Which museums are part of the V&A family and where are they located?

Updated

The V&A is a family of museums across five locations: V&A South Kensington, V&A East (Queen Elizabeth Park, London), Young V&A (Bethnal Green, London), V&A Dundee in Scotland, and the Wedgwood Collection at Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent. General admission is free, while some exhibitions and events carry a separate charge.

The five V&A locations at a glance

Museum Location What it is known for on the site
V&A South Kensington South Kensington, London The flagship museum; home to major exhibitions such as Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires and Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
V&A East Queen Elizabeth Park, London Includes V&A East Museum (hosting The Music is Black: A British Story) and V&A East Storehouse (home of the David Bowie Centre)
Young V&A Bethnal Green, London A museum designed for young visitors; hosted Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends
V&A Dundee Dundee, Scotland The V&A's museum in Scotland
Wedgwood Collection Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent The V&A's site connected to the Wedgwood ceramics collection

How to choose by location

  • If you are in central London: V&A South Kensington is the main destination, with the largest exhibition programme listed on the homepage.
  • If you are in east London: V&A East covers two sites in Queen Elizabeth Park — the museum and the Storehouse — so check which one your exhibition or display is in before travelling.
  • If you are visiting with children: Young V&A in Bethnal Green is the family-oriented site.
  • If you are in Scotland: V&A Dundee is the Scottish member of the family.
  • If your interest is ceramics or Wedgwood: the Wedgwood Collection is at Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent.

Practical points before you go

  • Admission: the site states admission is free; some exhibitions and events carry a separate charge.
  • Ticketed exhibitions: prices shown on the homepage include £12.50 for Inside Aardman, £22.50 weekday / £24.50 weekend for The Music is Black, £17.00 for Rising Voices, and £5.00 for the David Bowie Centre display. Some exhibitions were listed as sold out, so book ahead for popular shows.
  • Free events: festivals such as V&A x LDF: Awakenings at South Kensington are listed as free.
  • Membership: Members visit free and get unlimited free entry to all exhibitions, so it may be worth comparing against the cost of the ticketed shows you plan to see.

To confirm opening details and what's on at each site, use the "What's on" section of vam.ac.uk and filter by museum.