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South Kensington’s “Albertopolis” is home to three of London’s biggest and best museums: the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum. While it’s tempting to try and “do” them in a day, visiting more than two is a feat of superhuman stamina (not to mention a waste of at least one perfectly good museum). A traveling note: while most people just take the sign-posted “Subway” feeder tunnels from the Tube to the museums, it’s just as quick (and far more pleasant in good weather) to use the above-ground route.
Main entrance on Cromwell Rd., wheelchair-accessible entrance on Exhibition Rd. South Kensington. ☎7942 2000; www.vam.ac.uk. Open M-Th and Sa-Su 10am-5:45pm, F 10am-10pm. Wheelchair-accessible. Free tours meet at rear of main entrance. Introductory tours daily 10:30, 11:30am, 1:30, 3:30pm, plus W 4:30pm. British gallery tours daily 12:30 and 2:30pm. Subjects change regularly. Talks and events meet at rear of main entrance. Free gallery talks Th 1pm and Su 3pm, 45-60min. Admission free; additional charge for some special exhibits.
When the V&A was founded in 1852 as the Museum of Manufactures, the curators were deluged with objects from around the globe. Today, as the largest museum of decorative (and not so decorative) arts in the world, the V&A rivals the British Museum for the sheer size and diversity of its holdings—befitting an institution dedicated to displaying “the fine and applied arts of all countries, all styles, all periods.” Unlike the British Museum, the V&A’s documentation is consistently excellent and thorough. Its five million sq. m of galleries house the “world’s greatest collection” of miniature portraits, including Holbein’s Anne of Cleves; newly refurbished glass and architecture galleries; and an exhaustive showcase of fashion from the 16th century through today. Interactive displays, high-tech touchpoints, and engaging activities ensure that the goodies won’t become boring. Staff shortages can lead to the temporary closure of less popular galleries without notice; it’s best to call in advance on the day of your visit if you want to see a specific gallery. Themed itineraries available at the desk can help streamline your visit, and Family Trail cards suggest routes through the museum with kids.
British Galleries. The subject of a £31 million refit, the vast British Galleries sprawl over three floors of reconstructed rooms documenting the progression of British taste and fashion from 1500 to 1900. From clothing to furniture to innumerable fascinating gadgets, exhibits all begin with the question “Who led taste?” (The answer, of course, is always British.)
Fashion Gallery. Don’t expect to find everyday clothing in the V&A’s world-famous costume collection: nothing but the finest resides in this gallery. Men’s suits and women’s gowns are displayed on mannequins, with panels describing the major designers of the 20th century, from Jean-Paul Gaultier (French) to Issey Miyake (Japanese).
Asian Galleries. If the choice of objects in the V&A’s Asian collections seems to rely on national clichés (Indian temple carvings, Chinese porcelain), the objects themselves are still spectacular. The choice piece here is Tippoo’s Tiger, a graphically fascinating 1799 model of a tiger eating a man—complete with organ sounds and crunching noises. In addition to the requisite swords, armor, and paintings, the excellent Japanese Gallery displays an array of contemporary ceramic sculpture and kimonos.
Upper Floors. The upper levels are arranged by material, with specialist galleries devoted to everything from musical instruments to stained glass. In the textile collection, where you can try on kimonos and tweed jackets, long cabinets contain swatches of thousands of different fabrics. Two exceptions to the materially themed galleries are the Leighton Gallery, with a fresco by the essential Victorian painter, and the sprawling 20th-Century collections, a trippy highlight. Here, arranged by period and style, are illustration and design classics from Salvador Dalí’s 1936 sofa modeled on Mae West’s lips to a pair of 1990s latex hotpants.
Henry Cole Wing. The six-level Henry Cole wing is home to the V&A’s collection of British paintings, including some 350 works by Constable and numerous Turners. Also here is a display of Rodin bronzes, donated by the artist in 1914. In the library-like print room, anyone can ask to see original works from the prodigious collection. (Print room open Tu-Sa 10am-5pm.)
Science Museum. Dedicated to the Victorian ideal of progress, the Science Museum focuses on the transformative power of technology in all its guises. There’s something for everyone in this mix of state-of-the-art interactive displays and priceless historical artifacts. The gigantic Making of the Modern World entrance hall houses a collection of pioneering contraptions, including the Apollo 10 command module. To continue indulging your inner inventor, head down to the basement for the Secret Life of the Home, showcasing 100 years of household gadgets, including Sir Thomas Crapper’s famed “valveless waste preventer” and a 1970s VCR the size of a large microwave. Then head to the newer Welcome Wing at the back, six stories of beeping, buzzing, futuristic diversions. It begins with the basement Launch Pad, a hands-on introduction to do-it-yourself science—communicate across the room using giant sound dishes, try building an arch, or solve the “hangover problem.” The first floor offers “Who am I?,” a series of (potentially demoralizing) games and tests that lets you figure out how smart, attractive, successful, and happy you are. The third-floor Flight Gallery tells the story of air travel from Victorian attempts at steam-powered flight to modern jumbo jets, assisted by a supporting cast of dozens of airplanes and the interactive Flight Lab. Children will love the Exploring Space exhibit on the ground floor. Science and Art of Medicine, on the top floor, chronicles in impressive detail the history of medicine in its modern and cross-cultural incarnations. Alternatively, forsake modern medicine and take a SimEx simulator ride through Dino Island. (Exhibition Rd. South Kensington. ☎08708 704 868, IMAX 08708 704 771; www.sciencemuseum.org.uk. Open daily 10am-6pm; closed Dec. 24-26. Wheelchair-accessible. Free. Audio tours: “Soundbytes” cover Power, Space, and Making the Modern World; £3.50 each. IMAX shows usually daily every 1hr., 10:45am-5pm; £7.50, concessions £6. Call to confirm showtimes and for bookings. Online booking available. Daily demonstrations and workshops in the basement galleries and theatre. SimEx £4, concessions £3. MC/V.)
Natural History Museum. Architecturally the most impressive of the South Kensington trio, this cathedral-like Romanesque museum has been a favorite with Londoners since 1880. The entrance hall is dedicated to the Wonders of the Natural History Museum, a series of prehistorically important skeletons including a Diplodocus and a moa (a giant, flightless bird once native to New Zealand, extinct since the early 16th century). The Dinosaur Galleries will not disappoint the Jurassic Park generation: the animatronic T-rex is so popular that he’s secured an exhibit entirely for himself. Don’t miss the spine-chilling fun of Creepy Crawlies, with vomiting fly models right alongside a live webcast of the museum’s ant colony.
The enormous Human Biology exhibit keeps adults and children busy with an endless succession of interactive and high-tech displays, not to mention an extremely detailed reproduction gallery. The adjacent stuffed and mounted bird, reptile, and mammal exhibits are decidedly less engaging, but the massive blue whale suspended from the ceiling is an uncontested crowd favorite. The Origin of Species display on the first floor offers a detailed explanation of evolution, from Darwin’s finches to genetic engineering.
Less comprehensive but a bit more dynamic, the Earth Galleries are reached via a long escalator that journeys through the center of a model Earth on its way to The Power Within, an exposition of the awesome volcanic and tectonic forces beneath our planet’s surface. A walk-through model of a Japanese supermarket provides a recreation of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, and, on the same floor, Restless Surface explores the gentler action of wind and water in reshaping the world. The history of the Earth itself, from the Big Bang to the ways humans have shaped the environment, is the subject of From the Beginning, located on the first floor. The Earth’s Treasury presents an enormous array of minerals, from sandstone to diamonds. (Cromwell Rd. South Kensington. ☎7942 5000; www.nhm.ac.uk. Open daily 10am-5:50pm; last admission 5:30pm. Closed Dec. 24-26. Wheelchair-accessible. Free; special exhibits usually £7, concessions £4.50. MC/V.)
Serpentine Gallery. This tiny 1934 tea pavilion in the middle of Kensington Gardens is the unlikely venue for some of London’s top contemporary art shows. Summer nights in the park also include architecture talks, live readings, and open-air film screenings. (Off West Carriage Dr., Kensington Gardens South Kensington or Lancaster Gate. ☎7402 6075; www.serpentinegallery.org. Open daily 10am-6pm. Wheelchair-accessible. Free.)
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