The London Transport Museum, situated in the Covent Garden area of central London, preserves and displays the history of the capital's public transportation network. Occupying a Victorian iron and glass structure originally built in 1871 as a flower market, the primary facility opened to the public as a transit museum in 1980 following previous stays in Clapham and Syon Park. The museum broadened its focus beyond buses and trains to encompass all public transit modes managed throughout the city, supported by an extensive rebranding and major refurbishment completed in 2007.
Inside the main Covent Garden site, exhibits detail the evolution of urban travel and its societal impact. Visitors can inspect historic buses, trams, trolleybuses, and rail stock from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the initial underground electric train from 1890. Interactive features include train simulators for the Elizabeth line and 1938 tube stock, play spaces designed for young children, and an on-site museum shop selling souvenirs, reproduction posters, and books.
In addition to static displays, the museum operates the Hidden London program, offering guided tours for visitors aged ten and above into disused or restricted subterranean spaces. Guided routes explore subterranean locations such as the closed Aldwych and Down Street stations, a wartime deep-level shelter in Clapham South, and hidden areas inside busy hubs like Euston, Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Baker Street, and Green Park. Virtual tours and outdoor street walks are also available.
A secondary facility, the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, serves as a primary storage and conservation center. Spanning 6,000 square meters, this facility holds more than 370,000 artifacts, including items too large for the main museum such as complete tube trains and early locomotives. It also houses collections of signs, artwork, photos, uniforms, and technical drawings. The Acton Depot opens to the public during scheduled guided tours, themed open weekends, and events featuring its miniature railway.
The main Covent Garden museum operates daily for most of the year, closing only during the Christmas holidays. It is entered from the Covent Garden Piazza and is located within short walking distance of both Covent Garden Underground station and Charing Cross station. The Acton Depot is easily accessible on foot from Acton Town Underground station.
London Transport Museum in pictures
See the full London travel guide for where to stay, the best time to visit and the top things to do.