Best for
Design, architecture and fashion enthusiasts
Time needed
1–2 hours (longer with a ticketed exhibition)
Worth it?
Yes, especially if a current exhibition interests you — free collection is a bonus
Skip if
Design history isn't your thing and no current exhibition appeals
About Design Museum
Founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1989, the Design Museum began life on Bankside before moving in 2016 into its current home — a 1960s Grade II*-listed building on Kensington High Street originally built for the Commonwealth Institute, redeveloped by architect John Pawson around its distinctive hyperbolic paraboloid copper roof. The move tripled the museum's exhibition space and won it the European Museum of the Year award in 2018.
The free permanent collection, "Designer Maker User," traces the story of modern design across three lenses — the designers who create objects, the makers who manufacture them, and the users who shape their meaning through daily use — with everything from an original Anglepoise lamp to early Apple computers and iconic chair design on display.
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The museum's real draw for many visitors is its rotating programme of ticketed exhibitions, which have covered subjects from Ferrari's design history to Stanley Kubrick's filmmaking and major fashion and architecture retrospectives — these paid shows are usually where the museum's most talked-about content lives.
The building itself, with its soaring open atrium beneath the copper roof, is worth the visit even on a day with no exhibition that particularly interests you.
What to See: Highlights
- 1The "Designer Maker User" free permanent collection
- 2The striking 1960s hyperbolic paraboloid copper roof and atrium
- 3Rotating major ticketed exhibitions on fashion, film and design icons
- 4Original examples of iconic 20th-century product design
- 5A well-stocked design-focused shop and café
- 6Free general admission to the core collection
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Insider Tips
Check what ticketed exhibition is currently on before you go — it's often the highlight
The free permanent collection alone takes about 45 minutes to an hour
The building is a 5-minute walk from Holland Park for a green break afterwards
Photography is generally welcome in the permanent collection
Combine with Kensington Palace or Hyde Park, both a short walk away
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Getting There
224–238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG
Open in Google Maps →- 1High Street Kensington (Circle, District lines) — a 3-minute walk.
Where to stay
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you visit.
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Should You Visit?
Visit if...
- You have an interest in product, fashion or architectural design
- A current ticketed exhibition (film, fashion, car design) appeals to you
- You appreciate striking modern architecture repurposing a historic building
- You're already exploring Kensington High Street or Holland Park
Skip if...
- Design history holds little interest for you and no exhibition is currently appealing
- You're short on time and Kensington's bigger museums (V&A, Natural History) are a higher priority
Ready to Book Your Visit?
More to See in London
Science Museum
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Victoria and Albert Museum
The world's largest museum of art, design and performance — 5,000 years of human creativity from Raphael cartoons to Alexander McQueen couture, free to enter.