Victoria & Albert Museum Henry Cole Wing
📍 London, Greater London
The Henry Cole Wing forms part of the V&A complex in South Kensington, housing rotating and permanent collections of art, design, and cultural artefacts. Free general admission. Café on-site. Pram-friendly access throughout.
Best to visit earlier when more exhibits are open (we visited in the evening), but surprisingly open until late (depends on the day). Wide collection, great guides available. You could even see lots of people sketching the statues on exhibit. Loved their sculptures, statues and figures collection.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for families with children aged 8 and up who have a genuine interest in art, design, or cultural history. The free admission removes the financial barrier for longer or repeat visits. Younger children may find the content less engaging than other V&A family programming. Bring snacks or plan to eat elsewhere to avoid the high café prices.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →155 Google reviews
Angelica Aira
a month ago
“Best to visit earlier when more exhibits are open (we visited in the evening), but surprisingly open until late (depends on the day). Wide collection, great guides available. You could even see lots of people sketching the statues on exhibit. Loved their sculptures, statues and figures collection.”
Val Girling
10 months ago
“Wow! I spent over 2 hours drooling over the diamonds in this show. Wonderfully staged, as usual, by the V&A. I was disappointed that there are no sparkly things in the gift shop to tempt you......I fancied a tiara........”
Waleed Bin Mohammed
a year ago
“Very well organized inside this museum, that will show you this kind of old cultures. With a deep understanding how much heritage humanity has been building this world. Very interesting place. And indeed very beautiful”
Lindsey Burns
6 months ago
“Free museum. Very interesting. Lunch very expensive, but was tasty. We went to see the Cartier exhibition, which was a temporary exhibition”
Reviews from Google
Overview
The Henry Cole Wing sits within the Victoria and Albert Museum campus in South Kensington, offering free access to world-class collections covering art, sculpture, design, and cultural heritage. Rotating temporary exhibitions run alongside permanent galleries — recent highlights include the Cartier diamonds display. The building stays open late on selected evenings. Visitors have been seen sketching the sculpture collections during standard hours. Café on-site, with food priced at a premium.
