London's Museum Neighbourhood
London’s Museum Neighbourhood is located in the Kensington District and is where you’ll find some of the world’s greatest museums, including the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victorian & Albert Museum. A visit to London’s museum neighbourhood is a great way to spend a rainy day in the Capital, and many of the museums offer special child-friendly exhibits that are perfect for kids!
natural history museum:
The Natural History Museum is one of the most popular tourist sites in the capital attracting millions of visitors each year. The museum is absolutely enormous – so big in fact, that you could easily spend a 2 or 3 days here and still not see everything! (But 2-3 hours is normally enough time to cover the major parts.)
Skeleton of a Blue Whale at The Natural History Museum. Photo by Paul Hudson
The museum has one of the most impressive dinosaur collections in the world. You’ll see amazing skeletons (like the one pictured above) as well as important fossils from the Jurassic period. There’s a huge Dinosaur Hall which includes a 3,500-million-year-old fossil which is the earliest life on Earth. And there’s also a moving model of a T-Rex dinosaur!
Natural History Museum – the Earth’s Core. Photo by Chi Bellami
Go up the escalator and enter into the core of the earth! This amazing model represents the earths core, and you’ll see precious stones and glistening gems as you enter into a whole world exploring early life, volcanoes, earthquake and more! A highlight of this part of the museum is the earthquake simulator, where you get to feel what its like to experience an earthquake.
And that’s just a small taste of the Natural History Museum – there’s so much more to see. One of our favourite attractions in London, the museum is open every day of the week, and entrance is free of charge! Located in London’s museum neighbourhood, you’ll find it at Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
the science museum:
The Science Museum is the perfect place for those who love discovery and innovation. Spread out over 5 floors, you’ll find loads of exhibitions exploring technology, transport, space, genetics and even an interactive games area – perfect for the kids!
Apollo 10 Capsule. Image by Matt Brown
The Space Gallery at the Science Museum is spectacular. Highlights include the Apollo 10 Capsule (pictured above), a Saturn V rocket, and Sputnik, the first satellite sent into orbit. Make sure to also visit the Modern World Gallery, where you’ll find unique objects like the Model T Ford, a Lockheed Electra airplane and even a giant model of a human DNA.
The Science museum is open every day and entrance is free of charge. You’ll find it next to the Natural History Museum in London’s museum district.
victoria & Albert Museum:
V&A Sculpture Gallery. Photo by Mike Clegg
The Victoria & Albert Museum is the word leading museum of art and design located in the heart of London’s museum district. The museum is enormous, with a collection of over 2 million objects spanning fashion, architecture, photography, jewelry, textiles, painting, sculpture and product design – yet another London museum which you easily spend several days exploring!
Outside of the V&A. Picture by Franklin Heijnen
It’s kind of hard to sum up such an enormous museum, and each visit will be different depending on what you are interested in. There’s an incredible sculpture gallery (pictured above) where you’ll find Michaelangelo’s David, a paintings gallery with works by Botticelli, Constable and Turner, a Fashion in Motion gallery showcasing some of the greatest designers of our time like Alexander McQueen, Missoni, & Yamamoto and fascinating exhibitions from China, India and the Middle East.
The V&A is open every day and entrance is free of charge! You’ll find it in on Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL (It’s next to the Natural History Museum).
Kensington Palace:
Kensington Palace Gardens
This royal palace is where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live, along with other members of the British Royal Family. Part of Kensington Palace is open to the public, including the Kings Gallery, where you’ll find some of the finest paintings of the Royal collection. There’s also an amazing exhibition that showcases the dresses worn by Princess Diana (tickets for the exhibition have to be booked in advance.)
Kensington Palace is located right on the edge of London’s Museum Neighbourhood inside Kensington Gardens. This enormous green space is one of London’s most popular parks
