London Transport Museum is a colossal museum that showcases exhibits portraying the history and heritage of London's transport system. It houses significant artefacts and transportation designs that depict the evolution of the city’s transport from the old red London bus to the contemporary underground tube trains. The museum also includes a library, cafe, souvenir shop and a playzone for kids.
London boasts of a well-defined and futuristic transport system that includes both public and private services. London Transport Museum is an heritage building that illustrates the history and importance of the transport system of London. Originally known as the Museum of British Transport, the museum was located in a bus garage in Clapham and featured only two Victorian horse buses and an early motorbus. It was then expanded to include all forms of transportation including buses, trains, Tubes and river buses. The main site of the museum is located in Covent Garden in a Victorian style glass and brick building while the London Transport Museum Depot is in Acton.Consider booking a Europe tour packages to explore the vibrant atmosphere of the London Transport Museum. Additionally, the museum offers a unique insight into the evolution of transportation in one of the world's most dynamic cities.
Existing since the 1920s, London Transport Museum features 450,000 objects signifying the 200 years of London’s transport history. The galleries house historic objects, designs and maps that date back to the 19th century, present transportation concepts and even futuristic designs. You can see a plethora of vehicles like trams, omnibuses, rail cars, underground electric trains, the world-famous red London Bus and the current Tube trains. The museum has an exclusive play zone where kids of age 0 to 7 years can drive miniature vehicles. It also has a gift shop spanning two floors selling unique transport-themed souvenirs and a cafe serving delicious treats.
Highlights
• Witness the amazing entrance of London Transport Museum that greets the visitors with audiovisual recordings about the transport system from all around the world.
• Indulge in exciting exhibits and board a vintage wooden railway coach on the first floor of the museum.
• Explore the historical transportation objects and learn about the evolution of the famous roundel in the London transport poster by Design gallery.
• Take your kids to the All Aboard playzone where they can drive miniature vehicles, dress like drivers and captains or sail on the Thames Nipper.
• Engage in solving difficult puzzles regarding the transport system or try to fix a modern tube train in the Future Engineers gallery section.
• Learn about the people’s sad state and how London's transport system provided a refuge to them during the First and Second World Wars.
• Purchase transport-themed gifts and souvenirs at the Museum shop on the ground floor and first floor.
How To Reach
By Bus: Board a bus on the routes RV1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 139 to Strand or Aldwych bus station from where London Transport Museum is only a few minutes away.
By Tube: The nearest London Underground stations are Covent Garden which is a 2 minute walk and Leicester Square which is a 4 minute walk to the London Transport Museum.
By Train: Get on a train to Charing Cross or Waterloo stations from where you can walk to the museum in 10 minutes.
By Car: You can drive to the museum from the city centre via A4 road in just 5 minutes but there are limited parking spaces that charge a heavy parking fee.
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Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit London Transport Museum is during the morning hours as soon as they open at 10 AM when the crowds are still coming in. The next best time would be in the evening around 3 PM when you can avoid the tourist crowds as well as have enough time to explore the museum.
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Other Essential Information
- Book your tickets online in advance and obtain an annual pass and a timed entry ticket to reserve the date and time slot of your visit.
- Food and drinks from outside are permitted and should be eaten in the seating area of the Lower Deck Cafe only. The museum also has a canteen that offers an all-day menu serving delicious food and snacks.
- The museum is accessible for wheelchair users who get concessions on the ticket rate as well as a free ticket for their caregivers.
- Induction loops are available for people with hearing impairments while visually challenged people can get magnifiers and bring assistance dogs.
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Future Engineers Gallery
Solve a difficult transport conundrum and work on a series of fun interactive exhibits based on engineering concepts at the Future Engineers Gallery. You can indulge in exciting activities like trying to fix a train, planning a greener city and scanning your palm with the latest ticket technology.
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Interactive Train Challenge
The Smooth Operator Interactive Train Challenge is a game where visitors test their reactions against a computer train. It requires the players to press lit buttons to make their trains go on the tracks and check if they can drop more passengers at their destination than a digital train-control system would.
All Aboard
All Aboard is a children’s play area for kids between ages 0-7 on the ground and first floor of the museum. The playzone features mini vehicles like trains, buses, boats and even an aeroplane for the little ones to drive. Kids can also do a little pretend play dressing up as drivers, mechanics, captains and announcers.
Drive The Half Bus
You can find a bus cut in half near the Transportorium and the black taxi that can be driven by the visitors.
London By Design
Witness the vital design moments in London's transport design history at the London by Design gallery. You can see some of the iconic designs from the ‘golden age’ and the design philosophy that was used then. The gallery also features the Tube map, London’s transport posters and the history of the roundel.
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London’s Transport At War
Transport at War features posters and transport objects used in both the First and Second World Wars. It also showcases interactive exhibits and has an atmospheric shelter to portray the plight of the people who took refuge in London Underground stations during wartime.
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