From Victorian railways of the 1830s to the green transport projects planned for 2025, the London Transport Museum – based in the heart of Covent Garden – will teach you all you ever wanted to know about London’s thriving transport networks. The museum is divided into themes, examining the development of transport systems across the ages.
View a Metropolitan Line train carriage from the only surviving steam engine from the 1860s. Learn about how the Metropolitan Railway’s connection to London’s north-west suburbs helped London become the commuter-based city it is today. Or discover how transport was affected by WWII, even housing thousands during the Blitz.
Design lovers and transport enthusiasts alike can enjoy the Design for Travel gallery which showcases pioneering advertising posters and artworks. You’ll see Harry Beck’s original artwork for his groundbreaking London Underground map and the story of the development of the world-famous roundel transport logo.
Still curious about transport in London, why not check out the London Transport Museum Depot?
This is one of the best places in London for toddlers. If you want more places toddlers will love, check out our guide to toddler-friendly London. If you have an SEN child, LTM Early Mornings happen twice yearly.
I’ve been here as a kid plenty of times and back then, my main interest was just in collecting the stamps. But coming back here as a teen, I found it really interesting. It was surprising to see such a rich history within such a small sector of life. I loved seeing this different models of buses and even old plans for the London Underground. i particularly liked spotting the old signage and advertising. I’d recommend this to anyone, not just history lovers.
You can find loads more information by Laura Porter at aboutlondonlaura.com
The London Transport Museum is fun for all ages and the buses and tubes are free to explore. It’s really interesting to see the different iterations of buses and trains and there’s a great play area for kids.This is a great place to buy souvenirs! It’s easy enough to get to from Charing Cross Station, so I wouldn’t get the tube to Covent Garden (which is a really busy station), but it might be tiring to get to and from the station if your kids tire quickly. It’s right in Covent Garden, so there will be buskers outside for additional entertainment and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat.
An amazing museum and the year long ticket is a great idea – my two boys 9 and 11 love visiting – exploring the buses and tube trains – and driving them too. Plus a great shop – far too tempting – and a brilliant cafe.
We go here a lot because your ticket lasts a whole year. Also it’s a treat to go for lunch in Covent Garden afterwards.
We love climbing inside old carriages and buses. The play area is pretty good and the people who work here are really smiley. It’s funny because we get on the tube to go see old tubes 🙂