A mini guide to
The V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum
1 / 10Welcome to the neighborhood
South Kensington is London's museum quarter, home to the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, all free to enter (general admission; some exhibitions are ticketed). The Royal Albert Hall and Imperial College are a short walk away.
It is an easy area to combine with Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and a good base for families.
Highlights
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Dinosaur skeletons, a blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall and vast mineral and specimen collections, inside a Romanesque terracotta building on Cromwell Road.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
Directions Website Report a problem with Natural History Museum
Historic clocks, watches and chronometers from the Clockmakers' Company, displayed inside the Science Museum.
Directions Website Report a problem with The Clockmakers' Museum
Hands-on galleries on space, flight, medicine and computing, on Exhibition Road. General entry is free.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
A huge collection of art and design, from fashion and jewelry to sculpture and ceramics, on Cromwell Road.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
Directions Website Report a problem with Victoria and Albert Museum
A Scouting hostel and conference center on Queen's Gate, named after the founder of the Scout movement.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
The round, red-brick concert hall with a glass dome and terracotta frieze, home to the summer Proms.
According to OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the venue before you go.
Find your way
The map shows South Kensington & the Museums and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists the nearest stations and how to reach the area.
Insider tips
The permanent collections of the main museums are free, though special exhibitions need tickets.
Arrive at opening time to beat school groups.
You cannot see everything in one day, so choose two museums and enjoy them.
Check the V&A and Science Museum websites for late openings and evening events.
Tips from the Britlens editors
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