London’s Exhibition Row is well known for being the home of the city’s holy trinity of free to access museums. All dating back hundreds of years, the museums of exhibition row are staples of the London educational and cultural scene, as well as being very easy to reach from hotels near Buckingham Palace London. –
These three unique museums offer wildly diverse exhibits and temporary shows, whilst also encapsulating significant aspects of the city’s character. Fun and informative for all ages, these three museums are a must for newcomers to London and first-time visitors at the nearby hotels in Queensway. This blog will outline everything you need to know about the Natural History, Science and Victoria & Albert Museums, as well as some of the events you can enjoy during your visit.
The Science Museum
The Science Museum dates back 164 years and was originally built in conjunction with the Victoria & Albert Museum. Initially named the South Kensington Museum, the museum went through several changes over the next century, once being called the Museum of Patents, that showcased new inventions, before becoming the Science Museum proper in 1960. The youngest of the museums on Exhibition Row, the Science Museum building has continuously expanded through into the 21st century, the last addition being the Wellcome Gallery in the year 2000.
Galleries
The Science Museum includes 5 floors of galleries that explore many areas of science, as well as the Wellcome Wing, which screens educational IMAX films and interactive exhibits.
Temporary Shows
Guests at nearby London hotels with Breakfast can enjoy a range of temporary exhibitions through 2021 and 22, including one on climate science and the race to save our planet as well as an exploration of how the Ancient Greeks approached science and medicine.
Natural History Museum
As opposed to the Science Museum’s focus on technology, physics and chemistry, the Natural History Museum explores natural sciences such as biology and the human body. Originally built to house the medical and plant specimens and human and animal skeletons that made up the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, the Natural History Museum grew into what is now a museum holding 80 million speciemsn of minerals, plants and animal life and even includes speciemsn collected by Charles Darwin during his years researching evolution. Alongside its dazzling exhibitions, the Natural History Museum is also home to prime examples of gothic architecture in what is nicknamed the “cathedral of nature”, its main hall.
Galleries
The museum is home to several wings holding dozens of galleries each, these are the red, green, orange and blue zones. Each zone explores a different aspect of natural science and is broadly themed around the colours of their respective zone.
Temporary Shows
Each year, the Natural History Museum plays host to a temporary exhibition of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, giving visitors and guests at the nearby accommodation such as the Bayswater Inn hotel the chance to enjoy some of the best photography in the world between 15th of October and the 5th of June 2022.
V&A Museum Of Design
The most specific in its area of study of the 3 museums, the V&A focuses on decorative and applied arts that range from the ancient world up to the 19th century. First opened by Queen Victoria in memory of her late husband Albert in 1857, the museum is one of the largest in the world focused on design and has an expansive collection of over 2.27 million objects.
Galleries
Spanning 12.5 acres, there are 145 galleries in the V&A, all of which explore different types of design such as ceramics, jewellery and musical instruments.
Temporary Shows
The V&A is famous for its temporary exhibitions that in the past have included retrospectives on the life of Frida Kahlo and the works of Alexander McQueen. The latter was the recipient of one of the highest turnouts for any exhibition in London in 2015. Current exhibitions include a foray into the world of Alice In Wonderland and an exhibition exploring the history and design of bags through the ages.
