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The main façade of the Victoria and Albert Museum on Cromwell Road

No. 15 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 3,332,300 visitors in 2025

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)

London, United Kingdom · City guide: London

The world's leading museum of art and design, from the Cast Courts to fashion and jewellery, free in South Kensington.

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Photo: David Castor (user:dcastor), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Victoria and Albert Museum is No. 15 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 3,332,300 visitors in 2025, down 5% on 2024. It was founded in 1852 after the Great Exhibition of 1851 and moved to South Kensington in 1857. It took its present name in 1899, when Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of Aston Webb's main building.

Its collections span 5,000 years of art and design, from ceramics, furniture and fashion to jewellery, sculpture and photography. General admission is free. In east London, the V&A East Storehouse opened in 2025.

Plaster casts of monumental sculpture in the V&A's Cast Courts
Plaster casts of monumental sculpture in the V&A's Cast Courts. Photo: www.mgaylard.co.uk, CC BY 2.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest. Major exhibitions charge and are worth booking ahead. Check the official website for hours and late openings.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    The Cast Courts

    Plaster casts of famous sculpture and architecture, including Trajan's Column and Michelangelo's David.

  • 2

    The Raphael Cartoons

    Raphael's huge designs for tapestries for the Sistine Chapel, lent by the Royal Collection.

  • 3

    Fashion

    Clothing from the 18th century to today in the circular Fashion gallery.

  • 4

    Jewellery

    A glittering gallery of jewels from ancient Egypt to the present.

  • 5

    Tipu's Tiger

    An 18th-century mechanical organ in the shape of a tiger attacking a European soldier.

  • 6

    The café and garden

    The original refreshment rooms, the world's first museum restaurant, open onto the John Madejski Garden.

Getting there

The museum is on Cromwell Road in South Kensington. South Kensington station (Piccadilly, Circle and District lines) is linked to the museums by a pedestrian subway. The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are next door.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
General admission is free. Exhibitions charge. Check the official website for hours.
Time needed
Two to three hours for the highlights.
Currency
Pound sterling (GBP). Cards are accepted almost everywhere.
Safety
London is generally safe. Dial 999 or 112 in an emergency.
Visa & entry
Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and EU countries, now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling. Check gov.uk for the current rules.

Official information: Victoria and Albert Museum (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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