Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)

The Victoria and Albert Museum occupies a monumental Victorian building on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, its terracotta and portland stone facade, topped by the Aston Webb dome, opening onto a permanent collection of more than two million objects covering decorative arts and design across two thousand years. The John Madejski Garden courtyard at the museum's centre provides a shaded rest point between galleries and doubles as a summer paddling pool for families. Inside, the Cast Courts hold full-scale plaster casts of Trajan's Column and Michelangelo's David, assembled in the 19th century so British students could study major European sculpture without travelling abroad. The fashion galleries trace clothing from 18th-century court dress to contemporary couture, while the jewellery gallery, set in darkened, vault-like cases, displays pieces spanning ancient Egypt to modern tiaras. The Raphael Cartoons, seven large tapestry designs painted for the Sistine Chapel, hang in their own gallery on the ground floor. A general visit covering the highlights takes two to three hours, while visitors wanting to see the ceramics, textiles, and Asian art galleries in depth should allow closer to four hours across a full day. Blockbuster ticketed exhibitions, staged in the Sainsbury Gallery, draw the heaviest crowds and are best booked for a specific time slot in advance. General admission is free, and the museum stays open until 22:00 on Fridays, when the galleries are markedly quieter than weekend afternoons.