| Venue name: | Museum of London | Contact: |
|---|---|
| Address: |
150 London Wall London EC2Y 5HN |
| Opening hours: | Daily 10am-6pm |
| Transport: | Tube: St Paul's/Barbican |
| Price: | Free (permanent collection); admission charge applies for some temporary exhibitions |
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Things to doHere and Now: London Portraits by Niall McDiarmid
Find a London Londoners can recognise in the candid street photography of Niall McDiarmid at the 'Here and Now' exhibition. Captured over six years, the subjects in McDiarmid's saturated pictures were photographed impulsively, creating a vivid outdoor...
Exhibitions Until Sunday October 15 2017 -
Things to doJunk at the Museum of London
Do you consider yourself a hoarder? Then you might identify with Museum of London's 'Junk' exhibition, an archaeological display of London's cracked plates, grubby shoes and wonky spoons from centuries past. Tied in with the museum's This City is Ours...
Exhibitions Until Sunday October 1 2017 -
Things to doMy Point Forward – Blast Theory
Take part in an interactive installation of short films curated by artist collective Blast Theory. Mixing visuals with real-life recordings, 'My Point Forward' offers a meditative, hypothetical portrait of London's future.
Exhibitions Until Sunday September 24 2017 Free -
Things to doThe City Is Ours
'How is our city changing?' is the question that sits at the centre of this interactive exhibition from the Museum of London. Using dramatic visualisations, it will explore the stark challenges of urbanisation – and how cities around the world have sought...
Digital and interactive Until Tuesday January 2 2018 -
Things to doThe London Salon series at The Museum of London
Explore your city from new angles at this series of intimate salons by the Museum of London. With a mix of film screenings, panel talks and readings, each informal salon evening will critique the lived experience of the London looking at subjects like...
Talks and lectures Tuesday August 8 2017 - Tuesday September 12 2017 -
Things to doThe City is Ours lunchtime sessions: FoodCycle
National charity FoodCycle promote the straightforward idea that food poverty should not exist while there is food waste. Find out how to make the most of surplus food, and have a pedal on their 'smoothie bike' at this FoodCycle lunchtime session.
Food and drink events Thursday August 10 2017
Average User Rating
4.5 / 5
Rating Breakdown
- 5 star:12
- 4 star:9
- 3 star:1
- 2 star:0
- 1 star:0
What an amazing place to understand the history of London, from ancient to modern times, all very well documented. I strongly recommend this place for tourists but also for Londoners - I found a lot haven't been, and it gives so much insight about the building of this thrilling city. Highlight to the section on the Big Fire, as well as Victorian ages. Good library at the end, with materials to go further.
A confession - I've lived in London a large part of my life and it wasn't until recently that I visited the Museum of London - now that I've been, I cannot believe I haven't visited before and would recommend it wholeheartedly to tourists and locals alike (especially as it is free entry - although donations are appreciated). Set over two floors and sprawling across many rooms, you embark on your journey in chronological order, beginning with the Birth of London through to the current day. My favourite sections were the ones representing modern history, including the Pleasure Gardens, the recreation of Victorian London, plus the room that housed parts of the actual 'cauldron' from the 2012 London Olympic Games. Also, there was something rather neat about the ornate customer-lift on display from Selfridges, made out of bronze and cast-iron. There is also another branch of the Museum in Dockland, which has Cross-Rail exhibition on until later this year.
My housemate suggested we check out the Museum of London during the Easter holidays, and since I have wanted to go take a peek for some time, I was happy to go. Call me naïve, but I had no idea about the storied history of 'Londinium' and the Roman occupation! I found it really interesting to her about how my favourite city came to be. I also really enjoyed the look into old housing setups and shops that had been set up as a bit of a walkthrough; that kind of thing is what I love about museums. Sure, there were tons of artefacts available to gaze at, but I am more interested in seeing how people really lived, what they wore, etc. That tells me about history more than any clay painting.
My favourite bits were the modern London sections from about the 20s onward. The majority of the museum before that, despite their best efforts, left me bit cold. But learning about the pride Londoners from all walks of life - including immigrants, of course - took, and continue to take, in this city bowled me over. Very cool to watch how things changed through the 40s, 50s and 60s socially and politically and economically, and I left with a better understanding of how London evolved into the city it is now.
I was also pleased to see the torches form the Olympic and Paralympic games of 2012 - learned a lot about the pieces of those as well. Very cool and, dare I say, awe-inspiring.
Ever since I spotted the Museum of London in one of 'those' touristy guide books, this place has been on my list. I've kinda half tried to get there a couple of times but never quite managed to figure out where the hell it was! Well it's near St Paul's/Barbican way and it's off a round about people - don't give up! It makes me sad to say this is a hidden gem - but it IS mentioned so much less than it's competitors. It's a cracker, it takes you on a fabulous walk through history to present day London picking out key moments - e.g. The Plague, The Great Fire of London and restoration of the monarchy to make it a fantastic and FREE half a day soaking up all that has shaped the capital city. I loved the Victorian Street with old world pub and sweet shop, and also the beautiful 1908 vintage petrol-driven taxi which marked a revolutionary change in our history. It is family friendly with lots of helpful quizzes plus there's a replica of The Globe and stacks of memorabilia from the 60s and 70s. You're also encouraged to use their free wifi to share your experience (always handy) but when I tweeted I didn't get a reply. Overall, it's super good but my expectations were sky high given this was The Museum of London.
Another great museum for school age children but away from the intense crowds of central London. There are two age ranges of treasure hunt (4-7, 8-11) that you can buy from reception to keep children engaged.
There's plenty of very different exhibitions to keep you occupied for the best part of an afternoon. Exhibits range from prehistoric to modern day and everything in between to provide a synopsis of London through the ages.
The recreationof a Victoria Street in the lower ground floor is particularly interesting. My favourite piece is the time line that starts around the 18th centuryand ends in the earlier part of this century (unsurprisingly). As well as highlighting key events in London and aroundthe world on the main display, there is a handrail running underneath for each year which has been, and can still be, personalised by individuals and groups to commemorate key life events such as births and marriages.
Went to the Museum of Last parties night event here and had a brilliant time. I haven't been to the museum proper for a long time, but the entertainment was so good I decided to leave the exhibits for another trip.
There were 3 main areas set up: a Victorian cockney sing along, 20's style speakeasy and 70s (I think) disco. All of them were just excellent and it was difficult deciding to move between them. There were some amazing outfits worn by guests, ranging from flapper girls to punks and dandies. Drinks were a bit pricey, as were the snacks on offer, but the truly unique and fun experience more than made up for it.
Museum night events can be a bit hit and miss but this felt like one big party and was free to get in!! Hope they plan some more soon!
This is a hidden gem in the heart of the financial district. Really varied exhibits including the Lord Mayor's golden carriage. Do not miss the 1 hour free guided tours that take place regularly during the day. The Punk exhibition on currently is particularly interesting.
Brilliant place to take the kids. Lots of tactile stuff for them to play with and particularly interesting war-time exhibits for older children. When we went the museum had also put on a free arts & crafts class in which the children made war-time style posters.
Highly recommended although slightly awkward to get to with a pram. Once there no problem at all.
Great place to introduce your kids to the history of London, very visual interactive for little eyes.
A wonderful and often overlooked museum. The Museum of London is split up onto two floors - the ground floor covering from Roman times to the great fire of London, the basement carrying on all the way to the 2012 Olympics. I think that this museum is of more interest to people who call London home more than for tourists. All of the permanent exhibitions are free and well worth spending a day going through. There is also a Benugo cafe at the museum entrance which makes for an excellent pit stop.
A great (free) museum with tonnes of interesting info on the history of the city of London.
Their exhibitions (which normally cost £10-15) are normally pretty good. The old cheapside jewellery exhibition was amazing and their most recent exhib "Crime Undiscovered" is well worth the visit however bewarned it is quite small and therefore gets really busy so it is hard to read all the interesting facts around the murders and read all the objects on show.
It really surprises me that the Museum of London isn't more talked about, in fact, I've hardly heard anyone mention it in all my time living here! However having taken my third visit there last week, it's safe to say that it's constantly evolving. My personal favourite part of the museum is the replica Victorian shopping village, however as the museum takes you on a journey from before London was even a settlement all the way until the 2012 olympics, it's safe to say there is something for everybody. Very interactive for children and very informative for adults! There is a variety of exhibition mediums, which creates a changing pace as you go through the museum - making it less monotonous and more engaging. The museum also has a lovely cafe and shop!
So under-rated. Some of the best designed exhibitions in London on a huge variety of topics from fossils to fashion. Great way to fall in love with the city we live in.
While on the outside it might look like something of a tourist trap, there is much to be enjoyed at the Museum of London, which does pretty much what it says on the tin. A comprehensive history of London from its earliest settlement through to the modern era is genuinely interesting, and there are a number of more standalone exhibitions including one on the cauldron from the 2012 Olympics. However be warned - as some of the other reviews on this page indicate, everything is quite child-friendly, which means weekends and holidays might not be the ideal time to visit if, like me, you prefer your museums library-quiet.
This is one of our favorite London museums, although we haven't been there in quite some time now. We plan on returning in June (2014) when we will have a few days in London. We especially enjoy the exhibits dealing with Roman times and the Great Fire.
A long time since I was last at the MofL and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The flow round the history of London is quite amazing - though to be honest the Pre-Roman time did go on a bit too long to my mind. Various highlights for me were the Georgian period with the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and the Victorian Street which I could have spent in - especially if we had been able to go into the shops more.
I went on a Saturday and there were plenty of children around, which is always a chore, but there was a lot to catch their eye, though not that much was interactive. Movement round the museum was easy and there were places to drop out of the chronological story had I wanted to. All in all a really great place with stories to tell about the city that surprised even this grizzled old veteran.
A great place to go in the half term holidays with or without the kids! Not been here since I was one & forgot just how spectacular the museum is! Kids & I loved it! It's a must see!:)
Despite living in London for most of my life I am ashamed to say this was my first visit to the Museum of London. What an absolutely amazing place! Despite its somewhat daunting exterior (it looks like it could be a prison!) the second I walked through the gate into the garden I was nothing but pleasantly surprised. The museum is well laid out, easy to navigate and much larger than I expected. It just seems to go on forever and takes you through an array of all things London in a year by year journey. I will most certainly be back. Absolutely fascinating and a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
I have been to the Museum of London on numerous occasions with friends and other members of my family and am continously struck by how skillfully it combines archaic london with contempory themes.The archeology of our great country is incredibly diverse and prehistoric.when you come face to face with evidence of the ancestral presence of the country combining their creative resorcefulness and strategies they used to not just survive but thrive carving a beautiful world. In an often hostile enviroment is a humblng experience.Modern topical issues are covered with numerous displays sometimes remindng us that our ethnically diverse city can be a source of strength enriching all our lives if we take an honest look ot ourselves and challenge our preconceptions about each other.
I took my son here a few years ago and we both loved it. Being born in London myself but now living in the West Country, it gave me a chance to show him where I grew up and it's history. He loved the dressing but the highlight of our day was the Roman Gladiator show where you were actually involved as a Roman crowd. If they do it again and you get the chance to go, I highly recommend it.
