South Kensington – Chelsea is a special neighborhood for us. We’ve stayed here on the previous trip because of the proximity to Hyde Park and museums. This time we’ve learned more about the history of Exhibition Road and the area around it devoted to the arts and sciences after the 1851 Great Exhibition, that is also known as Albertopolis.
We start our Exhibition Road Trail at the V&A. This was a top favorite museum in our last trip and we’re planning another visit. Next stop is the Albert Memorial where we discover the four marble groups representing Europe, Africa, America and Asia at each corner of the memorial. We’re learning about the Parnassus frieze just now and it’s only fortuitous that our first stay in Greece was on Mount Parnassus…
We look around us one more time to discover the omnipresent Eye and Shard and promise ourselves to come back for more play and stroll in Hyde Park. This early morning we just circle around the Royal Albert Hall admiring the frieze and wishing for a tour and concert on the next trip. We pass by the Royal College of Music too, but the Museum of Music is closed in the morning, so here’s to a future musical day in Albertopolis!
Our main destination of the day is Victoria & Albert Museum. We had a few themes in mind, a jewellery review, fashion history, an architectural back-pack trail, Trajan’s Column in the Cast Courts, and a time travel trip to Medieval Europe!
We also discovered the photography gallery right near the Learning Center, the portrait miniatures and theatre and performance galleries. V&A is still a kids favorite!
Next time we’ll definitely want to see the model for the memorial to Prince Albert in the British Galleries to complete our Albertopolis tour. For now we continue our itinerary with a preview of the Natural History Museum, a stroll inside the cocoon and outside in the Wildlife Garden. By now it is museum closing time and the Science Museum introduction will stay on the wish list for a full day on the next trip.
Next stop is Kensington Crêperie for some yummy crêpes and the last thing of the day is Partridges where we find just the right ingredients for tomorrow’s adventure picnic!
- Albertopolis: Explore London’s quarter for science and technology, culture and the arts
- Britain’s longest clutter-free street is unveiled to make things SAFER
- Exhibition Road, London – review
- Guided tours of the Albert Memorial
- The Albert Memorial Statues
- V&A Architectural Tour of Exhibition Road and ‘Albertopolis’.pdf
Virtual Museum – history of Kensington and Chelsea brought to life through information, illustrations and artefacts from archives in the Borough’s Libraries and Museums.
- Architecture – Guide to the Architecture Collections
- Fashion
- Jewellery
- Jewellery Teachers’ Resource
- Medieval & Renaissance Galleries
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