London's 1852 Temple of Applied Arts

At a Glance

The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington is the world's largest applied arts museum, founded 1852 from the profits of the 1851 Great Exhibition. Over 2.27 million objects across 150 galleries. Free entry.

From Exhibition to Institution

Prince Albert championed using Great Exhibition profits to raise British design. Henry Cole built the early collection; Aston Webb's red-brick main building finished 1909. Sackler Courtyard with 11,000 tiles opened 2017.

Must-See

• Cast Courts — Michelangelo's David cast, Trajan's Column.
• Fashion gallery: Dior 1947, Westwood, McQueen.
• Raphael Cartoons (1515).
• Islamic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean galleries.
• British design collection linking to V&A Dundee.

Visiting Tips

South Kensington tube. Free. 3–4 hours for highlights. Friday night V&A Late is a highlight.