Family Days Out

Kensington is a great destination for a family trip offering entertainment for kids of all ages. We’ve picked some of the most popular family-friendly things to do and sorted them into a handy list.

Kensington Palace Explore the birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to young royals for over 300 years. Walk in the footsteps of royalty in Victoria’s re-imagined childhood rooms and the magnificent King’s State Apartments and Queen’s State Apartments. As well as being a popular visitor destination, Kensington Palace is the official residence of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children. Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX. 0333 320 6000 www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/#gs.fwwzs3 Kensington Gardens Once part of Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens offers a mix of old and new park pastimes and green space. Get your fix of contemporary art and architecture at the Serpentine Galleries, marvel at the history and heritage of Kensington Palace or admire the Victorian splendour of the Albert Memorial. Over in the Diana Memorial Playground , kids will enjoy the huge wooden pirate ship, sensory trail and play sculptures, inspired by the adventures of fictional park hero, Peter Pan London W2 2UH. 0300 061 2000 www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens Holland Park Royal Borough’s largest park. It has the following facilities: 22.5 hectares of gardens, children’s play facilities sports areas a cafeteria large areas of woodland abundant with wildlife. Please note dogs are not permitted inside the garden. Holland Park also has the beautiful Kyoto Garden. This is the Japanese garden donated by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto in 1991. Holland Park is also the base of the borough’s Ecology Service. The Ecology Centre at Holland Park runs a series of events, activities and educational visits for schools. We also run a wildlife club for children, holiday activities, and a full programme of events for all ages. Ilchester Pl, London W8 6LU. 020 7602 2226 www.rbkc.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/parks/hollandpark Natural History Museum A natural history museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. With plenty to discover and learn for all ages your sure to have an adventurous family day out. Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD. 020 7942 5000 www.nhm.ac.uk/ Science Museum Our museum tells the stories of the extraordinary human achievement and technological advances that have helped humanity overcome challenges throughout history. From Helen Sharman’s iconic space suit to Amy Johnson’s marvellous Gipsy Moth aeroplane. Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD. 0330 058 0058 www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ St James’s Park St James’s Park includes The Mall and Horse Guards Parade, and is surrounded by landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Whitehall. The park’s famous flower beds at the front of Buckingham Palace are a familiar backdrop to pageants including Trooping the Colour, as well as state visits and other ceremonial occasions. Enjoy impressive views of the lake and fountain from St James’s Café, watch the resident pelicans at feeding time, or while away a sunny afternoon in a deckchair. London SW1A 2BJ. 0300 061 2350 www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/st-jamess-park Hyde Park Set right in the heart of London, Hyde Park offers both world-class events and concerts together with plenty of quiet places to relax and unwind. Dip your toes in the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, brave an open water swim in the Serpentine, or just admire the views across the lake from a waterside café. Have a go at tennis, horse riding, or join the many joggers, walkers and cyclists enjoying the open air. London W2 2UH. 0300 061 2000 www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park Victoria and Albert Museum The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK’s national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance. Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. 020 7942 2000 www.vam.ac.uk/ Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the United Kingdom’s most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no government funding. Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP. 020 7589 8212 www.royalalberthall.com/ The Albert Memorial The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens is one of London’s most ornate monuments. It commemorates the death of Prince Albert in 1861 of typhoid. The Albert Memorial is located in Kensington Gardens on Albert Memorial Road opposite the Royal Albert Hall. It is one of London’s most ornate monuments, designed by George Gilbert Scott. Influenced by the series of 13th Century Eleanor Crosses (Charing Cross perhaps being the most famous) and other statues in Edinburgh and Manchester, the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens is one of the grandest highVictorian gothic extravaganzas anywhere. Kensington Gardens, London W2 2UH. 020 7298 2000 www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens