The Young V&A, formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood, reopened on 1 July 2023 after a major renovation. The museum in Bethnal Green, East London, is dedicated to children and young people aged up to 14 years.
The Young V&A opened in 1872 as the Bethnal Green Museum. The iron-framed building was originally built for the 1851 Great Exhibition in South Kensington and was relocated to its present site in Bethnal Green. The museum was renamed the V&A Museum of Childhood in 1974 and in 2018, it closed for a three-year, £13 million renovation and the new Young V&A reopened on 1 July 2023.
It is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), which is the United Kingdom’s national museum of applied arts.
What to see at the Young V&A
The Young V&A is a vibrant and exciting space for children and young people to learn, play, and be creative. The museum features both interactive displays and over 2,000 objects from around the world dating from 2,300 BC to the present day and it is divided into three galleries: Play, Imagine, and Design, each designed with different age groups in mind.
The Play gallery is filled with interactive exhibits that encourage children to explore their creativity and imagination. Visitors can dress up in costumes, build their own robots, and play games that challenge their problem-solving skills.
The Imagine gallery looks at the power of design and how it can be used to solve problems and make the world a better place. Visitors can learn about the history of design, see how different objects are made, and design their own products.
The Design gallery showcases a wide range of objects from the V&A’s collection, from toys and games to furniture and fashion. Visitors can see how these objects have changed over time and how they reflect the different cultures and societies that created them.
Temporary exhibitions at the Young V&A
The museum also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions. Current and planned exhibitions include:
Making Egypt
Young V&A’s second family-focused exhibition (15 February–2 November 2025) will explore the lasting influence of ancient Egypt on art, design and popular culture. Spanning three sections – imagining, communicating and making – the exhibition guides visitors through Egypt’s myths, gods and landscape. Highlights include deciphering hieroglyphs, exploring the use of colour and hands-on object making. The display will feature ancient artefacts, contemporary fashion, comics and more from the V&A’s collection and other sources.
Visiting the Young V&A
The V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green in East London. It is only a two-minute walk from Bethnal Green tube station (on the Central line) and Cambridge Heath railway station (on the London Overground with trains from Liverpool Street station) is not much farther.
The museum is open 10am–5.45pm daily and admission is free of charge.
The museum is wheelchair accessible; however, nearby Bethnal Green and Cambridge Heath stations do not have step-free access.
The Young V&A has extensive visitor amenities, including a makerspace, a rooftop garden, and a cafe. The makerspace is a dedicated space where children can use tools and materials to create their own projects. The rooftop garden is a calm and peaceful space where children can relax and enjoy the outdoors. The cafe offers a variety of food and drinks, as well as a space for parents and caregivers to meet and chat.
Compared with its larger parent museum, the Young V&A is relatively small and can be seen in 1–2 hours.
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