



London: The London Transport Museum
Yes
Operating Hours:Daily: 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17:00). Closed: 24 - 26 December
The Vibe:Double-deckers, Tube carriages and poster art.
Covent Garden's converted Victorian flower-market building holds vintage horse-buses, early Tube carriages and the world's finest collection of transport poster art. It tells the story of how London moved from walking pace to 19 million daily journeys.
Full-size Routemaster buses sit on the gallery floor, open for climbing; Underground carriages from the 1890s wait beside their modern descendants. Children clamber onto a driver's seat; Edwardian tram bells still ring.
- • Holds the world's finest collection of London Transport posters and vehicles
- • Based in the former Victorian flower market at Covent Garden
- • Interactive family museum with climb-aboard vintage vehicles
- • Home to the original prototypes of iconic London buses and Tube trains
Fit For
- 👨👩👧 Families: Perhaps London's most kid-friendly museum — climb aboard everything
- 💕 Couples: Adults-only Late events with DJs and bar in the galleries
- 👵 Seniors: Full step-free access; benches throughout
- 📸 Photographers: Poster art galleries and vintage buses against industrial architecture
Highlights
- Routemaster bus — the iconic red double-decker, open to board and explore
- Steam Tube train — 1860s original, the world's first underground railway carriage
- Horse bus (1829) — the first London omnibus, pre-Tube transport
- Poster gallery — Harry Beck, Abram Games and London Transport's design heritage
- All Aboard play zone — designed for under-sevens
- Hidden depot tours — at Acton, accessible only by booking — Hidden Gem
1 Booking Option
Curated by AI, handpicked by local expert
Starts From
(Per Person)
London Local Expert

Sarah Riches
Table of Contents
Things To Do Nearby
Covent Garden Piazza — immediately outside, with street performers and shopping
Royal Opera House — three minutes west, with backstage tours
National Gallery — 10 minutes south at Trafalgar Square
Seven Dials — quirky shopping district five minutes north
Covent Garden Piazza — immediately outside, with street performers and shopping
Royal Opera House — three minutes west, with backstage tours
National Gallery — 10 minutes south at Trafalgar Square
Seven Dials — quirky shopping district five minutes north
TJ's Guide - The London Transport Museum
Know Before You Go
Insider Tips
Best Time: Weekday afternoons for quieter galleries; weekends are family-busy
Hack: The ticket includes free return visits for 12 months — treat it as an annual pass
Hidden Gem: Adult-only Late events are held monthly, with bars and DJs among the buses
Download the museum's free app for self-guided trail ideas
Combine with Covent Garden street performers for a classic London afternoon
Best Time: Weekday afternoons for quieter galleries; weekends are family-busy
Hack: The ticket includes free return visits for 12 months — treat it as an annual pass
Hidden Gem: Adult-only Late events are held monthly, with bars and DJs among the buses
Download the museum's free app for self-guided trail ideas
Combine with Covent Garden street performers for a classic London afternoon
Know Your Facts
- Closest Tube: Covent Garden (Piccadilly), two minutes; Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly) also close
- Main entrance: Covent Garden Piazza, northeast corner
- No on-site parking; use public transport or taxi
- First-time tip: The building shares the piazza with Covent Garden Market — look for the museum's distinctive iron-framed entrance
Once You Reach
Internal Navigation
Ground floor: Main vehicle galleries with horse buses, trams and Tube carriages
Upper levels: Poster galleries, design archive, temporary exhibits
Accessibility: Lift access throughout; ramps for step-free viewing
Efficient route: Chronological start at horse-bus era, end at modern Routemaster
Family tip: All Aboard zone in the basement for under-7s
Food & Coffee Shops
On-site café: Light lunches and kid-friendly menu
Covent Garden Piazza: Dozens of restaurant options within 30 seconds of the museum
Seven Dials (five minutes): Independent cafés for better coffee
On-site café: Light lunches and kid-friendly menu
Covent Garden Piazza: Dozens of restaurant options within 30 seconds of the museum
Seven Dials (five minutes): Independent cafés for better coffee
Photography Tips
Photography encouraged throughout; flash permitted
Poster gallery benefits from wide-angle lens and side lighting
Climb-aboard vehicles work well with environmental-portrait composition
Temporary exhibitions may restrict photography — check on arrival
Photography encouraged throughout; flash permitted
Poster gallery benefits from wide-angle lens and side lighting
Climb-aboard vehicles work well with environmental-portrait composition
Temporary exhibitions may restrict photography — check on arrival
Explore Deeper
The museum opened in its current Covent Garden site in 1980, inside the old flower market building. Its collection traces London transport from the horse omnibus of 1829 through the first underground railway of 1863 to contemporary Overground and Elizabeth line expansions.
The 1863 Metropolitan Railway was the world's first underground passenger railway; a preserved carriage from the steam era is on display
Harry Beck's 1933 Tube map diagrammatic design revolutionised wayfinding worldwide and became a template for transport maps globally
Frank Pick, London Transport's design visionary, commissioned artists including Abram Games and Man Ray to produce the museum's extensive poster collection
The Routemaster bus entered service in 1956 and was so iconic that replica modern versions were built in the 2010s
The 1863 Metropolitan Railway was the world's first underground passenger railway; a preserved carriage from the steam era is on display
Harry Beck's 1933 Tube map diagrammatic design revolutionised wayfinding worldwide and became a template for transport maps globally
Frank Pick, London Transport's design visionary, commissioned artists including Abram Games and Man Ray to produce the museum's extensive poster collection
The Routemaster bus entered service in 1956 and was so iconic that replica modern versions were built in the 2010s
Did You Know?
Hidden stations — The Acton depot opens for tours of disused Tube stations like Aldwych and Down Street
Poster collection — Over 5,000 original poster designs are archived, one of the world's finest graphic-design collections
First map — Beck's original 1933 Tube map sketch is preserved here as a national design treasure
Free for kids — Under-17s enter free with paying adult, a major family draw







