As you come out of Victoria Station, don't miss the Victoria Palace Theatre opposite. Built in 1911 by the architect Frank Matcham, this theatre retains its original character despite 21st century refurbishment. The grey marble foyer with its gold mosaic and white Sicilian marble pillars is much as it was in 1911. Outside, restoration to the facade, canopy and cupola included mounting a statue of the ballerina Anna Pavlova above the cupola to replace one that disappeared in 1939. The theatre is famous for the show "Billy Elliot", which opened in 2005.
Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria St.
London SW1E 5EA
United Kingdom
011-44-844-248-5000
victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk
Walk a few blocks to Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales. The architect John Francis Bentley designed the cathedral in the Early Christian Byzantine style. The foundation stone was laid in 1895 and the fabric of the building was completed in 1903. Highlights of the building include columns and mosaics made from over 100 kinds of marble and 14 Stations of the Cross by the sculptor Eric Gill.
Westminster Cathedral
Cathedral Clergy House
42 Francis St.
London SW1P 1QW
United Kingdom
011-44-20-7798-9055
westminstercathedral.org.uk
Just to the north west is Buckingham Palace, which has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837, when Queen Victoria decided to make it her home. Today it is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every year, generally in August and September, when the Queen is in Scotland. Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace Rd.
London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
011-44-20-7930-4832
royal.gov.uk
