There has been a whole string of immersive art experiences popping up in London over the past couple of years, but if you’re looking for something a little different to try with tweens and teens, we set off to check out Moco Museum London with kids.
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Opened in summer 2024, the new London flagship attraction is the latest to join locations in Amsterdam and Barcelona, with works by big names from Banksy to Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin to name a few, as well as a whole string of other contemporary artists.
So if your kids love modern art – or you’re hoping to get them interested – here’s what we thought of a visit to Moco Museum with kids.
Visiting Moco Museum London with kids
Over the years, I’ve visited a whole string of art galleries with my daughter – some very traditional, crammed with old masters and silence, others aiming to be more interactive, more family-friendly and more modern.
As you might expect, Moco Museum London definitely falls more into the modern end of the spectrum.
Walking in with my 12-year-old, the first view is of a light-filled gallery packed with quirky and colourful pieces – always a good start with kids.
Although you quickly realise, as you look more closely at the Jeff Koons pieces by the door, that there’s more than appears at first glance.
Moco Museum says its goal is to bring people closer to the wonders of modern and contemporary art, and you’re instantly whisked through something of a highlights reel of major names from the past few decades.
With artworks set over three floors, you’ll find artists grouped together, so you’ll find some who share common styles and themes, others whose work dates from similar time periods.
If you’re not an aficionado (and I wouldn’t say I am!), there’s information by each artwork giving more information, including about the artist, their style, their background, sometimes on the specific piece itself.
Even as an adult, it makes it very accessible if you’re not an expert, or if you come across an artist you don’t know well – rather than standing there wondering what you’re looking at.
It also means it’s easier to discuss the works with kids, who are less likely to have come across all the artists on display – on the ground floor my daughter knew Keith Haring from school lessons and Yayoi Kusama from a recent tile-painting workshop in Malta, for example, as well as Warhol and Picasso but there was plenty which was new.
And plenty that will get kids thinking, whether that’s Daniel Arsham’s crystal Porsche sculpture – imagined as a future relic, or Damien Hirst’s pieces inspired by everything from pills to butterflies.
Heading upstairs, the collection focuses on more contemporary artists, including – somewhat to my surprise – works by Robbie Williams. Which then led to another conversation where I had to explain to my 12-year-old who Robbie Williams is (fame really is fleeting).
Elsewhere, there were works by Julian Opie and two Tracey Emin pieces created in light, while you can expect more temporary exhibitions on this floor too, so there’s always something new to discover.
But a couple of the highlights, including for my daughter, was the area on Banksy, which gave her more of an introduction than the few famous pieces – like girl with a balloon – that she already knew.
Including The Waterfall, something rather different from his better known guerrila art.
If your kids are into street art and the overlap between graffiti and art, there are pieces to spot at Moco London too, including several from KAWS, who started as a graffiti artist before moving on to sculpture and painting.
But my daughter’s fascination with K-Pop and all things Korean and Japanese meant that the display of Takashi Murakami’s works was another highlight.
Brightly coloured, with elements drawn from manga and anime, it’s easy to see why this might capture kids’ attention. But there’s also a great description about the ‘Superflat’ movement that he developed, blurring the lines between high and low art.
Perfect if your kids are looking to learn more, or to go into more detail – but equally, it’s easy for younger viewers to appreciate the style and vibrant shades too.
The atmosphere is both literally and metaphorically darker down in the basement gallery, with pieces hitting harder themes such as displacement and child refugees, as well as more disturbing works.
There are a few more complicated concepts – reading the section about NFTs, it wasn’t just my daughter who was left a little bemused by that (and the vandal gummy bear).
But this is also where you’ll discover the few more interactive elements of Moco Museum London with kids – if you’re expecting a more immersive experience, this isn’t the place to find it.
However, you can wander inside Pulse Interactive’s Light Sculpture room, where mirrors, lights and colours change to create different shapes and effects.
It’s mildly disorientating to walk through but fun to stand in the middle of, watching the lights shift around you.
Another favourite was the video installation from SixNFive, mixing geometric shapes and natural landscapes – so much so that we watched it through several times.
There’s so much detail that you could easily stay longer here – a square-edged leaf leaving rectangular ripples in the water, rectangles of birds flying through the sky, rectangular bark growing on the trees.
Then before we knew it, we’d been there for around an hour and found ourselves in the final room.
Daniel Arsham’s lunar garden was unexpectedly peaceful, with its Japanese inspirations, but stripped of colour in the moonlight – and making us wonder how some of the effects had been achieved.
That doesn’t even cover everything we saw, a reminder of just how varied the art in Moco Museum London is – and the fact that if one artist or area doesn’t particularly appeal, another may instantly grab your kids’ attention.
And even if they don’t come out as modern art converts, it’s a great introduction. Bright, unusual, curious, quirky, with plenty of relevance to modern life, this definitely couldn’t be further than the traditional dusty art galleries of my own childhood.
Moco Museum London review: Need to know
If you’re planning a visit to Moco Museum London with kids, here’s everything you need to know before you get there.
Where is Moco Museum?
The museum is just a few minutes’ walk from Marble Arch station. The entrance is on Marble Arch itself – the exit, or entrance to the store is on Cumberland Place.
You’re then minutes from Hyde Park and Oxford Street if you want to explore more of London afterwards, while if you’re having a very art-filled day, Frameless is just around the corner.
Moco Museum London rules
You’re encouraged to take photos while you’re visiting Moco Museum London, but you can’t use flash so do make sure that’s turned off, especially while you’re visiting the darker basement floor.
You also can’t take in food and drink, although there are free lockers at the entrance where you can store belongings (including small bags). You’re allowed to take small/medium bags in, although backpacks will need to be worn on your front – I had no problem taking my shoulder bag in.
Large bags and suitcases aren’t allowed in and won’t fit in the lockers. You can leave them nearby at your own risk, or there is luggage storage nearby.
Check out Stasher and Luggage Hero which have dozens of places around London to store baggage securely while you explore
Strollers/buggies can’t be taken inside either and you’ll need to fold them to leave them in the foyer by the lockers, so if you’re planning to visit while your baby/toddler naps, that won’t be possible.
No animals are allowed inside apart from registered service dogs, which needs to be pre-arranged.
What facilities are there at Moco Museum London
There are toilets available in the basement area (including 2 DDA toilets and a baby change area).
There’s no cafe on site (and you can’t bring food and drink into Moco Museum London itself). There’s also no cloakroom, although there are lockers for smaller items at the entrance.
There’s a gift shop at the end of the museum visit (or you can also access that directly from Cumberland Place).
There are also some guides with QR codes to scan (although you’re asked to use earphones for any audio guides).
There are a few places where you can sit down, although seating is limited.
What age is Moco Museum suitable for?
Any age is allowed into Moco Museum. If you’re visiting with a baby or toddler, you can’t bring a stroller in, so you’ll need an alternative baby carrier or to know that your toddler isn’t going to try to grab the artworks!
Children aged under five don’t need to pay for a ticket (though you need to prebook a free ticket for them).
However, Moco Museum London is geared more towards older visitors – personally I’d suggest tweens and teens rather than younger kids, as some of the artwork is challenging, disturbing or suggestive, while some pieces included swearing.
There are signs giving some information, background and often a brief introduction to the various artists so it’s accessible for anyone looking to learn more about modern art and artists though.
As with many things, it depends on your kids: if you’ve got a nine-year-old who’s fascinated by modern art, and you’re both happy to talk through the concepts involved, there’s plenty to capture kids’ interests.
If you’re looking for something more immersive or different from the usual gallery experience, there are other alternatives to help get kids more interested in art though.
Do children need tickets?
Yes. Children under the age of five enter for free, but if you’re prebooking (which is recommended), you’ll need to choose a free entry ticket for them.
Kids aged 5-17 get discounted entry but do need to pay for tickets.
There are limited numbers allowed for each entry slot, so while you can buy tickets on the day, prebooking tickets is recommended. Booking online also gets a discount of up to 38% on adult tickets, and lets you skip the queue on entry (although when we visited during the Easter holidays, there was no wait to get in anyway).
How long do you need for Moco Museum
You can stay as long as you want but it’s suggested to allow between 60 and 90 minutes to explore all three floors.
We spent around an hour inside, which felt like plenty of time to read the information, watch videos and generally appreciate the artworks without either dawdling or rushing.
For more unusual London museums, check out what we thought of Twist Museum with kids, as well as more of the best things to do in London with kids
Disclosure: My entry was free for the purposes of review, but all opinions about visiting Moco Museum London with kids are my own (and my daughter’s). This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission
Images copyright MummyTravels
