London’s Young V&A Museum, Bethnal Green’s Hidden Gem

A local’s guide to visiting the secret Young V&A Museum in Bethnal Green – one of the best museums in East London, and a completely free place to visit!

I remember when I first moved to London.

After Mile End, I moved to the Bethnal Green area, but I think both the Museum of the Home and the Young V&A Museum were undergoing renovation.

So when I went back to London a few months ago (I’m currently in Troyes, France – my hometown), I decided I definitely should have the formerly-named V&A Museum of Childhood on my bucket list.

During that trip – and while I wait to move back to London at the earliest, I chose to visit lots of hidden spots I’d never shown you before, so I could discover new places and share them with you.

If you’re visiting London with kids, if you’re looking for museums with a fashion collection, or if you’re into artsy places that breathe design and aesthetic, the Young V&A Museum is a must-visit.

London’s Young V&A Museum, Bethnal Green’s Hidden Gem

The Young V&A Museum is located on Cambridge Heath Road, in Bethnal Green, East London – and was formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood.

It is easily accessible from both Bethnal Green Station (Central Line) and Cambridge Heath Overground; just a short walk from both stations.

The entire museum is dedicated to exploring childhood as a whole, from its social aspects over time, to children’s culture with toys, games, costumes and design pieces.

Not to be mistaken with the V&A Museum, a famous and also free museum located in South Kensington, the Young V&A is not into classical or fine art, but rather, a true endeavor at understanding and explaining childhood.

Dollhouse Collection, Young V&A Museum, London

My absolute favorite part of the Young V&A Museum is the collection of dollhouses; the first room you can admire as soon as you enter the museum.

It looks like a mini Amsterdam, with carefully-painted details.

As you walk around the museum, you come across all kinds of items from different eras and cultures, with toys, fashion, educational objects, paintings, photographs exhibited with playful colors.

The Street E2, Young V&A Museum, London

The Street E2, one of the key galleries, recreates a section of a typical London street from a bakery to domestic interiors, showing visitors what everyday life looked like over different decades for working- and middle-class Londoners.

Like the nearby Museum of the Home in Hoxton and the Ragged School Museum, the Young V&A feels like an introspection, a step back in time, as well as an educative outing with kids or solo – also a very artsy spot for whoever needs to feel inspired.

Young V&A Museum, London Photo Gallery

London’s Young V&A Museum, Bethnal Green’s Hidden Gem

If you’re looking for really unique spots to visit in London with your kids, the Young V&A Museum is a place I can but recommend – it’s interesting, fun, and free to enter!

When you’re done visiting, why not discover the Bethnal Green area, or make your way to Brick Lane, Shoreditch, or Liverpool Street?

There are many secret gardens in East London, too, like Shoreditch’s Mark Street Gardens and Bishops Square close to Old Spitalfields Market.

Or, if you’re visiting London at Christmas, why not visit the Young V&A in the afternoon before enjoying some ice skating, or a cup of hot chocolate at a Christmas Market?