Art museums aren't generally my highest interest, so it took me several visits to London to make it…read morehere. This collection is fascinating for its variety and depth. The explanations provided are insightful without being dense. I can't help but think how many great churches in Italy must be missing their beautiful medieval altars...because they're here. Great Rodin sculptures. A Japan collection that is deep and very well explained. Some truly amazing tapestries, and even a couple entire grand English rooms that were moved here entirely. The building it's all housed in is wonderful as well, take a break in the central courtyard. Supposedly it has air conditioning but other than the English section, it felt warm on a day that was 80F. They were preparing for a hot week with upper gallery closures.

This is kind of a placeholder review until I go back to London and give the Victoria and Albert…read moreMuseum a proper visit. I went for the first time with my family last month, for a quick peek after an afternoon at the Natural History Museum. We didn't think our kids would be as interested in the V & A, but we had time to kill before dinner, and entry was free. Truly incredible that all these iconic museums are free and open to the public. Makes them easy to enjoy, even for fifteen minutes. Which is about all the time we got at the V & A, as we arrived at 5:15. The exhibits started closing while we studied the map, deciding what we might like to see. By the time we got to the Japanese lacquer display, which was close enough to the lobby I thought we might be able to take a peek, we were no longer allowed entry. Even the gift shop was wrapping up for the day. We were able to walk in and do a speed lap, but wouldn't have had time to shop in earnest. We did get to admire the building and the grand entry hall, with its domed ceiling and enormous Chihuly chandelier. But all the treasures within were out of reach, at least this time around. I found myself wishing I'd had a day to explore the collection, as well as the ticketed Schiaparelli and contemporary Asian art exhibits. The V & A is a top priority next time I'm in London.

We were in London during a heat wave and decided a museum day was in order, to entertain our…read morechildren away from the scorching sun. We settled on the Natural History Museum, and by the time we realized it would provide but faint relief, it was too late to go somewhere else. The Natural History Museum is one of London's spectacular free museums, a beautiful building on Exhibition Road in South Kensington. We were not, apparently, the only family who decided to visit on this hot Thursday afternoon in July, and we ended up waiting in a long, slow line, completely exposed to the sun. They might have put up some umbrellas, but I guess the weather was atypical. Once we were in, we learned that the museum is an old, historic building without much in the way of air conditioning. It was crowded and steamy in there, though still preferable to being outside. There were also a few newer exhibition halls that had proper AC. Thankfully, my three-year-old has a lifelong fascination with fans, and there were dozens of these on display, giant machines designed to ventilate large spaces. He was, in fact, more into these than he was into the dinosaurs, which scared the bejeezus out of him. The museum was definitely top tier, with tons of interesting exhibits to entertain both children and adults. We entered right into Hintze Hall, where a full blue whale skeleton hung suspended over our heads. We also admired a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite, dating back to the beginning of our solar system. The dinosaur hall was excellent, even if the animatronic T-rex made my little boy cry. We fell prey to one of the photo op stops, and I definitely paid for the downloads like a sucker--what, was I not gonna own the silly green screen pictures of my family among dinosaurs, and more importantly, looking at a camera at the same time? The mammal hall was cool, though I have to say, I missed the grand diorama displays of the mammal halls I've seen back home. We went into a newer exhibit on how to fix our broken planet, mostly for the air conditioning. My kids were less into the conservation stuff than the dinosaurs and fans, but I thought it was quite well done. I actually stopped buying beef treats for my dog as a result of one of the placards, which talked about the impact on the planet of using beef for pet food. We went to two gift shops, the one by the dinosaur hall and the main one near the entrance, and both were quite nice, with lots to look at for our kids. We allowed them to buy stuffies, and our three-year-old bought a tiny dodo and a tiny ankylosaurus (on theme, good job), while our six-year-old bought a flamingo to add to his flamingo collection. If there was a flamingo display at the museum, we missed it, though I suppose I wouldn't be surprised. I can tell by looking at the map now that we missed plenty. We spent a little time in the cafe, for fans and beverages, and I realized as we were leaving that I'd left my sunglasses there over an hour earlier. I was pleasantly surprised to find it at the register waiting for me. We take the kids to natural history museums at home, and I have no doubt we'd make good use of this one if we were raising them nearby. It's a wonderful place, expansive and educational, a truly amazing free resource to anyone spending time in London.

Lots of bones! Plenty of old stuff! Great turn-of-the-century over-the-top ornate architecture!…read morePlan on an hour unless you're hardcore. Ride the escalator into the middle of the earth to find out what music is playing inside. See extraordinary taxidermy handiwork. Even see a fake dodo bird thought to be an adjacent species that didn't exist. And if you like dinosaurs this is your Mecca. Just don't dare sit anywhere like on some stairs in the corner or some overzealous guard will kick you right out. But otherwise you'll have a great time. Also enjoy the outside grounds for a stroll, and hit up the West entrance for zero lines while the hoards line up on the other side.

I went to see the exhibition of Churchill paintings. It was absolutely stunning! It was well…read morecurated, and the audio guide really gave you a sense of importance of painting in his life. I walked through the rest of the collection, which is almost overwhelming. There is a lot to see there. You really do need to use the audio guide, because there is so much art in a small space. I also appreciated the staff. They were helpful, without being intrusive. One of the things I enjoy the most was that people there were truly interested in art. They stopped and looked. Unlike the crowd at the National Gallery, which just went up to a painting, took a photo, and left without ever even looking at it.

Wonderful collection of European paintings and decorative objects. Whole gallery were well…read moredisplayed and easy to navigate. The best part of the collection was, to my taste, European weapons/armory on the first floor. This section is huge and ranging from Middle Ages to late 18th century. The gun selection is exquisite. If you are studying armory, this is a place to visit. Admission is free and accessible. You can easily spend two to three hours wondering and enjoy the atmosphere. Staff are helpful and willing to help. There is a restaurant/cafe to refresh after long day of sightseeing.

I visited Leighton House Museum today, after paying £14, I found the museum very limited, with not…read moreenough art objects to compromise the fee while we have much more interesting museums and galleries in London which is free to visit. At this point I am not recommending this place and visit other free galleries first.

Gorgeously eclectic home of a great painter. Artistically designed with stunning blue tile walls…read moreleading to the "Arab Hall" which is literally fantastic! The house is beautiful and so is the art, and it's interesting to imagine how Leighton lived. If you like architecture and design, this house is a rare treat.

I was really impressed with the Design Museum. They have a great display of the works of Simone…read moreBrewster - I wasn't aware of her previously, and this display was a great way to get a look at her art and how the work she does using different media is a varied yet cohesive body of work. I also really appreciated a display called Mineral, which showcased the work of 4 artists exploring the history and properties of certain minerals of the UK. I realize this might sound boring but I found it fascinating. There is also a huge display about product design including a wall of things that regular people had suggested as good design. Which is really important, because there are a lot of things that probably look good to the person designing it but might not be so usable in real life. There are also some ticketed exhibits. My husband went to the Wes Anderson exhibit. He really liked it. I was busy looking at the (free) exhibits instead.

Overall great (free) experience! Museum has many interesting exhibits and a really cool gift shop!…read moreSome of their special exhibits you'll have to pay an entry fee like the Wes Andersen film one but the specialty gift shop had a free entrance. Had such a great time reading all the art works and looking at this history of tech, watches, food production, textiles, cultural traditions, and more! Was also pleasantly surprised by the cafe! Really only stopped in for a quick bite but ordered the Lentil Soup and Americano. The soup was very tasty and flavorful - I ordered it on a whim so was genuinely shocked at how delicious it is. Also had a great view and the ambiance was great!

We walked blocks and blocks to get to this spot to see where Freddie Mercury's last residence and…read morestudio was in London. There isn't much to see but a high wall painted in anti graffiti paint. There isn't much to see or do, no tour to take - therefore it was just an okay experience for me. The highlight was the memories that sprung to mind when being in this place.

I went to visit Freddie's final haunt more for sentiment than expecting to see some great tribute,…read moreor anything much more than a vandalised door and some bricks (as the previous Yelp pictures suggested). I was pleasantly surprised that it seems a compromise has been reached between vandalism and tribute; the bricks directly beside that famous door - now redecorated with 'Garden Lodge' printed on it - are covered in perspex but fans have slipped through letters, notes, doodles, all full of so much love. In reality, Freddie was a private man and I doubt he'd want a shrine (he objected to the place being turned into a museum, apparently) but to see the love people still hold for him nearly 25 years on is beautiful. My sentiments were fulfilled, and I respectfully left listening to 'I'm Going Slightly Mad'. Just around the corner (I kid you not) I bumped into a person dressed as a life-size can of paint. I was already wondering if 'slightly' wasn't quite appropriate for me but that just proved it - hah! Worth going for the sentiment alone, if you're sentimental like that. You won't be bowled over by what you see but more what you feel, if you're that way inclined.

Our visit to this remarkable house revealed a treasure trove of history, ambition and humanity. We…read moreappreciated having Will as our guide, whose knowledge enlightened and enriched our experience. The grounds add quiet splendour in which to relax -- the ambience of the whole place makes it a real gem.

I visited Strawberry Hill on a school trip, and it was a really educational experience! The house…read moreitself is so interesting to look at and walk through, and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. The commute there from London was a bit rough, but it was a cool experience to see.

Outstanding world class science museum. Mostly technology oriented or applied science. It consist…read moreof five floors, with different themes: flight, energy, information age, mathematics, medicine, engineering, technicians, space, etc. Great place to bring the family and lots of hands-on exhibits for the kids as well as the adults. plan to spend a full day there.

Okay, I didn't spend too much time here, but like a lot of London's museums it is free, which I…read morehave to admit is pretty awesome. This, as the name implies, is basically a science museum, and it is where you can find a couple of models of the difference engine created by Charles Babbage (though I'm not sure if they can be used, but apparently even though he never got to build it, it does work). It's pretty cool, and it's a great museum for those, like me, who are science heads.

Our visit to Kensington Palace was unplanned and full of surprises. We were doing a walking tour…read moreand noticed that there were very few visitors and so we easily bought tickets and got right in (after a robust security search). From the outside, the Palace looks institutional to me. The building was built (actually a remodeled farmhouse) in the late 1600's by King William and Queen Mary. A formal garden surrounds the west entrance. I imagine that the garden is quite spectacular in the Spring. The tour includes visits to three "Chambers" with audio tour phones that were easy to use. The audio tour is excellent with lots of interesting information. The staff is friendly and offers talks on interesting aspects of the palace. The oldest chamber visit was that of Queen Mary II (wife of King William III). The Queen's Gallery was most interesting with a fabulous harpsichord that was being played by a member of staff during our visit. The gallery overlooks the lovely gardens. The room is filled with antique pottery and portraits of the Queen. She died in her nearby bedroom chamber at the age of 32 with the King by her side. The Chamber of George II and Queen Caroline is quite opulent. We heard a short and fascinating lecture on a unique wind monitoring device that is still operational today. Family portraits and Renaissance art fill the walls. The third chamber on the tour is that of Queen Victoria where she lived as a child. Some of her childhood toys and books are displayed. Visitors are encourage to play with recreations of toys and dress up clothes. The room of her birth is the final stop of the tour. A gift shop and cafe are available. It would be fun to have tea in the cafe and imagine dining with royalty. I was hoping to run into a few royals, but I didn't. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would recommend. There were few visitors while we were there, which was nice. Plan at least 2 hours (mostly walking) for the tour. GET the audio headsets (they are included with admission). Expect stairs. A restroom is available for visitors.

The first time my daughter and I visited London and we went to Kensington Palace, we got lost when…read moreleaving and ended up on a private street. The street required entry by a guard and we have no idea how we ended up there. The palace is absolutely beautiful and still functions as housing for the royals. We were able to add a memento for Princess Di at the White Garden which still acts as a memorial to her this day.

Absolutely loved this museum. As a mass consumer myself, I really appreciated learning about the…read moredevelopment of brands throughout time. FOr instance, the first products were made to celebrate events such as the crowning of a Queen whereas now, there's strong brand associations with the products that are made. Also, they have a lot of childhood nostalgia items that anyone will appreciate, like groovy chick? I hadn't thought about that brand for a long long time before my visit! I also appreciate how easy the museum is to walk through. The exhibit is organized based on a timeline, also its a straight path so you'll definitely be able to see everything you want to. It's also kind of funny to see at the end of the exhibit there's just a giant case full of Frozen items. Definitely, a must-see when in London. Highly recommend it as the consumers that we have grown into today.

It's educational, fascinating, and very fun…read more Fans of print media, culture, and people that don't want to miss a beat will enjoy the history on display.