Museums & Attractions

One problem with mega exhibitions is that they are paradoxically easy to miss: they open to a lot of hoopla, run for months, but are ousted from the museumgoer's consciousness by the next one that comes along. Shows ending soon(ish) include 'The Magnificence of the Tsars' at the V&A, 'For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond' at the Imperial War Museum and 'Taking Liberties' at the British Library (all end Mar 1).  'Babylon' wraps up at the British Museum on March 15.

As well as looking at what is now Iraq, the BM also nips across the border to what is now Iran with the glorious, artefact-packed 'Shah 'Abbas: the Making of Modern Iran' (until Jun 14). There's a fashioner of the new of a different sort as the Natural History Museum celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin (until Apr 19), which runs alongside Wildlife Photographer of the Year (until Apr 26).  

There's a crop of current exhibitions for fans of design: Le Corbusier at the Barbican, an oblique look at automotive aesthetics with the Science Museum's 'Japan Car' (until Apr 19), while returning to the opening bus metaphor, proposals for King Boris's new Routemaster are on show at the London Transport Museum (until Mar 29). 

Fashionistas, milliners and general fans of the hat should head to the V&A for 'Hats: an Anthology by Stephen Jones' (until May 10).