Culture seekers can now visit London Transport Museum in Covent Garden from 10:00 daily after the heritage attraction reopened when restrictions lifted on Monday 17 May 2021. The Museum’s friendly Customer Services team were joined by Andy Byford, the Commissioner of Transport for London (TfL), to welcome visitors.
The long-awaited opening follows the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s new tourism campaign Let’s Do London, which brings together many of the capital’s leading museums welcoming back Londoners and visitors to return to them safely as things reopen.
Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: ‘It’s wonderful to see the London Transport Museum reopening its doors and welcoming visitors back to experience the past, present and future of London’s transport. With near-normal levels of public transport on TfL services to support social distancing, a rigorous cleaning regime and independent testing showing no traces of coronavirus on our network, and alongside the Mayor’s Let’s Do London tourism campaign, we are very much looking forward to welcoming more customers back and helping them get to fantastic attractions all around London, including the London Transport Museum.’
Advanced booking and timed ticketing mean visitors can explore London Transport Museum’s galleries and exhibitions free from queues and crowds, with one-way routes helping people to social distance.
An enhanced cleaning regime using anti-viral disinfectant that protects for up to 30 days is in operation and hand sanitiser stations are located throughout the venue. Unless exempt or under the age of 11, guests must wear a face mask.
Visitors to the world’s leading museum of urban transport in the heart of London’s West End will enjoy refreshed galleries featuring new collection objects and digital displays, as well as a new line-up of themed After Dark events for adults and family-friendly activities on offer during May half-term.
While red buses are an iconic sight on the Capital’s streets, visitors can now marvel at a working 1950s RT type bus in an eye-catching gold livery on display for the first time at the Museum. The bus was re-painted from its traditional red to mark the Queen’s Jubilee in 2002. It has replaced a classic red RT type bus usually on permanent display whilst this undergoes maintenance and conservation work at the Museum’s Depot in Acton Town.
London’s original rainbow pedestrian crossing is also on display for the first time. Commissioned by TfL’s LGBT+ Staff Network Group, OUTbound, the colourful crossing was temporarily installed at the junction of Pall Mall East and Suffolk Street in 2014. It was later collected by London Transport Museum to preserve the role transport plays in the Capital today.
A new video installation, created by postgraduate students studying MA Innovation Management and MA Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, explores what Acton, Brixton, King’s Cross and Walthamstow will look like in 2030. Entitled ‘London 2030’, it offers a curious glimpse into what environmental and technological change could mean for people living in the Capital a decade from now.
The London’s Transport at War gallery, which only opened briefly in November 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic forced the Museum to close for the second time, is once again open to explore, and the award-winning Hidden London exhibition in the Global Gallery has been extended to allow guests to uncover the secret history of disused Tube stations.
Adults looking to make the most of their post-lockdown freedom can get their culture fix at themed After Dark events kicking off on Thursday 20 May. Roam the galleries after-hours, relax with a drink, and show off your transport trivia knowledge in pub-style quizzes. Future events will take inspiration from poetry about the Capital, London’s lost rivers and the extraordinary history of the Thames Tunnel. Over 18s only. Tickets cost £12 and must be booked online in advance.
Families visiting London Transport Museum in Covent Garden during half-term from Saturday 29 May can ‘collect’ their favourite, ultimate vehicle parts they see along the way to create a transport-inspired boardgame to play together at home.
The London Transport Museum Depot in Acton Town, West London, will also be opening its doors for half-term family fun and the chance to explore behind-the-scenes at this transport treasure trove, only open to the public on special occasions. The Depot will open on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May, and from Wednesday 2 to Sunday 6 June 2021. Timed entry starts from 10:00 and tickets must be booked in advance. Adult tickets cost £15 and £7.50 for children. Kids aged 3 and under go free.
