About
Young V&A opened in Bethnal Green in July 2023, the reinvention of the museum that stood on this site as the V&A Museum of Childhood for half a century and, before that, as the Bethnal Green Museum from 1872. The building itself is the oldest part of the V&A: an iron-framed, prefabricated structure first erected in South Kensington in the 1850s as the temporary original home of the South Kensington Museum, then dismantled and re-erected here in the East End, where it was clad in brick and given the mosaic frieze and tiled floor that survive today.
The three-year, £13 million redevelopment did more than refresh the displays. The museum was reconceived around visitors aged nought to fourteen, and around 22,000 children and young people were consulted on what it should contain and how it should feel. The result is organised into three galleries — Play, Imagine and Design — rather than by chronology or material, and the whole ground floor is pitched deliberately low, with sightlines, seating and interactives built for small people rather than adults.
The collections behind it remain those of the national museum of art, design and performance. Historic dolls’ houses, automata, toy theatres, teddy bears, board games and children’s costume sit alongside contemporary design, film and digital work, and objects are borrowed freely from across the V&A rather than confined to a childhood collection. Displays are unusually willing to address difficult ground — migration, disability, protest and identity — through objects children can actually engage with.
It won Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2024. Admission is free, the building is a short walk from Bethnal Green Underground station, and it is among the very few major London museums designed on the assumption that a noisy four-year-old is the intended audience rather than a problem to be managed.
Categories:
Annual Visitors (2019)
180,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Thursday, Friday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Thursday or Friday mornings (10:00-12:00) during term time for quietest experience
💡 Visitor Tips
- Visit on Thursday or Friday mornings during school term time (10:00-12:00) for the quietest experience. Weekends and school holidays are much busier with families, though the museum is designed to accommodate crowds well.
- Plan to spend 2-3 hours minimum to fully experience all three galleries and participate in creative making activities. Families with young children often spend 3-4 hours as there's so much hands-on engagement available.
- Young V&A is designed FOR children and families - unlike many museums where children must be quiet and careful, here they're encouraged to touch (designated objects), play, create, and explore actively. Embrace the interactive approach!
- Check the website before visiting for current creative activities and making workshops available in the studios. Themes rotate regularly and all drop-in activities are free with no booking required, with materials provided.
- The museum café serves child-friendly food with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Consider visiting before or after peak lunch times (12:00-14:00) to avoid queues. You can also bring snacks (no hot food).
- Photography is allowed throughout for personal use (no flash). The galleries are beautifully designed and very photogenic. Be mindful of photographing other visitors' children - focus on the objects and your own family.
- The museum shop stocks excellent toys, books, and creative supplies inspired by the collection. Prices are reasonable for museum shops and the quality is generally high. Budget time and money accordingly if you have children!
- Open Thursday-Sunday only (closed Monday-Wednesday). Booking ahead is recommended for weekends and school holidays to guarantee entry during busy periods, though it's not strictly required. Admission is always free.
- Use Bethnal Green tube (Central Line) for easiest access - it's only 3 minutes walk. Cambridge Heath Overground is step-free accessible if needed. Parking is very limited so public transport strongly recommended.
Highlights
Dolls' Houses Collection
The museum holds one of the world's finest collections of dolls' houses, spanning from the 17th century to the present day.
The star pieces include extraordinary antique houses that functioned as status symbols for wealthy families, showing exquisitely detailed miniature rooms furnished with precious objects. Notable examples include Nuremberg-style houses from the 1670s, Georgian townhouses with authentic period furnishings at 1:12 scale, and Victorian mansions complete with working gas lights.
These remarkable objects served multiple purposes: as teaching tools for young girls learning household management, as displays of wealth and craftsmanship, and as time capsules preserving details of domestic life and decorative arts. The craftsmanship is breathtaking, with tiny hand-carved furniture, miniature porcelain services, working locks, and realistic textiles.
Modern dolls' houses in the collection show evolving design trends and changing ideas about home, family, and childhood across cultures.
Toy Collection Spanning 400 Years
Young V&A's toy collection is one of the most comprehensive in the world, documenting how children have played from the 1600s to today. Highlights include rare 18th-century mechanical toys, Victorian board games reflecting empire and moral education, Edwardian teddy bears, 1930s tin toys, post-war plastics revolution toys, iconic 1980s action figures, and contemporary digital gaming devices.
The collection reveals how toys reflect social values, technological innovation, manufacturing techniques, and changing ideas about childhood across centuries.
Seeing toys chronologically arranged demonstrates dramatic shifts in materials (from wood and paper to plastic and electronics), production methods (from handcrafted to mass-manufactured), and the purposes adults assigned to children's play. The display includes both expensive luxury toys for wealthy children and simpler homemade toys showing how all children found ways to play regardless of economic circumstances.
Interactive Design Gallery
This innovative gallery explores how design shapes young people's lives through objects they use daily - from school uniforms to smartphones, furniture to packaging. Young visitors can examine real objects up close, test materials, experiment with design principles, and see how designers solve problems creatively.
The gallery features contemporary design pieces created by young designers alongside work by established practitioners, demonstrating that creative thinking isn't limited by age.
Interactive stations allow hands-on exploration of concepts like color theory, pattern making, structural engineering, and user-centered design. Regular rotations keep content fresh and relevant to current design trends. This gallery embodies Young V&A's philosophy that young people are capable of sophisticated design thinking and should be active participants in shaping the designed world around them.
Imagine Gallery
This immersive gallery celebrates creativity, storytelling, and make-believe through objects and experiences that spark imagination. Exhibits include puppets from around the world, theatrical costumes, props from beloved children's films and TV shows, illustrated books, and artworks created by young people.
The gallery features interactive zones where visitors can create their own stories, design characters, build fantastical structures, and engage in imaginative play.
Highlights include historic puppets showing different performance traditions, costumes demonstrating how dress-up and role-play help children explore identity, and creative making stations with rotating themes.
The space is designed to feel magical and inspiring, with dramatic lighting, comfortable reading nooks, and opportunities for both active play and quiet contemplation. It demonstrates how imagination and creativity are fundamental aspects of childhood development and human culture.
Collections
Young V&A cares for the V&A's national collection of childhood objects, comprising over 200,000 items dating from the 1600s to the present. This extraordinary collection documents childhood experiences, children's culture, and objects designed for young people across four centuries. Major collection areas include toys (dolls, games, construction toys, soft toys, mechanical toys), dolls' houses and miniatures, children's fashion and costume, puppets and theatre objects, children's furniture, nursery equipment, educational objects, books and illustrations, gaming devices and technology, and contemporary design for young people.
The collection's scope is global, with objects from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas showing diverse cultural approaches to childhood and play. Strengths include one of the world's finest dolls' house collections, comprehensive toy holdings spanning 400 years, significant gaming history collections, and growing contemporary holdings documenting 21st-century childhood.
The collection continues to develop through active contemporary collecting focused on digital culture, diverse childhood experiences, and sustainable design for young people.
Play Gallery
This extensive gallery explores how children have played across centuries and cultures through the museum's extraordinary toy collection. Displays are organized thematically and chronologically, showing toys from the 1600s to today including dolls, games, construction toys, vehicles, soft toys, action figures, and digital gaming.
The gallery examines how play develops skills, reflects society, and brings joy, while showcasing the design innovation and craftsmanship of toy making.
Interactive elements allow hands-on play with replica toys and creative making activities. The gallery celebrates play as fundamental to human development and childhood experience across all cultures and time periods.
📍 Ground Floor
Imagine Gallery
This immersive gallery celebrates creativity, storytelling, and imagination through objects that inspire make-believe and creative expression. Exhibits include puppets from diverse theatrical traditions, costume and dress-up items, illustrated books, artworks by young people, and props from beloved children's media.
Interactive zones encourage visitors to create stories, design characters, build fantastical environments, and engage in imaginative play.
The gallery features comfortable spaces for reading, dramatic play areas, and creative making stations with rotating themes.
Regular installations showcase contemporary artists and young creators, demonstrating how imagination shapes culture and drives innovation.
📍 First Floor
Design Gallery
This gallery examines how design shapes young people's daily lives through objects they use and wear - furniture, clothing, school supplies, technology, packaging, and more. Displays combine historic objects showing how children's design has evolved with contemporary pieces demonstrating cutting-edge design thinking.
Interactive stations allow visitors to experiment with design principles, test materials, and solve design challenges.
The gallery features work by young designers alongside established practitioners, celebrating young people's capacity for sophisticated design thinking.
Regular rotations ensure content remains current and relevant to contemporary design trends and youth culture. The gallery encourages visitors to look critically at designed objects and consider how design might be improved.
📍 Ground Floor & First Floor
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.