Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

About the Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A or VAM) in the United Kingdom is the world's largest museum of applied and decorative arts, design, and historical craft traditions—with a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects housed across 6 sites. It was founded in 1852 as the Museum of Manufactures, and subsequently renamed in honour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The V&A's main London site is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in an area known as "Albertopolis" due to the many cultural institutions, monuments, and other features that bear Prince Albert's name, or with which he was associated. In addition to the Victoria and Albert Museum, these include the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Imperial College, Royal Albert Hall, Prince Consort Road, and the Albert Memorial. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is "a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity"; its stated goal is "to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators". As with other national British museums, entrance is free. In addition...