The Victoria and Albert Museum (also known as the V&A) is set near the Natural History Museum, on Exhibition Road. It is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4 million objects housed within. It was founded in 1982 and is named after Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Entry to the museum is completely free but as with many museums like this they do ask for donations to keep it running. The museum is open from 10:00 - 17:45 daily. On Fridays 10:00 to 22:00 (selected galleries remain open after 18.00).
The museum is split into 5 sections:
Exhibitions
There are currently two ticket ticketed exhibitions that are running. These are Pearls (21 September 2013 - 19 January 2014) and Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s (10 July 2013 – 16 February 2014).
Asia
This section houses pieces from China, Islamic Middle East, Japan, Korea, South Asia and South East Asia as well as Sculpture section.
Materials & Techniques
Housing a range of articles and pieces on a variety of materials from glass to silver, there is a lot to see in this section of the museum. Whether it's stained glassed windows or old tapestries there is something for everyone to take a look at. There is also a section within dedicated to fashion showing a variety of pieces from different periods and styles. This is where the exhibition Club to Catwalk is held.
Europe
Take a look at pieces from 1500-1760 Britain before traveling through Britain in 1760 - 1900. Then there is the chance to look at pieces from Raphael and the Medieval & Renaissance pieces. Also housed within are pieces from Europe from the period of 1600-1800 and Europe & America from 1800-1900. With this section containing some of the largest in the museum there is a lot of delicate and intricate detailing to look at on these pieces.
Modern
The final section is Modern showing pieces from the 20th Century.
As well as the exhibitions and the various pieces there are also shops with in the museum and also a cafe/restaurant to allow for you to grab something to eat whilst having a break from browsing the museum.
The V&A is a place where you could spend hours discovery and I would highly recommend it. With so many things housed in a incredible building it really is worth visiting if you find yourself with a spare day or couple of hours in London.
Nearest tube station: South Kensington