If you want to spend your lunchtime learning new things, waking up your mind or getting inspired, there's plenty to do in South Kensington. Take a walk through Hyde Park, learn from exhibitions at the Natural History Museum or Science Museum, or wander through galleries at the V&A, Design Museum or Serpentine Galleries.
Explore 22 objects spanning 4.5 billion years of the Earth's history in this collection of some of the museum's most extraordinary specimens.. Each exhibit tells a remarkable story and has been chosen for its scientific, historical and cultural importance.
Take a peek inside London's most iconic music venue. Did you know that the Royal Albert Hall once hosted a séance; flooded the auditorium with 56,000 litres of water for an opera concert; and that criminals, as well as musicians and politicians, have graced the Hall’s stage?
Showcasing extraordinary medical artefacts including the world’s first MRI scanner, Fleming’s penicillin mould, a professional pianist’s prosthetic arm and even robotic surgery equipment.
Take a look at the regularly-changing exhibitions, displays and residences in the two Serpentine galleries, Serpentine South Gallery and Serpentine North Gallery on either side of the river in the centre of Hyde Park.
The Photography Centre at the V&A houses over 600 spellbinding photos including some of the oldest known photographs to modern masters. The Museum began acquiring photographs in 1852, and its collection is now one of the largest and most important in the world.
Designer Maker User, the Design Museum's only permanent exhibition, features almost 1000 items of twentieth and twenty-first century design viewed through the angles of the designer, manufacturer and user, including a crowdsourced wall.
The Italian Gardens is a 150-year-old ornamental water garden located on the north side of Kensington Gardens near Lancaster Gate. It is believed to have been created as a gift from Prince Albert to his beloved Queen Victoria.
Walk beneath the largest animal on Earth and explore dozens of other exhibits representing 4.5 billion years of natural history in the gateway to the museum's collections and galleries.
Chart 250 years of science and technology and discover some of the most iconic items that have shaped our society. The Making the Modern World gallery presents some of the Museum’s most remarkable objects.
Explore the science of who you are through intriguing objects, provocative artworks and hands-on exhibits. Discover what your voice sounds like as a member of the opposite sex, morph your face to see what you’ll look like as you age, or collect DNA to catch a criminal.
The V&A's glass collection is one of the largest and the most comprehensive in the world, showcasing the development of design and technology in glass-making over 3,500 years. Find the exhibition in rooms 131, 129 and 83-84.
Mathematics is too often perceived as dry and complex, but this new gallery will tell stories that place the subject at the heart of our lives, exploring how mathematicians, their tools and ideas have helped to shape the modern world.
The Blyth Gallery, curated by Mindy Lee, is an artist-run space for creative exploration of ambitious visual projects. Exhibitions include Imperial College students and staff shows, exhibitions of postgraduate Fine Art student work and work by visiting professional artists.
Get closer to the Museum and its incredible collections with our wide range of free or paid-for bespoke tours.
Located in Kensington Gardens, it is one of London's most ornate ornaments. Unveiled in 1872, The Albert Memorial commemorates the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, who died of typhoid fever at the age of 42. Public tours are available.
The Victoria and Albert Museum's Asian collections include objects from East Asia, South and South-East Asia, and the Middle East. They are rich in a broad range of artistic media and illustrate many different aspects of religious, courtly and everyday life.
Spanning five centuries, the Fashion collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dresses in the world.
The collections from South and South-East Asia comprise nearly 60,000 objects, including about 10,000 textiles and 6,000 paintings covering the Indian subcontinent south of the Himalayas. Find the collection on rooms 41 and 47b.
A range of cafes, restaurants and kiosks offering everything from ice creams, sandwiches to three course meals.
Showcasing over 1100 objects from the V&A’s collections of 17th- and 18th-century European art and design in a suite of seven galleries.
A unique fountain memorial to Princess Diana designed to reflect her spirit of life and love of children.
The Royal Geographical Society Pavilion has a constantly changing programme of displays that include exhibitions created by external organisations, broadly linked to geographical themes and also by selected sponsors of the Society.
Fun, free things to do in a park, on the street, or anywhere outdoors.
Immerse yourself in this hands-on gaming zone, featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past 50 years. From Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your family at Mario Kart.
