 – 1800
Fridays open until 2200

Admission
FREE

Location
South Kensington

Distance from our London hostel

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You can purchase discounted and fast track tickets from the Travel Desk

Or contact the team on travelshop@generatorhostels.com or 020 7388 7655 for more information

See our staff reviews on the Tate Modern Museum

More staff reviews on other famous London sights popular London attraction reviews

Not to forget the Free London walking Tour from our London hostel