Name: Design Museum
Rating: 5.0

Design Museum

the Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG, UK

1-90 Years

Description

Welcome to the Design Museum, London’s leading destination dedicated to contemporary design. The museum brings together the public, industry, and education to explore how design shapes our world through exhibitions, talks, and creative workshops. Current highlight: “Blitz: The Club That Shaped the 80s,” celebrating the iconic London nightclub that influenced fashion, music, art, and design. The Permanent Collection – Free Display, Designer Maker User, on Level 2, features nearly 1,000 objects from architecture, fashion, graphics, and digital design. It explores modern design through three perspectives the designer, maker, and user showing how creativity impacts everyday life.

The Design Museum Collection, originating from the 1980s Boilerhouse Project at the V&A, documents key innovations from mass production to the digital age. As a registered charity, the museum continues to inspire through its exhibitions, research, and learning programmes that champion design for a better future.

If you are looking for best museum in Kensington and Chelsea,Greater London then visit Design Museum. It is one of the places in Kensington and Chelsea,Greater London for day out with kids and families.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: Yes

Features

Permanent Collection – Free Display
- Designer Maker User: A free exhibition on Level 2 exploring modern design through three roles: designer, maker and user. Featuring nearly 1,000 objects from architecture and engineering to digital, fashion and graphics, this display showcases how design shapes our lives.
- Design Museum Collection: An important record of designs that shaped the modern world, covering mass production, digital innovation and creative process. The museum collects objects, prototypes, drawings and models that explain design to all audiences.
- Origins: The collection began in the 1980s as the Boilerhouse Project at the V&A. One of the first acquisitions was a Mobil petrol pump by Eliot Noyes (1968), featured in the 1982 Art and Industry exhibition.
Highlights
- Designer: David Mellor’s traffic light, Kinneir & Calvert’s British road signage, London Tube prototype by PriestmanGoode.
- Maker: Thonet bentwood chair, Model T Ford, London 2012 Olympic Torch, 3D printing.
- User: Dieter Rams’ record player, Sony Walkman, Apple iPhone, Olivetti Valentine typewriter.
Crowdsourced Wall: As part of Designer Maker User, nearly 500 people suggested their most important objects to feature at the entrance of the exhibition. The wall includes more than 200 nominated objects from 25 countries, showcasing the close relationships people have with everyday designs that shape their lives. Items on display include a Bible, a Coca-Cola can, a £5 banknote, a pair of rubber gloves and a plastic garden chair.
Family Explorer Trail: Visitors can check out the printable Family Explorer Trail booklet to engage young creatives while exploring the permanent collection. Suitable for children aged 6–10 years. All they need is a pencil.

Facilities

Eat & Drink
Design Museum Shop
Lockers
Trained assistance dogs.
Photography and filming on personal devices are permitted in the museum, but no flash is allowed

What to see

Exhibitions: Design is a continually evolving subject. The Design Museum offers opportunities to explore the present and future of design through a programme of temporary exhibitions and displays. Explore more visit: https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions
What's On: See what's new in the museum's inspiring programme of events. Click here

Website

Contact

Video

Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: Yes

Birthday Party Details

Venue Hire

Located on Kensington High Street with beautiful views over Holland Park, the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design is an architectural icon and is available to hire for corporate and private events. The Design Museum’s stunningly refurbished 1960s building offers multiple venues for a range of different events including drinks receptions, conferences, awards ceremonies, dinners, product launches and meetings.
The museum operates as a registered charity and all funds generated through venue hire go towards supporting the Museum’s vision for everyone to understand the value of design.
View and download Venue Hire Brochure here.
For more information and to discuss your ideas, please get in touch with the team via: +44 203862 5907 (Mon-Fri) or e-mail: [email protected]

10:00 – 17:00 Monday to Thursday
10:00 – 18:00 Friday to Sunday
Some ticketed exhibitions will be open until 20:00 on weekends – please check our Opening times page for further information. The museum opens daily, including bank holidays. Closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Address: the Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG, UK

Post Code: W8 6AG

Council: Kensington and Chels

County: Greater London

The museum is located at 224-238 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London W8 6AG, on the corner of Earl's Court Road and Kensington High Street at the entrance of Holland Park.
Please note that High Street Kensington tube station will be closed this weekend for engineering works. You can get to the museum via Earl's Court tube station (10-15 minutes walk), Holland Park tube station (15-20 minutes walk), or Kensington Olympia overground station (15-20 minutes walk). For the latest updates visit TfL's journey planner.
By cycle:
- Cycle Parking :Cycle parking is available in front of the Design Museum as well as along Kensington High Street.
- Santander Cycle Scheme: There are several Santander Cycle docking stations located near the Design Museum. It is only about a 10-minute ride from the museum district in South Kensington.
- Find a docking station
- Cycle Routes: If you are travelling on your own bicycle, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Bikeminded initiative provides useful information, routes, and cycling tips.
- Visit Bikeminded
- Cycling Tips: The Design Museum is located outside the Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone. Cycling is a convenient and sustainable way to travel to the museum, with several secure parking spaces available for visitors.
- View Cycling Tips
Getting Here on Foot
- From High Street Kensington Station – 10-minute walk south-west along Kensington High Street (nearest station).
- From Holland Park Station – 15-minute walk south through Holland Park.
- From Kensington Olympia Station – 15-minute walk north-east along Hammersmith Road and Kensington High Street.
- From Earl’s Court Station – 15-minute walk north along Earl’s Court Road.
- From South Kensington – Approximately 25-minute walk from Exhibition Road in South Kensington.
Underground
- District and Piccadilly lines to South Kensington
- District and Piccadilly lines to Earl’s Court
- Central line to Holland Park
- District and Circle lines to High Street Kensington
Rail: Overground network to Kensington Olympia Station
Bus: The following bus routes stop near the Design Museum: 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, C1
By Car: The museum does not have its own car park. View parking information in Kensington
By Coach: Drop-off and pick-up are available on Kensington High Street, to the west of the junction with Holland Green Place. Short-term coach parking is available on Seagrave Road and Bayswater Road.