It goes largely without saying that when staying in hotels near Gloucester Road tube station, you are likely going to visit a museum.
This part of London can be safely dubbed a hub for museums, given its proximity to Exhibition Road, which is local to the V&A Museum, The Natural History Museum and The Science Museum.
But slightly further Northwest of these, you will find the London Design Museum, which, as the winner of the European Museum of the Year Award, is unmissable. This is especially true for repeat-visitors to London – while you may have got your visit to the Natural History Museum covered on the first trip, places like the Design Museum are excellent spots for further exploration.
The Design Museum is a tribute to the impressive feats of humanity and a spectacular beacon of contemporary design and innovation. Showing everything from the value of everyday design, like the graphic design behind the Cornflakes at your hotel’s breakfast buffet, to the exceptional, like potential life on and travel to Mars.
Everyone knows that a bit of planning prior to travel (even if you’re staying in hotels near Gloucester Road tube station!) makes all the difference to the experience, so here are some of the key things you need to know about your visit to the London Design Museum to ensure things go down without a hitch.
Opening Hours
Arguably the most important part – even before how to get there – is when you can actually visit the London Design Museum. It is open every day from 10am to 6pm, and it is highly recommended that you get there as early as possible if you are hoping to miss the crowds (and especially if you are visiting with kids!)
Fortunately, it’s not far from the Park Grand London Kensington Hotel!
The last admission is at 5pm, despite the fact that you can stay until 6pm, so keep that in mind if you are planning a late visit. If, however, you would prefer an evening in the museum, then visit on the first Friday of every month to enjoy the exhibitions until 8pm. It is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Getting There
So you have decided you are going and worked out what time you can do that. Great first step! Next up, you have got to figure out how to get there. Luckily, London has its buzzing underground transport system that will drop you off right outside the London Design Museum with barely any effort required on your part apart from purchasing a ticket.
If you have booked a room in the Park Grand London Kensington Hotel, then you are in luck, because the museum is in the heart of Kensington, just off the high street.
In that case, you can just walk the short distance down the road. Otherwise, hop onto the Circle or District lines and make your way to High Street Kensington station and walk towards Holland Park. Your day of design-based adventure awaits!
Address: 224 – 238 Kensington High Street, London, W8 6AG
Tickets and admission
Ticket prices vary depending on the exhibition or event in attendance, with numerous free ones on offer, so when planning your visit, it is best to check out which exhibition is on and to then find out what it costs on the website.
You can also have a chat with your hotel concierge, as they might be able to give the museum a ring for you or provide you with more information on the current exhibition.
While tickets are on sale at the door, you can also book online or via the phone if you want to have your day planned to a T. Many exhibitions are extremely popular, so leaving things until the last minute may result in disappointment.
Website: https://designmuseum.org/
Phone: +44 20 3862 5937
What’s On Now
So, the basics are covered: where and when to go. Now it is time for you to decide which exhibitions are of most interest to you. Though you could decide on the spot if you wanted to, it is better to plan ahead, as there is so much on offer and without this bit of research, you may miss out on something really special or specific to your interests.
Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition is currently one of the hottest options at the London Design Museum, so you must get your tickets in advance. Get a peek into the world and life of one of the 20th century’s greatest filmmakers. Cornflakes to Cola is a free event that pays tribute to the work of the Sainsbury’s Design Studio and how graphic design influences consumerism. There are a number of other free events, such as Material Innovation: Sustainable Textiles and Made in 1989 – Celebrating 30 years of the Design Museum, the former detailing Land Rover’s movement towards sustainability with their selection of high-quality, responsibly sourced interior fabrics and the latter being an archival exploration of the last thirty years of design institution.
This is the best time to be visiting the Design Museum, as the first-ever permanent exhibition is installed and waiting to be enjoyed. It is called Designer Maker User and is essentially an introduction to the museum’s collection – a perfect way to get a feel for which exhibitions you are most interested in seeing from the selection of 1000 twentieth and twenty-first-century items representing the evolution of design in contemporary society.
Visiting with kids
If visiting the museum with kids, here is a bit of planning you can do before to ensure the day is enjoyable for everyone.
Firstly, there are several family-friendly events on, but if you are travelling within school holidays or on a weekend, you will want to get there as early as possible to secure your spot. The Create and Make event, for instance, is organised on a drop-in basis and is free, so can get very busy around midday. Secondly, the restaurant there is lovely and therefore extremely popular. Thankfully, they take bookings. So to avoid a hungry child and a long waiting-list, phone ahead and book a table.
So plan your trip (perhaps alongside you’re the concierge at The Park Grand London Kensington Hotel and a big cup of coffee from the hotel lounge) and ensure that your time in the London Design Museum is utilised to its full potential.
Get up early and enjoy a lengthy continental breakfast to make the most of the busy day of learning and design-appreciation ahead.
