Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
▲▲▲
▲▲▲ Victoria and Albert Museum
The world's top collection of decorative arts (vases, stained glass, fine furniture, clothing,
jewelry, carpets, and more) is a surprisingly interesting assortment of crafts from the West,
aswellasAsianandIslamiccultures.TheBritishGalleriesaregrand,butthere'smuchmore
to see, including Raphael's tapestry cartoons and a cast of Trajan's Column that depicts the
emperor's conquests.
You'll also see one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, underwear through the ages, a
Chihuly chandelier, a life-size David with detachable fig leaf, Henry VIII's quill pen, and
Mick Jagger's sequined jumpsuit. From the worlds of Islam and India, there are stunning
carpets, the ring of the man who built the Taj Mahal, and a mechanical tiger that eats Brits.
Best of all, the objects are all quite beautiful. You could spend days in the place. Pick up
a museum map and wander at will.
Cost and Hours: Free, but £3 donation requested, sometimes pricey fees for (optional)
special exhibits, £1 suggested donation for much-needed museum map, daily 10:00-17:45,
some galleries open Fri until 22:00, free one-hour tours daily on the half-hour 10:30-15:30,
on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, Tube: South Kensington, from the Tube station a
long tunnel leads directly to museum, tel. 020/7942-2000, www.vam.ac.uk .
▲▲▲ Natural History Museum
Across the street from Victoria and Albert, this mammoth museum is housed in a giant
and wonderful Victorian, Neo-Romanesque building. In the main hall, above a big dinosaur
skeleton and under a massive slice of sequoia tree, Charles Darwin sits as if upon a throne
overseeing it all. Built in the 1870s specifically for the huge collection (50 million speci-
mens), the building has several color-coded “zones” that cover everything from life (creepy-
crawlies,humanbiology,“ourplaceinevolution,”andawe-inspiringdinosaurs)toearthsci-
ence (meteors, volcanoes, earthquakes, and so on). Use the helpful map (£1 suggested dona-
tion) to find your way through the collection.
Exhibits are wonderfully explained, with lots of creative, interactive displays. Pop in, if
onlyforthewildcollectionofdinosaursandtohearEnglishchildrenexclaim,“Ohmygood-
ness!”Getorientedbytalkingwithoneofthemany“visitplanners”(helpfulguidesscattered
throughout the museum), review the “What's on Today” board for special events and tours,
and note which sections are closed (according to the signs, these sections aren't being “ren-
ovated,”butare“evolving”).Whilethedinosaurhalloftenhasalongline,everythingelseis
wide open. Don't miss the vault in the mineralogy section (top floor of the green zone), with
rare and precious stones, including a meteorite from Mars and the Aurora Pyramid of Hope,
displaying 296 diamonds showing their full range of natural colors.
CostandHours: Free,feesfor(optional)specialexhibits,daily10:00-17:50,until22:30
last Fri of the month, last entry 20 minutes before closing, long tunnel leads directly from
Search WWH ::




Custom Search