See & Do

V&A East Storehouse and Museum

Free

Attraction Heritage

Hightlight

City Centre
Family Friendly

V&A East Storehouse and Museum are two museums within a stones throw away from each other, two historic attractions that are family friendly with fountains of knowledge. If you are looking for something to do with the family during your trip to London, then these city museums are worth a visit.

V&A East Museum

Designed by Dublin-based architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the five-storey V&A East Museum offers welcoming spaces to socialise, as well as major exhibitions, festivals, commissions, installations, live performances, pop-ups and evening events.

The main exhibition hall will present major shows celebrating the leading artists, designers and performers of our time. Two collection galleries will explore global making with new acquisitions, commissions and live activations presented alongside collection displays. The galleries will also include stories of east London’s creative and manufacturing heritage, spotlighting local makers past and present alongside a creative studio for both drop-in and pre-booked activities. An installation and events space on the top floor will be the focal point for V&A East’s global partnerships programme, hosting interdisciplinary collaborations, new commissions and events.

What is V&A East Storehouse?

V&A East Storehouse is a unique new museum experience opening up the V&A collection to everyone. Go behind-the-scenes to make new discoveries, explore untold stories and share ideas. A world first in size and scale, V&A East Storehouse immerses you in over half a million works from every creative discipline.

Spanning four levels, and bigger than 30 basketball courts, V&A East Storehouse is a new purpose-built public space designed by world-renowned architects Diller Scofidio+Renfro with support from UK-based architects Austin-Smith:Lord. Taking over a section of the former London 2012 Olympics Media Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park the warehouse-type space is designed to give unprecedented access to the V&A.

As well as providing a purpose-built home for over 250,000 objects, 350,000 library books and 1,000 archives from the V&A’s collections, Storehouse is a new kind of museum experience. It gives you a chance to see behind the scenes of a working museum, explore why and how objects get collected by museums, find out how they are cared for, and uncover the stories they tell about us and our world.

The central Weston Collections Hall stretches across three levels, with over 100 mini curated displays literally ‘hacked’ into the sides and ends of storage racking for you to explore. You can zoom in on east London’s rich heritage of artistry, activism and resistance, explore the V&A’s newest acquisitions by transgender and non-binary artists and get an insight into cutting-edge scientific research from conserving fragile plastics to protecting cultural heritage.

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V&A East Storehouse

4.7284 reviews

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Doris Chan

a week ago

Absolutely amazing place! Innovative, daring and full of surprises. You have pieces side by side of a very different era. It really tickles your senses. There was a temple ceiling decorated in golden paint work and craftings. Everywhere you look is filled with surprises. Can’t wait till David Bowie Center is open in September. Need a few more visits to find my bearings…

Pedro Torres

a month ago

A unique experience. It is amazing to get into a museum storehouse. Don't think of it as a visit to a museum, it is more about visiting a warehouse full of amazing pieces. Not much to read, not thematic displays, it is mostly about looking at objects on shelves. But there are a few amazing corners with some kind of museum intentions: A Frank Lloyd Wright designed office, a German kitchen of the 1920s, an amazingly decorated ceiling or the facade of a state building. It's worth a visit. The entrance is free, and no booking is required.

Erika Mordek

a month ago

It was my “Wow” moment for a cultural institution. No labels, no intrusive guide. Just walking in the stacks. Had I been aware, I would have pre ordered an item. This takes about two weeks so make sure you peruse the catalogue well before your visit. The cafe didn’t feel so great but I hadn’t come for tea. A great experience. Get there early to avoid queue

Matthew Evans

2 months ago

An excellent, unique idea and brilliant experience. The staff were very well informed, friendly and happy to help you learn more. Will definitely be back for the Order An Object experience and hope more museums around the world explore this idea of an open archive. We are very lucky that people can access this for free.

Michael Spring (Jez)

2 weeks ago

A museum that isn't a museum. Instead it's a storehouse. So, if you like random things and you don't like glass cases where everything is labelled, you might like this. Highlights include a German kitchen from the 1950's, a complete Frank Lloyd Wright office and more renaissance marriage chests than you could shake a stick at. This is where a lot of conservation gets done too.