Museums in Kensington/ Chelsea (London)

Museum of Fulham Palace

Once the home of the Bishop of London and situated in the picturesque Bishop's Park, the Museum building - based in an early 19th century part of Fulham Palace - has a Tudor courtyard, herb garden, and beautiful grounds. There are displays of stained glass, archaeology, and garden history. An audio tour is available to guide you around the outside of the building and the gardens. There are also guided tours of the gardens by the curator - call for details of when these take place. Holiday activities for children and school visits are held on a regular basis at the museum, and after hours the halls can be hired for special occasions such as wedding receptions.

Serpentine Gallery

Serpentine Gallery is a beloved venue showing modern and contemporary art. A small but perfectly formed series of rooms, the gallery in Kensington Gardens holds equally small but perfectly formed exhibitions from Turner Prize nominees Jane and Louise Wilson's video installations to an exhibition of artworks that parody nature. The gallery also plays host to informal pre-concert events presented by the BBC Proms in the summer.

Movie Poster Art Gallery

Stocking a vibrant and varied range of vintage movie posters, charting cinematic history through the ages and genres, the gallery features advertising artwork and artifacts right from the Victorian times, the 1930s and film noir of yesteryear to the photographic and computer aided designs of modern times. Proprietor Tim Maddison is admirably knowledgeable and always knows how to track down the best material. These precious and spectacular souvenirs of film advertising and magical movie history are an elixir, for any movie poster collector or connoisseur.

Bravura Creative Art Studio

Bravura is a friendly and colourful creative art studio where you can come and spend a few hours decorating ceramics, doing a bit of glass painting, making a mosaic or designing some jewellery. There is a set studio fee of £5 for adults and £3 for children. If you feel like daubing a bit of paint on some clay, there are about 60 different vessels to choose from. Bravura is hugely popular with kids and runs the Splat Club during the school holidays, specifically for 5-12-year olds who want to get messy. It hosts kids' parties, too, at a cost of £14 per child.

Carlyle's House

Established in 1896 soon after the writer's death, Carlyle's House is one of the oldest literary museums in London so the original decor and furnishings as well as many personal items have been preserved. The Scottish-born historian Thomas Carlyle, who is best known for his history of the French Revolution, moved to this typical tall and thin townhouse in the early part of the Victorian era when Chelsea was still largely undeveloped and unfashionable. Carlyle wrote his monumental tomes in the attic, which he had soundproofed against the noise of his neighbors. He and his wife lived a life full of anecdote and incident and there is much here to delight both those with an interest in literary history and those with an enthusiasm for Victorian interiors.

National Army Museum

If you've been to Chelsea, you may have spotted pensioners sporting full ceremonial military garb - red uniform coat, medals, and even a tricorn hat. The National Army Museum commemorates the lives and times of proud veterans such as these, and is a popular attraction for young and old. If you want to see more of Britain's military history, then visit this museum and see uniforms, medals, weapons, paintings and more. The museum also has a library where the public have access to treasured books, periodicals, memoirs and photographs. Admission is free.

Lucy B. Campbell

Located in the famous hotbed of antiquarian activity that is Kensington Church Street, Lucy B. Campbell is a dealer in fine antique prints and paintings of all eras and origins. Oil paintings, watercolors and sketches on themes from travel to architecture are stocked, though there's a definite bias towards botanical art pieces. A restoration and re-framing service is also offered.

Thackeray Gallery

This small, selective art gallery specializes in modern painting and sculpture, showcasing the work of promising contemporary British artists. Free from pretense despite its reputation, the Thackeray's dealers are helpful and knowledgeable. The Thackeray Gallery now incorporates the Sue Rankin Gallery, and specialized exhibitions are displayed on a monthly basis. Work by artists like Marj Bond, Gordon Bryce and Donald McIntyre are regularly featured here.

Victoria & Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum celebrates the rich culture of a bygone era. It portrays 27,000 works and over 43,000 images including ceramics, fashion, furniture, glass, metalwork, paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, and textiles. Collections from as far as East Asia, South and South-East Asia, the Middle East and Egypt are housed in the V&A Museum. One can explore the world's most comprehensive holding of post-classical European sculpture. The museum frequently holds exhibitions of its collections. And what's more, you could even shop for a lot of things like books, stationery, gifts and jewellery at the museum. The V&A Café has many things for you to munch on.

The Museum Hall at Earls Court

The Museum Hall at the Earl Court is a very versatile space that caters to both public and private events. Though mostly a venue for exhibitions. concerts and parties, it also doubles as a reception area. The hall can hold around 500 people for an informal event, and around 200 for a formal one. Call for additional information.

Royal Hospital Chelsea

King Charles II established The Royal Hospital Chelsea in 1692 as a home for retired soldiers, a purpose it still fulfills today. The historic Restoration-era buildings are open to the public, and several of the halls are available for hire. A variety of events are held throughout the year, including readings and musical performances. Check their website, or call for details on upcoming events.

V&A South Kensington

Predominantly a decorative arts museum, the V&A is a comprehensive collection of sculpture, furniture, glass, photographs and more in periods ranging from ancient to art deco. You can also find the recently refurbished Raphael Gallery here, home to several tapestry cartoons by Raphael that are part of the Royal Collection. There are special theme nights on Wednesdays.