The museums permanent collection is free and you can get a ticket to see the special exhibitions that are going on at the time. On my visit they featured works by Ai Wei Wei as well as a separate exhibition featuring contemporary Saris. I ended up getting the ticket 4 the WeiWei exhibition. Really liked the works on display as well as the overview of historical design artifacts in the permanent collection. I had to be somewhere after so I left after a little over an hour but I could have easily spent over 2 hours there. Definitely recommend. read more

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The Design Museum is a free museum that you'd expect to pay £20 or more to visit. The exhibits are thorough, engaging, and just plain fun! Some are even interactive. The museum has five level with two above ground and two below. Some of the exhibits are special rotating exhibits which do require a special paid ticket to visit. Besides those you're free to just walk on in and visit! There are no timed free tickets. Expect to spend 2-3 hours here or more. read more

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The Design Museum is located in Holland Park, in the Kensington area of Central London. It is a free museum that highlights the innovation of design and technology. The Museum at a glance is very sleek and modern, it was newly remodeled and is very user friendly. Lots to see, touch and interact with. Areas to sit and gather, informative areas to learn and teach, interesting exhibits to see and experience. At the time of my visit (August 2019), they had a Stanley Kubrick exhibit. I'm a fan of his work and loved seeing the car from Clockwork Orange, as well as items from the movie The Shining. I loved his early photography work that lined the gallery walls as well. A great highlight that all ages can relate to is the exhibit on technology and the evolving design and innovation of products. Not only does it show older products, but they also show the newer ones as well to focus on how they advanced into the products they are today. The Design Museum is a great place to visit and bring the kids. It will get them off the iphones and start learning about how they were made instead. read more

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The Design Museum was a wonderful place to spend a morning! Although the museum is not as quite as expansive as others in London, it was still quite informative and well done. Overall, a lovely experience but I do have to give a special shoutout to the Cafe located inside the Museum. Really excellent food and drink, would recommend going to visit the cafe itself. read more

I thought this was a great option to spend some time on a rainy day in London. It's free and highlights the history of design! I spent an hour or so walking around here with some friends and really enjoyed it. The place had clean bathrooms and overall was just pleasant to lose yourself in. You can spend as much time as you'd really like; from 30 minutes to hours and hours. It's amazing that it's free! Highly recommended. read more

Nice bright modern museum to relax and enjoy the exhibits. Clean restrooms. A nice place to check out after a walk in Holland park. read more

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Well..I expected a lot more...it was nice..and had a few nice exhibits. I'm a hifi and radio nut..so the collection of hifi was great.. Well.. as promised I don't sugar coat... Very little marking signs or a museum map..I was traveling with a handicapped person..it did have lifts..but little to no signage as to where things were.. Museum entrance is free but we went to the Stanley Kubrick...exhibit £16..each..about $25usd... Some cool things ..but imo..no flames please..just not worth seeing a pile of stuff he owned..they should have concentrated on the movies.. They did have one of his cars..an adams.. read more

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Another lovely museum in the Kensington area. We visited on a Friday evening (open until 6) on a non-school-holiday, so unlike most other reviewers, we had a very relaxed, non crowded experience. There's a huge shop in a separate building at the entry, which I did not visit on this trip. As you enter the main building, the open space from top to bottom hits you. The staircase is so wide and they have cushioned part of it, so people can sit on the stairs comfortably. The lights under the banisters and other tiny details, illustrate the thought that has gone into the design of the design museum even though the building is actually repurposed from the former commonwealth institute. The building has 4 floors. The ground floor has the ticket desks, a smaller shop (lots of books on design), a lovely cafe and one of the special exhibition venues. One floor lower has another special exhibition venue. Both of these are separately ticketed in the 15£ range. Currently on offer are Fear & Love : Reactions to a complex world and Imagine Moscow : Architecture, Propaganda, Revolution. The mezzanine holds offices and 2 photo exhibition spaces. The top floor has more offices, a conference room and a free exhibit, currently "designer, maker, user" We quite enjoyed this exhibit. My husband is deeply interested in design, so he plans to return for a whole day and visit both the ticketed exhibits too. It's a very specific interest museum, so it need not be on your "must visit" list. But if design is an interest, then do make time to visit this space. read more

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Oooh I really liked visiting the brand new design museum. I love the new building!! I knew that it had opened recently...but I didn't realise that last weekend was the first time they opened their doors! When we arrived there was a queue right to the back of the courtyard BUT it was moving quickly, so we just went to the back and stood in line for about 10 minutes. Once we made it inside we wandered straight up to the top floor to look at the free exhibitions. The kind of things they show are similar to the old museum - it basically shows how design influences everything in our lives. They also show a little about the design and manufacturing processes. I thought it was all good to see, but there were sooo many people that we couldn't get particularly close to some exhibits. I think the whole place will be amaaaaazing in six months time when things have calmed down. If you are thinking of coming to visit before it calms down, come early! By the time we were leaving the free exhibition, there was a queue the whole way across the courtyard into the building and up several flights of stairs!! read more

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Usually a big fan of all of London's museums but this one is a bit disappointing. The space looks nice with a touch of nordic minimalism, especially with the big space in the center. However, it doesn't seem functional for the volume of visitors it's receiving. The staircases are all very narrow, I felt claustrophobic when walking down to the exhibition in lower level. There was a long line for seeing the permanent free exhibition, and the ventilation at lower level needs to be improved. With a ceiling so high, somehow I still felt really hard to breathe. I feel that the museum seems to put too much emphasis on being stylish, but there's so much wasted space and it's not designed to serve its audience. It would be a fantastic space for a Muji flagship store though! read more

Design Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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Ok what am I doing here? It's not really my motif coming here. Everyone knows I have no fashion or design sense whatsoever. Well, I wanted to make the best out of my London Pass so the Design Museum was in the vicinity of the London Bridge, so I figured coming here for an hour wouldn't be so bad. So they had everything from women's clothes, contemporary furniture design and they had the special Christian Louboutin exhibit where everything inside were women's shoes. I wasn't completely bored. They had this really cool electric car with an iPad built in the front seat. So you can drive and watch a movie or play Words with Friends at the same time. So this museum is good if you're a woman, a designer, or like shoes and stuff. I think it was pretty cheap to go in. At least I had the London Pass to get me in. There's a free wi-fi at the cafe down stairs. Photography is not allowed, but I managed to sneak some photos. read more

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This little museum has beautiful architecture and I loved the variety of the exhibits. My partner and I met up with some friends from graduate school here. While the open center space makes it difficult to find someone you're trying to meet, it does a great job of pulling you into the world of a particular exhibit. We went on a Friday afternoon and it wasn't crowded at all. I didn't feel pressured to move quickly through through the exhibits and had the time to fully examine whatever I wanted in the galleries. read more

I'm going to be honest- I'm completely baffled by the negative reviews left by previous visitors. I visited this lovely little museum earlier this afternoon and found it quite interesting! I'll admit, it's not a typical British museum- the free display is smaller than what most museum goers in London have come to expect. But, it's packed with information- from design innovation all the way to the practical application of design in the career field. And, for those that bother to read the placards you'll find that the displays are very interactive. The gift shops were beautifully curated and streamlined. I also applaud the amazing staff there- they were welcoming and very knowledgeable. In fact, I spent quite a while chatting with one staff member about the architecture of the museum itself- they have replicated their building with their 3D printer. That chat alone was worth the visit (and I highly recommend that you inquire about the structure itself and it's unique features.) No, this isn't a museum that will occupy your entire day. But, I think it's only fair to keep in mind that while most of the other museums in the London area have been around for YEARS- this one is brand new- curation takes time ladies and gentlemen.... And since Design is ever evolving it's truly unrealistic to expect them to address it in full at such an early age.. I would visit again in a heart beat!! Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon!!! read more

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Every professional design-person I know frequents this museum. Their collection includes hallmark examples of contemporary design that include everything from chairs to electronics. The interior is all-white, and my favourite permanent feature are the quotes they have emblazoned over the each flight of stairs. (Ha... even walking through an homage to design I can't escape the fact that 'm simply more of verbal than a visual person). The main event at the Design Museum, however, is their ever-changing exhibitions. Right now it's "Design Cities that Changed the World," but in the past they've featured everything from photographer Tim Walker to the fashion of Mathew Williamson. The museum is so small, and the exhibitions change with such relative frequency, that whether the Design Museum merits three of four stars is really dependent on what they currently have on offer. Definitely pay a visit if they have a show that has inherent interest to you - you won't come away disappointed... but probably not the best place to simply wander into if you're merely exploring. Their shop is great though. Isn't that just the case with all museum stores? read more

Design Museum - Great Quotes - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

Besides I regularly visit the Design Museums exhibitions, I think the buyer has an excellent selection of stylish, modern and avant-garde books, post cards and products. The shop has evolved from a small outlet selling postcards and a handful of products into a destination store for design conscious visitors from all over the world. I have found some ceramic mugs, which looked like crinkled plastic cups. The Design Museum Shop carries products designed and created by the world's most well regarded designers, but also places emphasis on supporting and presenting new, young and emerging talents. Another time I looked for a good architecture book for my brother while my friend found a book about pitching. I am reading that now...very useful and not too academic. The books selected for the Design Museum Shop explore all areas of design. Focusing on the latest new titles on advertising, architecture, branding, fashion, graphics, illustration, motion graphics, products, theory and web design. It is definitely a place where you spend for hours looking and reading. read more

Design Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

This intimate museum is perfect for design or art students. It categorizes the five major events in design and takes your eyes on a wacky visual adventure! The structure of the ground floor of the museum is a bit strange as it looks more like a warehouse with furniture than a gallery of work. Upstairs there are currently two interactive guest exhibitions containing sketches, photography and video installations of Alan Aldridge and Patricia Urquiola's work. The gift shop is a great highlight of the museum, and the entrance cost was a little too high for me to give this museum more stars. read more

Design Museum - The Design Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

I see that some people are put off by the relatively small collection open for free visitors, but I'd disagree. I get overwhelmed by massive museums in which you feel you need to rush to just scratch the surface, and I'm much more pleased with smaller museums that are manageable in size and scope. When we visited the Design Museum in June 07 there were two main exhibits open to the public without a fee and both were fantastic -- I particularly enjoyed the exhibit on the evolution of everyday design technology and some incredible displays showing the changes of commonplace items like the adding machine and the camera; the other exhibition on Cartier was equally enthralling, telling an amazing story I had never known, with an exhaustive collection of Cartier watches and other dazzling objects. After 90 minutes I was satisfied and did not feel the need to pay entry to the other two exhibits. The design of the museum building itself is wonderful, with a welcoming setback from the busy street that allows you to get a sense of how it is integrated with the beautiful Holland Park behind it. Inside, a soaring main hall presents both an eye-popping view but is warm and close enough to be human-scaled. The restaurant on the top floor is terrific and even slightly affordable compared to other high-end museum restaurants. If the weather is nice, do leave time to explore Holland Park, which features a beautiful English flower garden and a quiet, meditative Japanese garden just about 10-15 minutes away. We even encountered a beautiful peacock roaming the garden, which was a treat. read more

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A little oasis of cool in the heart of the city. Once thought of as a glorified Habitat style homewares shop, the Design Museum has really hit its stride recently and has showcased some really lovely exhibitions over the last year or so. Highly recommended as a weekend destination, if only for the lovely Konditor and Cook cakes from Borough Market. Luckily I only live down the road so can pop in on a regular basis, but for those of you who are further afield it is definitely worth the effort to visit. read more

Design Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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I come every year for the British Insurance Award exhibits. This is one of my most favourite museums in London because I love the subject of design. I think it's a wonderful combination of art and skill. Be it fashion, furniture, or car design. This year there was a strong iPad presence that I didn't really care for. Best social media magazine - Flipbook (on a iPad) Best Game - Angry Birds (on an iPad) iPad, iPad, iPad, I love apple but it was a bit much. I think it would have been better if the iPad had their own section. I love seeing the collaborative work of the scientists, engineers and artists to create something inspiring. When you can gain admission to the Tate Museum, a world class art museums for free but have to pay 11 for admission to a small design museum. I can understand people's lack of excitement. But come looking for innovation and inspiration. I think it's exciting and well worth the time and money. read more

The Design Museum is hidden away amongst a multitude of brick buildings and gusty Thames wind. After venturing from Tower Hill tube station, a deceptive sign sent me towards a glass building and attempted to weave me through yachts and waterside cafes. Hideously lost I eventually headed across the bridge and viola! The museum has a large collection of work available for viewing on their on-line gallery, floor space is reserved for exhibitions. At present, the first floor of this intimate gallery holds Hussein Chalayan's fashion pieces until May 17th and upstairs until June 14th are the British Insurance Designs of 2009. Chalayan describes his work as being a narrative, story-telling through fashion and technology. His use of technologically advanced fabric, traditional & geometric print textiles and analogous mannequins makes passing through the exhibit semi-surreal. In my opinion, the highlight of the exhibit was a video installation. Almost an anti-fashion show, the models carried briefcases that became chairs, whose slip covers became intricate dresses. The British Insurance Designs are varied and worth a look. With everything from colourful typefaces to innovative website design, the collection is inspirational. See work such as Prada's Fairies campaign video "Trembled Blossom" and the Barack Obama Progress poster by Shepard Fairey. Prices are reasonable at £8.50 adults, £6.50 concessions, £5 students and free for under 12s. If you're in the area, check out the café and great bookstore free of charge. read more

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The design museum gift shop... for all the Wim Crouwel ceramic magnets, state of the obvious office supplies, crinkle cups, Fika cups and £20 wooden door stops you never knew you needed by now can't live without. Oh, and great toilets. read more

This is a small museum, it costs quite a lot to get in and it is good for an hour or two at most. When I went, one of the exhibitions was on shoes. It was ok! I wish it was more interactive though. There are quite a few chairs in the exhibitions, why can't I sit on them? I'd recommend looking at the forthcoming exhibitions and picking one you fancy because the stuff that's there permanently is maybe not quite enough to warrant a visit. But find an exhibition you fancy and go to it! Also, the shop is what you'd expect of a design museum shop and you can certainly lose yourself and spend some good time in there. read more

Very cool museum. Definitely one of my favorites so far! Went mainly to check out the exhibits: Christian Louboutin and the Designs of the Year 2012. Little did I know that the special exhibits were the whole museum! The Louboutin exhibit was supremely well done, I thought. The flow of the exhibit, the fonts used on the write-ups on the wall, the decor and sets for the shoes, just fantastically designed. But I guess that should be expected in the Design Museum?! Designs of the Year exhibit was pretty cool too. Lots of stuff to see, including a little section dedicated to the Olympic designs (Olympic torch got design of the year). Got to play a bit of Xbox Kinect, and see my face replaced via a face-off app on an ipad! Eek! Definitely worth a visit. I wish there was a permanent exhibit area, though! I hear the museum is set to relocate soon, so perhaps they'll have more space for permanent stuff then. read more

This is a beautiful Museum with a nice view of the Thames. They have a nice Cafe and Restaurant as well to enjoy. It's a great place to have a cocktail exhibit and what a fresh environment to show off your best works. The gallery owners are great hosts as well. read more

I came in to use the toilet; I'll be honest. I left with a CMYK Mighty Wallet (http://www.dynomighty.com/products.php?s=mighty%20wallets). The buyer for the Design Museum Shop is pretty amazing. And it'd be pretty amazing if I lived in Shad Thames and didn't end up going bankrupt from buying all the knick knacks, doo dads and doohickies at the Design Museum Shop. read more

This museum was a welcomed change from the very touristy, historically focused attractions around Central London. We had no idea this museum even existed as we were travelling down a cobblestone alley that runs past Tower Bridge. There were 2 exhibits running. The first exhibit featured Christian Louboutin, a french high end shoe designer. Interesting to see all the designs he experimented with. The exhibit was a little long as my fiance was fascinated with what he created. I did enjoy it, but it was looking forward to exploring the rest of the museum. The second exhibit on the top floor showed the Designs of the Year 2012. I really enjoyed this floor filled with winning designs that covered everything from print, to gaming, to industrial design and everything between. Wonderful concepts and ideas on display that challenged and explored today's problems around the world. Loved it. read more

Small as it is, the Design Museum is packed with interesting factoids and models of contemporary design such as a simple park bench, keyboards, a chandelier of found objects, an Eames chair, etc. The museum is small enough to fit into a quick visit but you leave more informed. The exhibits covered two floors. And, there seems to be a room where you may get hands-on workshops, but that was closed the day that I visited. The entrance price was about 50 percent off with a discount coupon from a popular visitor's guide provided by my hotel. On the ground-floor is the now-ubiquitous museum-store and museum-cafe. I didn't stop in the cafe, but I did browse the little store and thought there were many whimsical and compelling books on design and other things to buy there. The location of the museum is very convenient as it is very near London Bridge and The Tate. It sits of the Thames of course, where you can take a nice long stroll along the sidewalk trail with plenty of resting spots and picturesque spots on the way. Then there is the neighboring arcade of restaurants, cafes and other businesses in between; which was great for taking shelter from the on-off spurts of rainfall. read more

The shop a the Design museum is not quite the MOMA shop but it does have that similar feel. Obviously the store will promote the products of the current exhibition but they also have a really good range of design and architecture books. The museum promotes contemporary design and the shop reflects this modernity. I do get a bit surprised at some ludicrous prices of kitchenware especially, which simply has an artists stamp on it but hey, it's only as valuable as you think it is. On the whole, it's a good browsing place for inspiration and the odd gift for valuable friends. I flash my ubiquitous student card whenever I go and it's worth becoming a member for discounts. read more

This is a boutique museum in London next to the Thames that features rotating exhibits about design (as if the name didn't make it obvious enough). It's a really great place to go if you're at all interested in design, but be warned that it is on the pricier side (especially considering many larger museums in London are free), possibly because it is more obscure and specialized. When I visited the museum in summer 2014, one of the exhibits was a series called "Designs of the Year," which was a fascinating celebration of great design in a variety of fields: industrial, architecture, graphic, product, fashion, experience, etc. As a bit of a design geek, it was a lot of fun to gawk at all the products and designs featured, pointing out ones I recognized from design blogs. The other exhibits are usually more specialized, featuring a particular designer's work or exploring a theme in a particular field of design. Definitely worth a visit if you are in London and have a design bent, but this place is probably not for everyone. The views of the Thames River and nearby Tower Bridge are also pretty great from this location, so be sure to take a walk by the water after your visit! read more

I have to say my knowledge when it comes to fashion is only a little. I enjoy shopping, even window shopping but this was just frustrating. Maybe I didn't get the point. It's not really a museum is it!? We saw some fashion exhibition that was done by a guy who worked for a sports label. The collection was small, this is a small museum, and was interesting but fashion design really does have to be your thing for this to capture your imagination. It's expensive in my opinion to get in and for it size, not worth going unless you really love the subject being exhibited. The best bit was all the very top floor which displayed all the current greatest design inventions. That was fantastic. I think my problem with this place is that it is so small that if you don't have an interest in some of what they are showing, you aren't really left with much else to look at. The one thing that is amazing is the gift shop. I know, i know, shopping. But seriously the gifts here are fantastic, with a great selection of books and interesting objects for the home. read more

Love this place. Very inspirational and just had a wonderful baguette in Grazing cafe inside. read more

Design Museum - A must visit place if you enjoy anything about design - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

Alphabet of Endangered Species in the British Isles would make a good gift. Get anything by Jonathan Barnbook. I love the Greenaid bag but it was already sold out when I visited. The Saul Bass exhibition poster is great. When I go back I might look for Alessi red wine glasses or the Citi Skyline set. read more

My only problem with this museum is the location. Other than that, the museum is fantastic. I only saw the Louboutin exhibit because the others were closed so I can only speak to that. It was wonderfully laid out and curated in general. The only downside was not being allowed to take photos. read more

Design Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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Don't expect a MOMA. While the Brit Insurance 2010 exhibits were very interesting, selecting designs from all over the world across diverse ideas, I felt that 8.50 was a bit too much for the small museum. The permanent show of the architectural designs probably meant more to those in that specialisation, but I felt it was a little inaccessible for the average punter. Another floor of interesting designs would have made it feel like aa journey worth making. read more

The Design Museum located within Shad Thames is a great place to go if you are looking for a bit of design based inspiration. The exhibitions which are held over two floors change frequently but run long enough for you to allow time to visit. Ranging from fashion exhibitions (the Tim Walker Pictures exhibition was fantastic), photography, to architectural, there is something that will appeal to all tastes. In addition to exhibitions, the museum often holds seminars, talks and screenings and the shop is fantastic for reference books and quirky gifts though perhaps a little expensive. This is a great place to visit, especially at the weekend, but at £8.50 for adults, it is rather on the expensive side if you just fancy 'popping in'. read more

This is one of those museums that tourists don't really flock to as much and is probably more of interest to people with some direct involvement in design - whether it's kettles, ipods, cars or the man who does everything, Philippe Stark. It's a little bit like that one section in MOMA where they show you all the evolution of certain design ideas and some cool current examples. Many collections are constantly changing so always have a look at the website for updated information. They also do lots of conferences here which must be nice for the city types who get a free lunch with a view. There's also a restaurant and a shop for your more fundamental needs so what are you waiting for? read more

High Class and stylish works by cutting edge designers are on show here and if you are looking affordable replica china and glass items then this is the place to look. You can have a look at many unusual things especially from the designer Tord Boontje. There are also a few signed limited edition Peter Saville prints read more

I'm a interior design fan so I found the showcases here worth making the visit. the combination of practical and beautiful throwing in cutting edge design and one off pieces. Design Mart was on when I visited...late last year-showcasing up and coming designers who have graduated within the past 5 years. Entry is 7 pounds for adults read more

The design museum is not so much as a desination but more of a stop-over. I love architectural exibitions but it is just not a place where I will make an effort to go unless I am just round the corner on the way to somewhere else. There are usually about £8 entry charge for exhibitions. Occasionally, there are events and openings which are usually packed with architects and designers. read more

Nice walk by the river until you get there Once in, it's not like it was before: everything's so neat and futuristic, it makes you sick. I even got freaked out by their almost telepathic hand-dryer! Show-wise, nothing exciting: just went there because King Matthew Williamson decided to show his ten-year retrospective there. Nice one, but not being an architecture fan (let alone erudite), I got rather anesthetised by Zaha Hadid's visionary designs I can't tell you much about their prices, as I got in for free (the joys of PR!) and would certainly not have paid for this. read more