Recognizable by the copy of Victoria's imperial crown on the lantern above the central cupola, this institution is always referred to as the V&A. It's a huge museum, showcasing the applied arts of all disciplines, all periods, all nationalities, and all tastes, and it's a wonderful, generous place to get lost in, full of innovation and completely devoid of pretension. Prince Albert, Victoria's adored consort, was responsible for the genesis of this permanent version of the 1851 Great Exhibition, and his queen laid its foundation stone in her final public London appearance, in 1899. From the start, the V&A had an important role as a research institution, and that role continues today.

There are many beautiful diversions: one minute you're gazing on the Jacobean oak four-poster Great Bed of Ware (one of the V&A's most prized possessions, given that Shakespeare immortalized it in Twelfth Night) and the next you're in the celebrated Dress Collection, coveting a Jean Muir frock. As a whirlwind introduction, you could take a free, one-hour daily tour, or a 30-minute version on Wednesday evening. Otherwise, follow your own whims around the enormous space, but updated areas of the museum are worthy destinations. The British Galleries are an ambitious addition that heralds British art and design from 1500 to 1900. Here you'll see such major pieces as George Gilbert Scott's model of the Albert Memorial, and the first-ever English fork made in 1632, but you'll also discover fascinating facts behind the designs, such as the construction of a 16th-century bed and the best way for women in cumbersome hooped skirts to negotiate getting in and out of carriages. Throughout the galleries are interactive corners for all ages, where you can discover, design and build -- from your own family emblem to period chairs. Free tours of the British Galleries depart daily from the rear of the Cromwell Road entrance at 12:30 and 2:30 and last one hour. The silver is amassed in the Whiteley Silver Galleries, opened in October 2002, which bring more than 500 shining examples together. From ancient medieval reliquaries to the Napoleonic period, to contemporary pieces, it's a stunning collection, and the largest in the United Kingdom.

Unchanged, but still spectacular, is the Glass Gallery, where a collection spanning four millennia is reflected between room-size mirrors under designer Danny Lane's breathtaking glass balustrade. Don't miss the pure art, too: the Raphael Galleries house seven massive cartoons the painter completed in 1516 for his Sistine Chapel tapestries (now in the Pinoteca of the Vatican Museums in Rome). The shop is the museum in microcosm, and quite the best place to buy art nouveau or arts-and-crafts gifts. COST: Free. Thurs.-Tues. 10-5:45; Wed. 10-10; tours daily at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 3:30 and Wed. at 7:30 PM. Tube: S. Kensington.