V&A Museum of Childhood – London, England - Atlas Obscura
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V&A Museum of Childhood

London, England

A museum wholly devoted to juvenescence. 

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The Museum Atlas Obscura
The Museum Atlas Obscura
Childhood Cube by Sarah Raphael honeytea (Atlas Obscura User)
Play theatre with museum reflected in the glass honeytea (Atlas Obscura User)
Detail or Rachel Whiteread’s “Place (Village)” honeytea (Atlas Obscura User)
The museum entrance honeytea (Atlas Obscura User)
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Originally founded as the Bethnal Green Museum in 1872, this imposing round-arched red brick structure was repurposed in the 1920s for kids.

In 1974, it was re-baptized the Childhood Museum as a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Its location just outside the Bethnal Green tube helps it welcome over 400,000 visitors every year, who come to see the V&A collection of childhood-related objects and artifacts. With toys dating as far back as 1300 BC through to each year’s top ten Christmas items, it is an incredibly thorough compendium of youth. Its multiple-audience labels for each exhibit make it an intriguing and fun visit for adults who hark back to a simpler time.

Inside this incredible museum, be on the lookout for an iconic childhood movie figure hiding somewhere in the museum. You may see her umbrella before you see her!

Know Before You Go

Free admission. The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5:45 PM, last entry is at 5 PM. Unless you are a member, Special Exhibitions will cost you. There are facilities on site, including; lockers, toilets, and a cafe. To avoid large groups of school children on weekdays, it is advised to visit later in the day.

collections museums and collections
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