The best family days out in London and beyond rated by kids and teens
Average K-Rating based
on 2 K-Rating reviews
Looking for a unique day out in London with your kids? The London Transport Museum Depot in Acton is the perfect destination! This hidden gem offers a behind-the-scenes look at the vast collection of transport treasures not on display at the main museum in Covent Garden.
Kids will be thrilled to explore the Depot’s extensive collection of vintage buses, trains, and trams. With over 320,000 items, including historic vehicles, signs, posters, and engineering equipment, there’s plenty to spark their curiosity and imagination. The sheer variety and scale of the collection make it an adventure for young transport enthusiasts.
Although the Depot’s main purpose is to catalogue and conserve objects, the museum also opens to the public for special events, such as themed weekends. Their family events allow children to get up close with the exhibits, while learning about the history of London’s transport. They can hop on a 75-year-old tube train, hear about the person who lived on a Victorian train carriage, and even see the Underground train that the Queen drove!
The Depot also features a Miniature Railway, which is always a hit with the little ones. They can ride on a small train and experience the fun of railway travel in a scaled-down version. It’s a delightful way to introduce kids to the world of trains and transport.
For older kids and teens, the Depot offers fascinating insights into the development of London’s transport network and the technology behind it. The educational displays and expert guides really help bring the history to life in an engaging and memorable way.
With its vast collection and special family-friendly events, the London Transport Museum Depot is a fantastic day out for families.
I really enjoyed this extension of the London Transport Museum. There’s such an abundance of artefacts there that we were able to explore. Who knew there were so many secrets within the London Underground? I’ll definitely be thinking about them the next time I’m on the tube. And even though it’s not exactly a hobby of mine, I actually really liked seeing the miniature train models. I’d recommend this to families with teens and kids, as kids go free.
You can find loads more information by Laura Porter at aboutlondonlaura.com
Wonderful day out with so much to do it justifies repeat visits.
This is a brilliant day out – and thankfully it’s open more regularly. If you love London Transport – the history, the design, the equipment, the trains, the buses – this place has it all. So much to explore and see – have been twice and not yet seen everything