After five months of temporary closure, the Museum of London and the Museum of London Docklands plan to open their doors on Wednesday 19 May 2021, depending on government guidance, and welcome visitors once again.
The Museum of London is pleased to announce that the exclusive display, Dub London: Bassline of a City, celebrating dub reggae music and culture in the capital will be extended until 5 September 2021. The display not only explores the music’s influence but its wider cultural and social impact including the origins of the record shop as a community space, the continuing role of sound systems at events like Notting Hill Carnival and the religious, political and spiritual themes that form the pulse of dub culture and music.
The reopening also means that Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery at the Museum of London Docklands will be extended until 22 August 2021. This free major exhibition explores the largest Bronze Age hoard ever discovered in London with all 453 tools, weapons and other objects unearthed and on display to the public for the very first time. Starting with the moment of discovery, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey back through time to explore the mysteries, myths and realities surrounding the hoard’s burial.
Reopening the Museum of London Docklands also includes the extension of the The Krios of Sierra Leone display at the Museum of London Docklands until 4 July 2021. The Krios of Sierra Leone explores the unique and largely untold history, heritage and culture of the Krio people of Sierra Leone by highlighting the architecture, language, lifestyle and traditions of the Krio community. From its origins in transatlantic slavery through to the involvement of prominent abolitionists, the story of the Krio ties into the wider themes of the museum’s London, Sugar & Slavery gallery where the display is located.
Finally, we’re pleased to share that the very popular Mudlarks children’s gallery will reopen after over a year of closure on Friday 21 May. The gallery has been refurbished and a new toddler area has been created to welcome our youngest visitors. Features include new interactive elements that introduce the stories of the docks in hands-on and stimulating ways. For more information on how to pre-book your free timed entry to Mudlarks visit the Museum of London Docklands website here.
Keeping both visitors and staff safe is the museum’s top priority and measures first introduced upon re-opening in August 2020 will continue to be in place including timed ticket slots for entry. Visitors to each museum will be required to book a free ticket online, in advance, for a time slot of their choosing. These tickets are now available to book through 5 September 2021 from www.museumoflondon.org.uk.
Both museums will be open from 10am – 5pm Wednesday to Sunday. However, from 29 May – 6 June and 19 July – Sunday 5 September, both sites will be open seven days a week from 10am-5pm for May half-term and the summer holidays respectively, depending on government guidance.
For more information on opening hours, safety measures in place and what will be open on site please visit the Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands safety measures pages.
The museum’s comprehensive digital offer, which has so far delivered family-friendly online content such as Museum of Fundon and the Great Fire of London: Live Stream as well as online displays and collections such as The Clash: London Calling Smartify tour, Disease X, Votes for Women and Windrush Stories, will continue for those who are unable to attend.
Sharon Ament, Director of the Museum of London, said: “After a year of restrictions and closures, it seems we as a society have never been more aware of just how necessary culture is and how much museums matter. It’s fundamental to our wellbeing and it’s part of who we are. Our teams have been busy behind the scenes readying our sites to safely welcome our visitors once again. From Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery at the Museum of London Docklands to Dub London: Bassline of a City at the Museum of London this will most certainly be the summer to visit us and we cannot wait to welcome everyone who does. It has been too long!”
