This major exhibition is the first ever to focus on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's shared enthusiasm for art. Bringing together over 400 items from the Royal Collection, it celebrates the royal couple's mutual delight in collecting and displaying works of art, from the time of their engagement in 1839 to the Prince's untimely death in 1861. The exhibition also challenges the popular image of Victoria - the melancholy widow of 40 years - and reveals her as a passionate and open-minded young woman.

TIMES  
Daily 10am - 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm)

The spectacular wardrobe of Grace Kelly will be on display at the V&A. Tracing the evolution of her style from her days as one of Hollywoods most popular actresses in the 1950s and as Princess Grace of Monaco, the display will present over 50 of Grace Kelly's outfits together with hats, jewellery and the original Hermès Kelly bag. Dresses from her films, including High Society, will be shown as well as the gown she wore to accept her Oscar award in 1955. These will be accompanied by film clips and posters, photographs and her Oscar statuette. The display will also include the lace ensemble worn by Grace Kelly for her civil marriage ceremony to Prince Rainier in 1956 and 35 haute couture gowns from the 1960s and 70s by her favourite couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Yves St Laurent.

Horace Walpole (1717-1797) was one of the most important English collectors of the eighteenth century . His extraordinary collection was displayed at his house Strawberry Hill, Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture. His letters and writings have also made him the best-known commentator on the social, political and cultural life of Georgian society.

Our spring exhibition presents much of Walpole’s collection, not seen together since 1842 and evokes the magnificent interiors of Strawberry Hill. Showing the breadth and significance of his collections, a journey through ancient and modern British history and European art, as visitors once did at Strawberry Hill.

Cyclops, unicorn, yeti, dragon, the chimera… are these creatures real or imagined? Take a journey into the strange world of Myths and Monsters and unravel the truth behind universal legends and myths. Discover the origin of the Cyclops, the links between dragons and the dinosaurs, and why the yeti is the monster most likely to be real.

Featuring a captivating mix of animatronics, specimens and photography, this celebrated blockbuster show explores some of our best-known ancient myths and the possible scientific explanations behind them.
 

The Household Cavalry Museum is a living museum about real people doing a real job in a real place.

You can see troopers working with horses in the original 18th century stables and hear first hand accounts of their rigorous and demanding training.

The experience comes alive with compelling personal stories, interactive displays and stunning rare objects – many on public display for the first time.

Historic setting

The Household Cavalry Museum sits within Horse Guards in Whitehall, central London, one of the city’s most historic buildings. Dating from 1750, it is still the headquarters of the Household Division, in which the Household Cavalry has performed the Queen’s Life Guard in a daily ceremony that has remained broadly unchanged for over 350 years.

The Household Cavalry

The Household Cavalry was formed in 1661 under the direct order of King Charles II and now consists of the two senior regiments of the British Army – The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals.

We have two roles: as a mounted regiment (on horseback), we guard Her Majesty The Queen on ceremonial occasions in London and across the UK and are a key part of the Royal pageantry; as an operational regiment we serve around the world in armoured fighting vehicles. We currently have units deployed on active service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our fighting capacity is matched by our strategic role in international peace keeping and humanitarian operations.

Our Collections

Over the centuries we have amassed an outstanding collection of rare and unique treasures from ceremonial uniforms, royal standards and gallantry awards to musical instruments, horse furniture and silverware by Fabergé. Each exhibit has its own compelling story to tell and many are on display for the very first time.

You can see two silver kettledrums given to the regiment in 1831 by William IV; the pistol ball that wounded Sir Robert Hill at Waterloo and the cork leg which belonged to the first Marquess of Anglesy, who, as the Earl of Uxbridge, lost his real one at Waterloo. Modern additions to the collection include Jacky Charlton’s football cap – he did his national service with the regiment and Sefton’s bridle – the horse that was injured in the 1982 Hyde Park bombings.

Much of the collection has resulted from the close association that has existed between the Household Cavalry and Royalty. We have, after all, protected successive kings and queens from rebels, rioters and assassins for nearly 350 years.

Working Stable Block

Visitors can gain a unique behind-the-scenes look at our working stable block. All the horses here are on duty and at different times of the day you will see something going on - you might see the horses being brought in, groomed, fed and watered, their hooves oiled and shoes checked, their saddles adjusted ready to go on guard or just see the stables themselves being cleared or washed down.

Both our horses and riders go through a rigorous and demanding training. In the museum display, you will hear first hand accounts of what this training is like and the techniques our soldiers use to master their horses and complete the gruelling preparations for regimental inspections.

The Niagara Falls IMAX Movie + Daredevil Gallery Combo includes a ticket to the IMAX movie and admission to the Daredevil Gallery exhibits.

The Daredevil Gallery

Visit the only collection of original daredevil barrels found in the world. See and touch original barrels that have challenged the mighty Falls, and read about the daredevils who dared to take the plunge. These fascinating stories are chronicled in information displays with photographs of actual events.

The Falls Movie: Legends and Daredevils

Thrill to gut-churning vistas of Niagara’s raging waters. Be there as this spectacular film takes you back to the days when Native peoples worshipped the thunder spirits, and when the first European encountered of this wild wonder of nature. Meet the daredevils who challenged the fury of the Falls, from the Great Blondin, who completed a death-defying tightrope walk over the river in 1860, to Annie Taylor, a 63-year-old schoolteacher, who became the first person to go over the Falls in a barrel and live to tell the tale. Share the heart-pounding terror of seven-year-old Roger Woodward, who survived the plunge with only a lifejacket. The Falls is waiting for you.

Imagine this: the screen image is 60 feet high, while the thunderous sound of Niagara is delivered through 12,000 watts of digital surround sound. Our 620-seat auditorium with stadium seating ensures that you’re right where you want to be - in the middle of the action.

The film is available in 6 languages broad cast through complimentary audio headsets. Headsets are available for the Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and German languages. Dedicated French and Japanese shows daily.

Rates are inclusive of tax. Child rates available for ages 4-12. Children ages 3 and under are free with a paid adult.

*Please note: A passport is required for citizens crossing the US and Canadian border.

Schedule: Shows begin every hour on the hour.

January - April
10am - Japanese
11am to 4pm – English

May
9am - French
10am to 8pm – English

June – August
9am - French
10am to 9pm – English

September - October
9am - French
10am to 8pm – English

November – December
10am – Japanese
11am to 4pm - English

*Open until 8pm on Fri & Sat

This to purchase the Fra Angelico Catalogue only.

This major exhibition features 100 exquisite drawings by Italian Renaissance artists including Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Verrocchio among others.

Drawn from the holdings of the British Museum and the Uffizi in Florence, the two foremost collections in the field, the display charts the increasing importance of drawing during this period, featuring works by Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Jacopo and Gentile Bellini, Botticelli, Carpaccio, Filippo Lippi, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Verrocchio and Titian.
In 15th-century Italy there was a fundamental shift in style and artistic thinking in the use of preparatory drawings. What began as a means of preserving artistic ideas became the ideal way to perfect more naturalistic forms and perspective – a new approach by painters, sculptors and architects.

Infrared and other technology used in conservation research provide fresh insights into how drawing allowed painters to experiment and explore with a freedom not always reflected in their finished works. Examples in the exhibition show the trend towards depiction of movement and expression of emotion, often inspired by classical antiquity.

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to discover the evolution of drawing which laid the foundations of the High Renaissance style of Michelangelo and Raphael.

IMAGE: Detail from Andrea del Verrocchio, Head of a woman. Charcoal, heightened with lead white, c. 1475. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

This major exhibition features 100 exquisite drawings by Italian Renaissance artists including Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Verrocchio among others.

Drawn from the holdings of the British Museum and the Uffizi in Florence, the two foremost collections in the field, the display charts the increasing importance of drawing during this period, featuring works by Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Jacopo and Gentile Bellini, Botticelli, Carpaccio, Filippo Lippi, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Verrocchio and Titian.
In 15th-century Italy there was a fundamental shift in style and artistic thinking in the use of preparatory drawings. What began as a means of preserving artistic ideas became the ideal way to perfect more naturalistic forms and perspective – a new approach by painters, sculptors and architects.

Infrared and other technology used in conservation research provide fresh insights into how drawing allowed painters to experiment and explore with a freedom not always reflected in their finished works. Examples in the exhibition show the trend towards depiction of movement and expression of emotion, often inspired by classical antiquity.

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to discover the evolution of drawing which laid the foundations of the High Renaissance style of Michelangelo and Raphael.

IMAGE: Detail from Andrea del Verrocchio, Head of a woman. Charcoal, heightened with lead white, c. 1475. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

Irving Penn was one of the most distinguished photographers of our time. Focusing on his portraits of major cultural figures over the last seven decades, Irving Penn Portraits is a glorious celebration of his work in this genre.
 
The exhibition includes over 120 exquisite prints, many vintage, ranging from his earliest portraits for Vogue magazine in 1944 to the present day. The variety and significance of sitters in Penn’s photographs is extraordinary. Among those featured in the exhibition are Truman Capote, Christian Dior, Duke Ellington, Alfred Hitchcock, Al Pacino, Edith Piaf and Pablo Picasso.

Decode, organized in collaboration with onedotzero, explores the latest developments in digital creativity and interactive design.  This engaging exhibition shows a dynamic range of works by international designers, ranging from small screen based graphic works to large-scale, immersive and interactive installations with a series of playful interventions placed throughout the museum.
 
Digitally growing plants and a mechanical eye that mirrors the blink of a visitor's gaze will be among the digital works that will feature in Decode: Digital Design Sensations. The exhibition will show the latest developments in digital and interactive design, from small screen based graphics to large-scale installations. Curated in collaboration with leading digital arts organisation onedotzero, there will be works by established international artists and designers including Daniel Brown, Golan Levin and Daniel Rozin as well as emerging designers such as Troika and Simon Heijdens.
The exhibition will be centred in the Porter Gallery with a series of interventions throughout the Museum and garden as well as a number of specially commissioned one-off performances. For the first time, the V&A is also commissioning a digital work for its website and will provide remote access to some of the works on display.