Some things to do today

Christmas is a magical time to celebrate together at the Royal Albert Hall – the home of Christmas in London. With a full line-up of solo stars, sing-along carols, traditional concerts and a classic ballet, there’s something for everyone at the Hall this festive season.

Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, Martin Scorsese’s epic saga follows Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a union official with connection to the mafia, and who allegedly murdered his friend and controversial union leader, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), at the behest of the Bufalino crime family.

Festive music fills the Grand Entrance this Christmas season. Special recitals are taking place almost daily, performed by friends and favourite choirs from London's choral scene. You can catch them during the day and special evenings!

This spectacular Christmas tree installation invites you to take a moment of peaceful reflection during an otherwise busy Christmas period. 'Freedom' is a contemporary reimagining of the Christmas tree which evokes tranquillity and joy and is the centrepiece of the this year's bicentenary celebrations, which marked the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s births. Each of the 200 ornately folded origami birds represents a year of the bicentenary.

Professional road-racing cyclists are among the fastest humans on the planet. But what does it take to propel them to such speeds? The discussion will explore the rigours that the human body endures to withstand the punishing World Tour season, examining the physiology, biomechanics and nutritional needs of elite riders.

Father Christmas once again returns to his secret London headquarters at the Royal Albert Hall. In this theatrical walk-around event, children will encounter a range of magical North Pole characters in various spaces of the Hall on their way to meet Father Christmas himself.

The Luna Cinema, the UK’s leading producer of open air and pop up film screenings, is back with its festive cinema, The Luna Winter Cinema, offering audiences the chance to enjoy classic festive films on the big screen.

In the centenary year of the Bauhaus, this exhibition by the MA Curating Contemporary Design examines the role of the Architectural Association (AA) in breaking with the Modernist tradition and redefining architectural practice and education.

Find out how the car has developed the world around us. Learn about innovations transforming the future of driving, tapping onto both art and technology.

Explore the contrasting worlds of Japan’s urban future and rural traditions in WOW’s new digital art installation, a multidisciplinary new media visual design studio from Tokyo and Sendai in Japan creating experiences through art, product design, branding and prototyping.

What do we talk about when we talk about Japanese food? This display traces the history and origins of food from Japan and attempts to tease apart some elements of the culinary culture embedded in the daily lives of the Japanese people.

For their newly commissioned exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries, Patrick Staff presents their most ambitious work to date: On Venus is a site-specific installation exploring structural violence, registers of harm and the corrosive effects of acid, blood and hormones through architectural intervention, video and print.

Utilising various media, including video, the internet, interactive technologies, photography, drawing, painting and watercolour, Suzanne Treister explores emerging technologies, alternative belief systems and potential human futures through a newly commissioned book and web-based augmented reality work.

Jenna Sutela is a Finnish-born, Berlin-based artist who works with words, sounds and other living materials to create experimental installations and performances that bring together biology, technology and cosmology.

Trace the remarkable story of steam and how it shaped the world we live in today. Steam has been the driving force behind British industry for 300 years. Without it, the Industrial Revolution could never have happened. Even now, steam provides 75% of the electricity we use every day.

Fly Kids is a pay-as-you-go flight simulator that lets your child experience the sights and sounds of flying with the Red Arrows during one of their aerobatic displays.

Sound artist, Yuri Suzuki, showcases past works and new interactive pieces that demonstrate his creative practice, exploring how we navigate and connect to the surrounding world through sound, and how new technologies can be made more relatable through novel implementations of sound design.

Embrace the Christmas spirit as Winter Wonderland returns to London's Hyde Park. This free-to-enter family event is one of the best things to do in London at Christmas. Featuring a huge selection of festive entertainment and activities, from ice skating and circus shows to a Christmas market and live music.

Solve clues as you travel across the lands and sail the seas in this fun, interactive, storytelling. Help bring Penny the Parrot back to safety! Ages 6 and under.

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll get to create your very own scytale cypher and put your codebreaking skills to the test.

Join in this interactive science show where you will explore the wonders of sending messages, breaking codes and keeping secrets. Suitable for 6+

Embark on a journey around Earth as seen by astronauts on board the International Space Station, in a real-time Ultra High Definition video reconstructed from time-lapse photography sourced from NASA archives. Drop-in.

Set against the backdrop of the Waterhouse building, the Ice Rink at the Natural History Museum is one of the most magical places to be this winter. Experience the thrill of skating surrounded by fairy lights nestled in frost-covered trees, with the smell of mulled wine in the air.

The fifty-fifth Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will immerse you in the breathtaking diversity of the natural world. Encounter the beauty and fragility of wildlife, see fascinating animal behaviour and get to know extraordinary species, exhibited on 100 stunning lightbox displays.

Discover how London grew from a lively capital city to a global hub for trade, commerce, and scientific enquiry between 1550 - 1800. This new free gallery spanning over 650 m² takes visitors on a journey through the metropolis during a time of momentous change.

Whether seeking guidance across a broad area, or niche support on topics such as, audience development, forging new revenue streams, organising private hire events, and collections management, there’s a plethora of subjects to choose from. Led by expert staff, learn and share best practice with colleagues from fellow UK and international cultural organisations.

Imperial College is offering a new and expanded range of evening and daytime adult education classes from October. There are classes in a range of modern languages, new courses in philosophy, psycho-therapy, African art, opera and classic music, and design history and more.

Whether we travel for work or pleasure, air travel has become an integral part of our lives. However, our consumption habits mean that we are leaving behind great trails of waste every time we fly.

The Design Museum was the world’s first museum devoted to contemporary design. Through archival material on display, revisit the birth of the institution thirty years ago.

A series of striking photographs of science in action will go on display at the Science Museum as part of the Royal Photographic Society’s inaugural Science Photographer of the Year competition. The exhibition showcases extraordinary, breathtaking images of science in action.

Explore the history of Hyde Park through the decades, including the notorious criminals that met their untimely end at the Tyburn Tree, the inception of Speakers' Corner and the park's instrumental role during WW1. Experience the magic of Hyde Park as you visit the Serpentine, where Peter Pan had his first adventure in JM Barrie's novel Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Finally, finish with an exclusive visit to our Victoria Pet Cemetery, the first public Pet Cemetery in Britain, where over 1,000 pets have been buried. Monthly walking tours let you experience the Royal Parks from a whole new perspective.

A free scavenger hunt game for your mobile phone that takes you on an adventure through one of London’s most popular parks. Move at your own pace between the park’s most interesting sights uncovering photo challenges, amazing facts and games for all ages to enjoy.

Albert Oehlen is one of the most innovative and significant artists working today. He has been a key figure in contemporary art since the 1980s. Through expressionist brushwork and surrealist gestures, he engages with the history of painting, pushing its essential components to bold new extremes.

Discover the magic of Hyde Park in the palm of your hand! A free scavenger hunt game using mobile phones that takes you on an adventure through one of London's most popular parks.

Join this architectural tour by one the V&A's fantasticeVolunteer Guides, who will take you through the history of the building, in a tour that focuses on the setting for the collections, rather than the collections themselves.

The Library at Japan House offers a new approach to appreciate and engage with books, by displaying books in a particular way, and through bookshelf exhibitions curated by HABA Yoshitaka of BACH, a book specialist in Japan.

Come face-to-face with a full-size engineering model of BepiColombo, the European Space Agency’s first ever spacecraft to explore Mercury. Standing over six metres tall, this Structural Thermal Model (STM) of the spacecraft was used to test BepiColombo’s resilience during its seven-year journey to Mercury.

Swim alongside some of the most exotic creatures on the planet, from the bizarre Rainbow Nudibranch to the Giant Pacific Octopus. Narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Deep Sea 3D transports you below the ocean surface on a unique underwater adventure.

The Art of Innovation explores the relationship between science and art over the past 250 years, and how it has helped to interpret, study and explore the world around us.

Discover the most innovative designs across fashion, architecture, digital, transport, product and graphic design from the past 12 months, as nominated by the public and design experts from around the world.

Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. The 6 metre model will be at the Museum in time for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, accompanied by an exciting programme of events for space enthusiasts of all ages.

Discover the story of Princess Victoria, the young girl destined to be queen, in the rooms where she was born and raised at Kensington Palace. This new permanent exhibition will explore how an indulged young princess blossomed into the independent and iconic monarch we remember.

Explore Queen Victoria’s private life behind her carefully-managed public image in Victoria: Woman and Crown. The new display, created to mark the 200th anniversary of Victoria's birth, will re-examine how she balanced her role as a wife and mother with that of Queen of an expanding empire.

In this workshop, pupils work in small teams to design and build a LEGO Martian rover. They then code, test and evaluate their designs. After receiving missions from scientists, they will have to decide what their rover should investigate and build appropriate tools for the challenge. In a final challenge, pupils will see how their rovers perform on a large-scale realistic Martian surface.

Discover the remarkable world of codebreaking, ciphers and secret communications in our upcoming must-see, free exhibition. Explore over a century’s worth of communications intelligence through hand-written documents, declassified files and previously unseen artefacts.

For decades, autonomous vehicles have been heralded as a new technology that could change the way we live our lives. Driverless: Who is in control? opening on 12 June 2019 at the Science Museum will explore how close we are to living in a world driven by thinking machines.

The new Photography Centre opens at the V&A with 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.

Step into a full-scale Mars home, immerse yourself in the untouched beauty of the landscape and learn how rethinking daily life for a zero-waste, clean energy-powered civilisation might help future generations on Earth. Featuring immersive environments & original objects from NASA, ESA & SpaceX.

IKEA and the Design Museum present the Last Straw, an installation featuring the last ever single-use plastic straw IKEA will serve or sell in any store in the UK and Ireland.

Land Rover and the Design Museum present Material Innovation, an installation commemorating 70 years of the Land Rover brand. The atrium seats have been re-upholstered with original materials used in Land Rover vehicles from 1948 to 2018.

Fuel your adrenaline and feel what it's like to fly a low level mission in the RAF's latest Typhoon jet. Our new simulator takes you on an action-packed flight, demonstrating the aircraft's manoeuvrability through the beautiful landscapes of North Wales and the Lake District.

From dinosaurs to mammals, explore the amazing diversity of life on Earth. Follow our planet's evolution and walk beneath a 25.2-metre blue whale skeleton. Take a journey through our spectacular Earth sculpture and find out about the tremendous forces that shape our planet. See scientists at work in the Darwin Centre and enjoy the tranquil habitats of our Wildlife Garden.

On 24 May 1819, Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace. To mark the bicentenary of this historic event, Historic Royal Palaces announces a major new exhibition at Kensington Palace in 2019, alongside a re-presentation of the rooms the young Victoria called home..

Imperial College run a range of daytime and evening classes in languages, the arts and humanities, and science subjects. Classes start in mid-October, with Evening classes meeting from 18:00 to 20:00 and Lunchtime Learning courses meet during lunch hours. Enrollment begins 1st August

As we approach another major turning point in automotive design, this exhibition looks at the role of the car in shaping the world we live in today.

Take a backstage look at the creative process of one of the world's most inventive photographers through his photographs, films, photographic sets, and special installations – including a new series of photographs influenced by the V&A's collections.

The monumental porcelain sculpture '399 Days' by contemporary British artist Rachel Kneebone will be displayed amongst the V&A's Medieval and Renaissance collection, highlighting the sculptors' shared interest in capturing highly emotive states.

From miniskirts and hot pants to vibrant tights and makeup, discover how Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street, with over 200 garments and accessories, including unseen pieces from the designer's personal archive.

A new app from the Museum which encourages kids and their favourite grown-ups to head outdoors and learn fun facts about UK wildlife. Grab your phone or tablet to explore the nature on your doorstep.

Help to explode some rocket-fuelled bubbles, melt some marshmallows, and learn all about the challenges of space in this free interactive family show. This show is suitable for children aged 5 and above.

Pick up a family trail activity from the trail stand in White Court for a fun way to spend the day at Kensington Palace with children aged 5-11 years.

Artist Lee Ufan brings new public sculpture to Kensington Gardens. Comprised of two, angled, mirrored, steel sheets and two different-sized stones, Relatum – Stage will merge the natural and industrial in an installation that reflects the surrounding environment of the Park.

How do today’s scientific discoveries shape tomorrow’s world? Get the scoop on the most surprising science stories and the biggest breakthroughs in the Tomorrow's World gallery.

Get out and about this summer with the Mayor’s new London Curriculum Family Explorer Trails which includes the 'Creative Quarter' in South Kensington. Taking you on a circular trail starting at the V&A, up Exhibition Road and through the Royal Parks.

Cool off at the ice-cream and milkshake bar. Indulge your sweet tooth with sundaes and milkshakes or design your own ice cream tubs. Find the Shake Bar right outside Wonderlab.

V&A Secret Seekers is a new mobile game for families, launched to coincide with the opening of the V&A's Exhibition Road Quarter. Let eight characters from the V&A's history guide you on an exciting treasure hunt to uncover some of the secrets of the Museum.

The beautiful Sunken Garden was planted in 1908, transforming part of the gardens previously occupied by potting sheds into a tranquil ornamental garden. Today, the garden continues the tradition of rotational flower displays in the spring and summer.

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.

Hyde Park has a fleet of rowing and pedal boats on the Serpentine and the UK's first Solarshuttle, a magnificent vessel which glides across the lake powered only by the sun. The Solarshuttle carries up to 40 passengers and the pedal and row boats hold up to 6 persons each.

Download the free Time Explorers app and try the new Digital Mission at Kensington Palace for children and their families.

The trail will include creative looking, thinking and drawing activities as you explore the museum and exhibitions. The trail asks the user to consider what it's like to be a designer, maker and user of some of the wonderful objects in the collection. Takes 30 - 40 minutes.

A drop-in workshop for families inspired by the museum and the exhibitions. Free but bookable, these informal sessions focus on design and making activities for children aged 5–11. Last Sunday of every month.

Explore the different time periods dinosaurs lived, sort the facts from the myths about why they died out, and find out what our scientific research has taught us about these prehistoric giants.

Are you big on museums, but short on time? NHM's knowledgeable visitor assistants have designed just the dinosaurs tour for you. It will introduce you to some of the Museum's most famous and imposing specimens. One hour

The V&A have recreated Queen Victoria’s afternoon tea. Served in the historic Morris Room, the menu includes sweet & savoury delicacies from the Victorian period such as Mrs Beeton’s cucumber sandwiches, Indian ham sandwiches and fruit sconelets, served with tea of your choice.

As the European Space Agency's first British astronaut, Tim Peake spent six incredible months aboard the International Space Station. Using VR technology, get a 360° look inside a Soyuz capsule and retrace Tim's 400km journey back to Earth from the ISS.

The Serpentine Sackler Gallery & adjoining Magazine Restaurant, opened in 2013, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The Serpentine is now two contemporary art galleries in the heart of the Royal Park of Kensington Gardens in central London.

City of Towers is an installation presenting research into a new concept for the design and construction of high-rise buildings. City of Towers explores the concept of the tower through the lens of Parametricism – an architectural style created by the use of 3D software that renders shapes and forms using complex mathematical formulas. These 3D printed studies are sculptural in quality, precise in their creation, and sometimes appear to imitate natural forms.

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.

Based on the Apollo lunar landings, this film's exceptional 3D computer animation will fly you to the moon, where you can experience the sights and sounds of an Apollo expedition.

Revealing the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, this unmissable experience will ignite your curiosity, fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways.

Spanning five centuries, the Fashion collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dresses in the world.

Take a self-guided tour and explore how London’s quarter for the arts and sciences was created. Discover more about it's great institutions and magnificent buildings.

The Garden is an exciting interactive space, created especially for children aged 3–6 and their parents and carers in the basement of the Museum.

A suggested route where you can enjoy a ride through some of London's hidden gardens and get a glimpse of some of the Parks including Hyde Park along your way.

Meander from Clerkenwell, through our Museum quarter and through historic Hyde Park. Here is a suggested route from TfL and Santander Cyles.

Why not hop on a Santander bike and explore South Kensington - take a ride through the Parks, pass Kensington Palace, around the Serpentine and arrive at the Museums.

Afternoon Tea includes finger sandwiches, musically-themed sweet treats, homemade scones and a pot of fine tea, provided by the East India Company.

From babies to teens, RCM Sparks run a variety of inspiring events for a range of abilities, including family workshops, concerts and courses

One of the finest collections of jewelry in the world - over 3,500 jewels, including pendants given by Queen Elizabeth I.

Set design, costumes, make-up, posters - and the first folio of Shakespeare's play.

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.

Get closer to the Museum and its incredible collections with our wide range of free or paid-for bespoke tours.

Pattern Pod is an amazing multi-sensory area for children under 8 years old. Fun, interactive exhibits encourage them to recognise and copy patterns.

With stunning high definition 3D vision and flight simulator motion technology, you can see and feel for yourself what it’s like in the cockpit of a Red Arrow.

The Information Age gallery celebrates more than 200 years of innovation in information and communication technologies. Relive some remarkable moments of history.

Explore how we’ve sent spacecraft to other planets, walked on the Moon and peered into the heart of our galaxy and beyond.

Find out if you’ve got the problem-solving, big-thinking, team-working skills to be a globe-trotting engineer of tomorrow.

Guided tours offer the inside story of the Royal Albert Hall, taking you on a fascinating journey through its unique history, incredible architecture and legendary performances.

Through dramatic film footage, exhibits, interactive games and our famous earthquake simulator, explore how the powers within shape the world in which we live.

Meet your ancient relatives, trace the origins and evolution of our species, and explore what makes us human.

Inside the Cocoon see hundreds of Museum specimens. Marvel at beetles and butterflies, metre-high plants, huge tarantulas and historic herbaria.

Join expert science educators for a behind the scenes look at the Museum's fascinating zoology spirit collection.

Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Come and explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence Museum scientists use in their daily work.

Explore the rich diversity of mammals, from polar bears to pygmy shrews in the Mammals gallery. -

Swim, stroll, play, eat, relax, row - some top tips of things to do in Hyde Park from Buzzfeed.

Home to the royal family for centuries and the birthplace of Queen Victoria, it is an exquisite palace with acres of manicured gardens.

There's lots for families to see and do especially in the holidays, as well as enjoying a family-friendly café and shop. Kids go free!

Explore Queen Caroline's Temple which is a classical style summer house overlooking the Long Water, east of Lancaster Walk, Hyde Park.

Explore and adventure in the playground with a huge wooden pirate ship which is the centrepiece of the Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground.

Tree-lined avenues and flower beds provide a stunning back drop to Kensington Palace.

Showcasing the best of foreign film - it screens a mix of French, European and Global films - with subtitles.

Ciné Kids screenings cater to children aged 4 and over – and their families – so they can discover the best animated films. In English, French or French with subtitles. Including Despicable Me and Paddington.

The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk takes visitors through four of the most beautiful parks in the world, including Hyde Park and Kensington Palace.

A unique fountain memorial to Princess Diana designed to reflect her spirit of life and love of children.