Easter in South Kensington: Museums, Exhibitions and Free Days Out
Happy Easter. With the bank holiday weekend running through to Monday 6 April, South Kensington comes into its own. Three of the world's great museums stand within a few minutes of each other on and around Exhibition Road, general admission to all three is free, and this spring each has a headline show worth planning around. Here is how to make the most of the long weekend.
The V&A: Schiaparelli and the free galleries
The V&A's big new exhibition, Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, opened on 28 March in the Sainsbury Gallery. It is the UK's first exhibition on the designer and spans the 1920s to today, from her collaborations with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau to the contemporary couture of Daniel Roseberry. Tickets are timed and in demand, so book through the V&A website before you go. If you cannot get a slot, the free permanent collection, including the Fashion gallery, is a fine consolation.
The Natural History Museum: wildlife and Attenborough
At the Natural History Museum, two paid shows suit very different moods. Wildlife Photographer of the Year brings together 100 images from the 61st competition, led by Wim van den Heever's brown hyena in an abandoned Namibian mining town, and runs until 12 July. Our Story with David Attenborough, the museum's first immersive experience, surrounds you with projected animation and footage for around 50 minutes and is recommended for ages eight and up. It runs until 30 August. Members get half-price tickets for Our Story and free entry to the photography show.
The Science Museum: Star Trek at 60
Across the road, the Science Museum's free Star Trek Warp Trail launched on 26 March and runs until September. Eight stopping points pair screen-used props and costumes with the real science behind them, including the prototype head of the android B-4 from Star Trek: Nemesis. All 13 Star Trek films are screening in the museum's IMAX theatre this season, with paid tickets. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Between them, the three museums can easily fill the whole weekend, and their free galleries mean you can dip in for an hour without feeling you have wasted a ticket.
Planning a holiday visit
- Arrive at opening time; queues build fast on bank holiday weekends, particularly at the Natural History Museum.
- Pick one paid exhibition per day and fill the rest with free galleries to keep children fresh.
- Use the pedestrian tunnel from South Kensington station to reach all three museums without crossing traffic.
- For fresh air, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are a ten-minute walk north up Exhibition Road.
Lunch and beyond
Each museum has its own cafés, but on a bank holiday they fill quickly, and booking a table nearby gives everyone a proper break away from the crowds. The restaurants of Brompton Road and Knightsbridge are a short walk east, and many are serving special Easter menus today. Enjoy the long weekend.
