Museum of London
Museum of London
London Wall
London
City of London
EC2Y 5HN
England
Website
Telephone
020 7001 9844
Fax
020 7600 1058
Step inside Museum of London for an unforgettable journey through the capital’s turbulent past.
Venue Type:
Museum
Additional info
Wheelchairs: The Museum has powered and manual wheelchairs, which may be borrowed free of charge for the duration of your visit. Please ask at the admissions desk.
Large print events brochures, map and audio guides: Our events brochure and map of the Museum's galleries is available in large print. Please ask upon arrival or telephone 020 7001 9844. There are also audio tours available. The tour is available free of charge to blind or partially sighted visitors.
Induction loop: The Museum's audio facilities (including audio tours) are suitable for the hard of hearing. Our induction loops can be used by any visitor with a hearing aid fitted with a T switch.
Events: We have a range of events which are suitable for blind or partially sighted visitors. Please ask for an events brochure or call our box office team on 0870 444 3850. They will be pleased to assist you.
Toilets and lifts: There are disabled toilets and access by lift to all levels of the Museum. Please telephone 0870 444 3850 prior to your visit if you would like further details.
The entire collection of the Museum of London is a Designated Collection of national importance.
The museum of London charts the history of the capital and its people from the prehistoric period to the present day. Its galleries and exhibitions make sensitive use of both traditional and modern interactive techniques, and the museum has long been committed to educational and outreach services.
The extensive collections contain highly significant ranges of archaeological material from London, and include the London Archaeological Archive of finds and records from over 25 years of excavations. Social and working history collections, costume and decorative arts, paintings, pictures and photographs illustrate London's development since 1700, and the museum's contemporary collecting policy seeks to reflect the ever-changing pattern of London life in London.
The collections are divided between two departments:
The Department of Archaeological Collections and Archive: Material relating to London from the prehistoric period to c.1700. This includes the Archaeological Archive, housing material from archaeological excavations in London.
The Department of History Collections: Material relating to London from c.1700 to the present day.
Collection details
Weapons and War, Social History, Science and Technology, Personalities, Music, Medicine, Maritime, Land Transport, Fine Art, Decorative and Applied Art, Costume and Textiles, Coins and Medals, Archives, Archaeology
Key artists and exhibits
- Prehistoric
- Roman
- Saxon and Medieval
- Tudor and Stuart
- Costume and Decorative Arts
- Oral History and Contemporary Collecting
- The Collecting 2000 project
- Painting, Prints and Drawings
- Photographs
- Social and Working History
- Designated Collection
Michael Caine
As Sir Michael Caine celebrates his 80th birthday the Museum of London reflects on his life as a prolific actor and an iconic Londoner. The exhibition will focus on key moments in both Caine’s personal life and his career as an actor and will explore how his background as a rebellious working-class Londoner influenced his path.
Suitable for
- Any age
Where
Museum of London
Opening the Olympics
Opening the Olympics will feature a selection of approximately 70 objects, outfits and personal accounts from the Games to generate a fuller picture of the defining events and the city which hosted them. This will be the first time that many of the objects will have been on public display since the close of the Games, following the acquisition of various Olympic-related items from LOCOG and the British Olympic Association. The museum also led a concerted effort to collect material before, during and after the Games.
Sporting achievement will be acknowledged with a range of competitor pieces on display, with recognisable items like Tom Daley’s 28” Union Jack swimming trunks alongside the yellow jersey which Bradley Wiggins wore in the opening ceremony. These pieces join approximately 24,000 other items in the Museum of London’s dress and fashion collections dating from the Tudor period to the present day. An Olympic torch from the Olympic flame relay will also be displayed in the museum.
Timothy Long, Curator of Fashion and Decorative Arts said, “The Museum of London is an active collector of objects of material culture, and there was no event which defined London more than last year’s Olympic Games. This display brings together a collection of objects and stories, allowing the public to re-engage with London 2012 and reflect on its legacy and success”.
The success of the Games was bolstered by the enthusiasm of volunteers and the general public, epitomised by the celebration and creativity of the Opening and Closing ceremonies. At the heart of Opening the Olympics will be a display of costumes and accessories from the ceremonies, in which 17,500 volunteers participated.
Highlights include a Mary Poppins outfit, an NHS nurse’s uniform, a dress from the 1960s scene, and a rush hour policeman’s newsprint suit. A particularly recognisable item is the dress worn by the country name bearer during the Olympic team procession – seen by millions on TV, and adorned with the faces of people who volunteered their help to make London 2012 such a success. Alongside these costumes are the dramatic punk heads and a Mohawk headdress from the Paralympic Opening ceremony.
In forming a full picture of London 2012, the display also touches upon the ‘unofficial’ Olympic stories. Locally-organised protests and home-made homages sprang up across the city, and on display will be items which represent the local reaction to Olympic construction at Leyton Marsh.
By adding these items to the museum’s collections, it is hoped that future generations can enjoy the spirit of the Games and its legacy. Everyday items contribute to this, and so a quantity of souvenirs, tickets, badges, programmes and tweets join the display.
Opening the Olympics will take place in the Galleries of Modern London at the Museum of London. The free display will run until 31 October 2013.
Suitable for
Admission
Free
Little Moles toddlers group
Learn, play and explore together every Wednesday during term-time in this fun, hands-on and creative session for toddlers (walkers - 5 years) and carers.
Minimum age: 1
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
3:30-4:30pm
Admission
Free advanced booking required
Website
Mini Moles babies group
Learn, play and explore together every Wednesday during term-time. This session is for babies aged 6 months-walking and their carers and includes sensory, hands-on and play based activities for you and your baby to enjoy together.
Minimum age: 5
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-12pm
Admission
Free advanced booking required
Website
Archaeology up close
Drop in on monthly object-handling sessions with members of the Museum’s Archaeological Collections department.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
12-2pm
Where
Museum of London
Website
Roman fort visit
Tour the remains of the western gate of London’s Roman military fort, located beneath the streets next to the Museum.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
3-3:30pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Free
Website
Roman Fort Visit
Tour the remains of the western gate of London's Roman military fort, located beneath the streets next to the Museum. Please note that due to the terrain on site at the Roman fort this tour is not accessible to wheelchair users.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
- Not suitable for children
When
3-3:30pm
Where
London Wall
Admission
Free tickets on application.
Website
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Adult-events/Archaeologyevents.htm
Roman Fort Visit
Tour the remains of the western gate of London's Roman military fort, located beneath the streets next to the Museum. Please note that due to the terrain on site at the Roman fort this tour is not accessible to wheelchair users.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
- Not suitable for children
When
2-2:30pm
Where
London Wall
Admission
Free tickets on application.
Website
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Adult-events/Archaeologyevents.htm
Festival of British Archaeology 2013
Get exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of stores and laboratories at the Museum of London and the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre. Curators will guide you around these usually hidden spaces and explain the secrets of our collections. For more details on individual events visit the Museum of London website www.museumoflondon.org.uk.
Suitable for
- 18+
Where
Museum of London
Website
Museum explored
Join one of the Museum's Hosts and explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities. Suitable for the whole family.
All ages
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-1pm
Admission
Free
Website
Museum explored
Join one of the Museum's Hosts and explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities. Suitable for the whole family.
All ages
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
2-4pm
Admission
Free
Website
Little Moles toddlers group
Learn, play and explore together every Wednesday during term-time in this fun, hands-on and creative session for toddlers (walkers - 5 years) and carers.
Minimum age: 1
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
3:30-4:30pm
Admission
Free advanced booking required
Website
Little Moles toddlers group
Learn, play and explore together every Wednesday during term-time in this fun, hands-on and creative session for toddlers (walkers - 5 years) and carers.
Minimum age: 1
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
3:30-4:30pm
Admission
Free advanced booking required
Website
Housing for the people: Old Nichol to New Boundary Street Walk
Join Mike Moran, City highlights, for a tour evoking the terrible living conditions in one of East London’s most notorious slums. Learn about its bold and ambitious redevelopment as one of the finest examples of Victorian social housing.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
11am-1pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Fee £10 (concs £8, Friends £7) book in advance 020 7001 945
Website
Characters from history - meet a Victorian spice seller
Having arrived from Morocco, our Victorian spice seller sells his goods as medicines and ointments. Hear his story and find out what his London is like.
Minimum age: 5
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
3-3:30pm
Admission
Free
Website
Characters from history - meet a Victorian spice seller
Having arrived from Morocco, our Victorian spice seller sells his goods as medicines and ointments. Hear his story and find out what his London is like.
Minimum age: 5
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
2-2:30pm
Admission
Free
Website
Characters from history - meet a Victorian spice seller
Having arrived from Morocco, our Victorian spice seller sells his goods as medicines and ointments. Hear his story and find out what his London is like.
Minimum age: 5
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
1-1:30pm
Admission
Free
Website
The thin veil of London Walk
In this theatrical tour, Robert Kingham delves into the mystical environs of Holborn and Bloomsbury as part of Arthur Machen's 150th Birthday festival events.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
6-8pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Fee £12 book in advance 020 7001 944
Website
Caine on screen
Alfie? Get Carter? Educating Rita? Vote for your favourite Michael Caine film online and see the top four films for free at monthly screenings. See our website for voting details www.museumoflondon.org.uk/caineonscreen. The winning films will be announced and the final schedule available after 14 March.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
2-4pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Free booking advised
Website
Stepney: an East End village
Walking from Mile End, Stepney Green always comes as a revelation to visitors with its attractive terraced houses and green spaces. Join Rachel Kolsky to discover the stories of the long-gone Jewish community including Sephardi cemetery and the Jewish Anarchist Club.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
11am-1pm
Where
Museum of London
Website
Archaeology up close
Drop in on monthly object-handling sessions with members of the Museum’s Archaeological Collections department.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
12-2pm
Where
Museum of London
Website
Songs of the City
Bring your voices along to this musical tour of some of London’s most famous historical sites, and learn about the songs connected to them.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
11am-1pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Fee £10 (concs £8, Friends £7) book in advance 020 7001 9844
Website
The Victoria Embankment Walk
Walk from Blackfriars to Westminster and explore this important example of 19th century civil engineering from eminent Victorian, Sir Joseph Bazalgette.
Suitable for
- 18+
- Not suitable for children
When
11am-1pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Fee £10.00 (concs £8.00, Friends £7.00) Book in advance 020 7001 9844
Website
The Victoria Embankment Walk
Walk from Blackfriars to Westminster and explore this important example of 19th century civil engineering from eminent Victorian, Sir Joseph Bazalgette.
Suitable for
- 18+
- Not suitable for children
When
11am-1pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Fee £10.00 (concs £8.00, Friends £7.00) - book in advance 020 7001 9845.
Website
Meet the expert: Francis Grew, Senior Curator of Archaeology
On the last Wednesday of the month enjoy free daytime talks by curators, conservators, historians and archaeologists, from the Museum of London and beyond.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
1-2pm
Where
Museum of London
Admission
Free
Website
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