Visiting V&A Storehouse: 7 Things to Know Before You Go

If you’re like us, the V&A Storehouse in London went straight onto your must-visit list the moment you discovered the museum.

Because while museums are cool, what’s even better is going behind the scenes in them!

As absolute suckers for unusual experiences, visiting the V&A East Storehouse was high up on our list of things to do in London.

We didn’t do a lot of research beforehand – after all, we’ve been to plenty of museums before, right?

Turns out, there are some things that we later wished we had known, such as how important it is to wear the right clothes to the V&A Storehouse museum!

That’s why we wrote this post, so that you’re better prepared for your trip, and don’t end up being told off in the first 5 minutes of visiting the museum (true story).

Here are the 7 things you need to know before visiting V&A Storehouse in London.

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Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

What is V&A East Storehouse in London?

Have you seen the V&A Storehouse on social media, but are you still not sure what it is?

Basically, it looks like Costco or the Self-Serve Warehouse in Ikea, except instead of oversized bags of coffee or cheap furniture it showcases all sorts of amazing objects.

It’s a museum archive reimagined – what if items that are not on display at any museum were still accessible to people?

But V&A East Storehouse isn’t just a boring archive. It’s part museum, part library and part a working laboratory. You can request objects from the collection to see up close, watch conservators repairing and caring for everything from paintings to puppets, and you might even come across someone researching costume inspiration for the next big TV drama! 

Oh, and it’s free, which is great if you’re travelling on a budget!

(Speaking of budget activities, how about front row Wicked tickets that are so cheap, you won’t believe they’re real?)

Is visiting V&A Storehouse worth it?

Um, is that a real question?

Of course the V&A Storehouse is worth visiting!

The museum archive is perfect for you if you:

• enjoy museums and would love to see what happens behind the scenes
• are curious about how things work, rather than just seeing the final result
• are looking for a free activity in London
• want an indoor activity to hide away from the infamous British weather
• love quirky, unusual things to do, rather than just ticking off the usual touristy sights
• want Night at the Museum vibes
• are interested in learning – this isn’t some stuffy museum filled with boring signs that make no sense to anyone. Throughout the V&A Storehouse, you’ll find interactive elements and multimedia displays that help bring the objects to life and tell the stories behind them

Now that we covered why you should visit the V&A Storehouse, let’s talk about the 7 things you should know before going, because honestly, we wished we were better prepared!

Tip no. 1: Dress warm

Since the V&A Storehouse is a home to hundreds of thousands of precious objects, from books to chairs to vases to dollhouses to dresses, the museum archive has to be kept at a certain temperature.

It’s set somewhere between a night bus in Asia and a McDonald’s freezer, both of which we have had the pleasure of experiencing.

What it was like:

• Daniel was wearing a short-sleeve T-shirt and shorts, and claimed he was fine (but he is Scottish, so not a great comparison to a normal person)
• Mirka was wearing a crop top, a jumper and a long (albeit thin) skirt, and was freezing (but she is always cold, even in Jamaica in summer, so also not the best for comparison)

Basically, bring a jumper or two, depending on how badly you feel the cold.

We visited in July, during a heatwave, so the contrast of outside vs inside was even worse.

And that’s exactly the time when you will not be carrying a jumper around on a day trip, so make sure you keep this in mind and plan what to pack into your day bag well.

Speaking of bags, let’s talk about the no-bag policy that is in place at the V&A Storehouse.

Tip no. 2: The no-bag policy

You cannot take coats or bags inside the main hall of V&A Storehouse, meaning the area where the museum objects are displayed.

There are 2 things you should think about.

1. The size of the lockers

The lockers are free, but there are only so many of them, so if the museum is busy, you might have to try and fit all your possessions into one locker.

Consider the sizes when planning what bags to take with you:

• Regular Locker: 25cm wide x 27cm high x 43cm deep
• As per the V&A Storehouse website information, there is a very small amount of larger lockers with a height of 57cm
• There is no space to store larger luggage

2. No-bags means zero bags

The policy really does mean no bags at all.

We stored our small backpack in a locker during our visit, but Mirka took a bum bag for her phone.

We got as far up as the stairs leading onto the main hall’s bottom floor, when a staff member approached her and asked her to put the bum bag into the locker.

So keep this in mind – no bags literally means no bags at all, of any kind and size.

Let’s talk more about the issue of phones and other small items.

Tip no. 3: Choose the right clothes

The reason Mirka needed the prohibited bum bag (that sounds like the name of a 90s thriller), was because she was wearing a skirt (remember we visited during a heatwave in July), and so had no pockets, because fashion designers hate women, as we know.

Think about this when planning your outfit for the day and, if possible, make sure it has pockets.

We don’t know how about you, but we usually need at least a few items on us:

• Phones
• Tissues
• A cloth to clean glasses with

Once we stored the bum bag, we put what we could into Daniel’s pockets and asked the staff member about the phone, since Mirka didn’t want to feel glued to it inside the museum, by carrying it in her hand.

Thankfully, there was a solution.

Tip no. 4: Get the free lanyard

The staff member informed us that while we couldn’t keep the bum bag, we could go to the info point at the entrance to the museum and ask for a phone lanyard.

To tell you the truth, Mirka still ended up carrying the phone in her hand, because the phone felt heavy and awkward, bouncing around her neck, but at least it felt more secure when shooting videos over the museum railings. 

So tip no. 4 is either bring your own phone lanyard, especially if your outfit doesn’t have pockets, or borrow one from the info desk at the entrance.

Btw, keeping your phone safe with a lanyard is essential in London – we actually witnessed phone snatching drama while walking to the train station! If you want to read wild stories like that from our travels, make sure to join our newsletter.

Tip no. 5: Wear the right shoes

Speaking of outfit choices, don’t wear stilettos or other thin heels to V&A Storehouse.

While it would look cool in pics, you would not get far, getting stuck in the metal grid flooring every step you would take.

Another note on this: if looking through the floor down below (either a metal grid one or glass) makes you uneasy, reconsider visiting the V&A Storehouse museum, as it features both.

Otherwise it’s a super cool experience, seeing a museum collection from such unusual angles!

Tip no. 6: Water fountains

One big thing you might be concerned about when it comes to the no-bag policy is water.

We drink a lot of water (and tea!), and visiting museums where that’s not allowed is always a struggle.

If you’re also worried about this, we’ve got good news for you.

There are water fountains in V&A Storehouse that, while awkward to use, will keep you hydrated as you explore the museum (wish this was the case at all airports too, but fear not, we’ve got a hack for that too!)

You can find the water fountains outside of toilets.

Do keep in mind though, food is also not allowed, so eat a snack beforehand, especially if you’re planning to spend hours at the V&A Storehouse archive.

Remember that you can grab food easily in the Westfield shopping centre on the way to the museum.

Alternatively, there is a cafe inside V&A Storehouse that you can always pop into while you’re exploring.

Btw, if you do have any questions about V&A Storehouse, or visiting London (we’ve been 10+ times – love the city!), drop us a message on our Instagram.

Or, even better, book a call with us, and we can help you plan a stress-free trip to London!

Tip no. 7: Scan the QR code

Throughout the V&A Storehouse museum, you’ll see signs telling you to scan a QR code.

This will open up a Lookup tool, where you can find detailed information about all the objects around you in the archive.

Warning: this might make you spend hours and hours at the museum!

Why?

Because while in a traditional museum, there is (usually) a sign telling you what each object is, in this archive, objects are displayed without info cards next to them.

And there are so many quirky things that will make you wonder:

• How old is that?
• Where did it come from?
• What makes it special?
• And what it actually even is???

The Lookup tool will answer many of your questions, but it might also be the reason you miss your dinner reservation – if you’re not careful and don’t keep an eye on time.

We had to force ourselves to stop looking up items, otherwise we’d still be at V&A Storehouse now!

Where to stay when visiting V&A Storehouse

Okay, maybe we should have titled this section: “where we stayed”, because there are so many options in London, we cannot cover them all here.

What we wanted to share with you is a great hotel we’ve discovered during this trip to London.

It was an unexpected addition for us – our flight to London got moved by a day, so we needed an extra night in the city.

Everywhere was super expensive, but then we found ibis London Canning Town.

Here is why we loved the hotel:

• It was cheap. For London standards, when everywhere else was awfully pricey, this was a total bargain.
• It’s really well rated, both on Google and Booking.com. You don’t wanna stay in a dump. Btw, make sure you get our free guide to avoid such a disaster.
• It has a vibe. We did not expect an ibis hotel to have such stylish, urban decor.
• It’s in an area of London we’ve never been to before, so it let us explore another part of the city.
• There are two big supermarkets, Lidl and Morrisons, right behind the hotel.
• The hotel has a 24-hour bar, where you can also get food, so even if you get the munchies in the middle of the night, you won’t have to starve. (There is also a 24-hour McDonald’s next to the hotel, if you fancy a cheeky 3am Happy Meal. We won’t judge.)
• It’s literally across the road from the Canning Town Underground station where you can catch the Jubilee Line and DLR (there is also a local bus station right next to the Underground, if you need to catch a bus).

Best bit?

• It’s a 1-stop Jubilee Line to The O2! So if you’re heading there for a concert or a show, it will take you just 10 minutes to get there! (We actually had a view of The O2 from our window).
• And it’s a 5-minute Jubilee Line to V&A Storehouse too – so handy!

Now, a note on getting to the V&A Storehouse museum from ibis Canning Town – the whole journey takes 30 minutes, because after your 5-minute tube ride, you will have to get through the Westfield shopping centre, without getting sucked in by any of the shops, and then also walk through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Which, while a nice walk, does also come with some distractions.

So all in all, plan accordingly. For example, we made the mistake of hitting a “couple” shops before going to V&A Storehouse, and then Mirka ended up super tired and with sore joints, because it was too much walking for her.

Don’t forget this when visiting V&A Storehouse in London

No matter where you stay in London, one thing you shouldn’t forget is getting great travel insurance for your trip.

Because you never know what will go wrong – the only time we had to use our travel insurance? When we were visiting our family! Literally at home (except it wasn’t our home at the time). So you just never know when you might need travel insurance.

Our tip for great travel insurance? True Traveller. 

They offer low prices, awesome features and a mindblowingly good customer service.

You can pop your trip details into their quote generator and see the insurance price in a few seconds – without giving them your email or phone number! (Hate when companies ask you for that when all you want is to see a price.)

We hope you enjoy exploring V&A Storehouse, without getting told off or feeling like you are in McDonald’s freezer.

Oh, and watch out for the creepy pandas, they might give you nightmares.