Victoria and Albert Museum–a new favorite

by Judy Bereza, guest blogger

I have a new favorite museum. In fact, it is so high on my “Great Museums of the World” list, my husband and I became members, even though it is 4,000 miles away. Small comfort: we now receive their exquisite magazine so we can read all about the wonderful events we are missing.

Located in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum is not only a place to house England’s art and artifact treasures, it is a work of art in its own right. The group of buildings that compromise the museum is a progression through 150 years of British design history.

We visited in June of 2018 and, wow, there it was in the lobby; a Dale Chihuly chandelier.

Being a proud Grand Rapidian, seeing a similar chandelier to the one in our own Meijer Gardens was a proud moment. I found myself wishing I had the nerve to nudge visitors nearby to say, “See that glorious glass chandelier? My city has one too!”

For more about Dale Chihuly, read these DesignDestination blog posts. Seattle: A creative place to be or Seattle a Mecca for Glass Sculpture .

For a blog post about the fabulous Chihuly exhibit in Grand Rapids, click here.

Typically, when you visit a notable museum, you are hoping for one blockbuster exhibit. At the V and A there were three. One showcased how the environment influenced fashion through the ages, another was an interactive exhibit about everything technology offers for our future on earth (my husband’s favorite), and a third on the golden age of luxury ocean liners.

Which one to choose? Problem solved by joining the museum and seeing all three. An additional perk: members eat in their own restaurant at the top of the museum under a glass arched ceiling. Delicious food, rarified atmosphere.

Each gallery is a marvel of architecture, and visitors miss out if they concentrate only on the displays and miss the surroundings. I read that one of the most popular tours is an architectural tour of the buildings themselves.

It was a hot, sunny Saturday when we visited, and there were lots of families streaming through the lobby directly to the vast courtyard where children happily splashed in the storied, historic wading pool, and adults chilled and picnicked on the grass. The V and A has achieved that perfect balance of “educating and inspiring” its visitors while inviting them to relax and enjoy themselves along the way.

Susan’s note: Thank you, Judy, for sharing this experience. Makes me want to hop on a plane and head to London. For my favorite London Museum check out this blog post about the History of London Museum. It’s a great place to visit too.

Judy Bereza is a retired interior designer/kitchen expert, constant walker and “Nana” to five adorable grand children. With friends she has hiked in Wales, Cornwall, Switzerland, Smokey Mountain National Park, Ireland and California.