Young V&A

★ 4.4 (6,270)Free

Young V&A reimagines the former Museum of Childhood as a bright, hands-on space aimed squarely at children and the adults who bring them, blending design, art, and performance galleries with genuinely playful installations. Its lower culture and must-see scores relative to its South Kensington parent reflect a different, family-first purpose rather than a lesser institution, and reviewers consistently note it's as much fun for accompanying adults as for kids. A solid rating and free general admission, with a modest paid activity zone, make it an easy, low-cost stop in East London. An hour suits most visits, longer if children want to linger in the play areas.

✨ Reasons to go

1Housed in the former Museum of Childhood building in Bethnal Green, now reimagined as a V&A site focused on design, art and performance for children.
2General admission is free, with only a small paid area for younger children's play activities.

💡 Good to know

1General admission is free, though the dedicated paid play zone is worth the small extra cost for younger children
2it particularly suits families, so temper expectations if visiting without kids
3Bethnal Green's location makes it easy to combine with a wander through nearby markets.

⏱️ Typical visit

🕰️ Best time

morning, lunchtime, afternoon or early evening

🚶 Walking intensity

Moderate walking

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Address

Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA, UK · Bethnal GreenGoogle Apple

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Booking

Walk-in

What people say

"I visited this place with my other friends and our babies, for babies day out, lol 😂 I bet I enjoyed it even more than the kids, as a seamstress who has been nurturing baby for the past couple months, I got beautiful inspirations from the artworks I viewed, Lots of kiddies and adult toys, Miniature houses I also got to sketch a picture of myself They also had a prayer space for Muslims Toilets were neat and well managed, I plan to visit this place yearly, it was worth it I also had lunch from a nearby halal store, it was very delicious, what should have been a few hours turned out taking the whole day and we were absolutely unapologetic about it. We had fun 💐❤️"

— Sekina Taiwo

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