(AD-gifted)
London Transport Museum is a museum I’ve walked past 100 times in the beautiful market area of Covent Garden but never been to. LM and I were so excited to get to attend recently, and tick if off our “must see” London list!
First of all, environment is everything and the museum is welcoming, bright and airy on arrival. We visited on a week day and it was fairly quiet as you’d expect, with lots of details clearly laid out re Covid safety (arrows for one way routing, plenty of hand sanitizer stations)
As a mum to a baby boy who doesn’t work to scheduled nap times and doesn’t always sleep too well in his pram, we took a nap on arrival in the peaceful cafe area (loving the on point tube theme- see below) and LM sat in a highchair which was brought to us by the lovely cafe staff when he woke. We were chomping at the bit to get going when we finally did!
As you may imagine, there is much to entertain all members of the family, young and old. The history and detail will take you on a wonderful nostalgic look at past London. I had no idea about the various travel companies that existed in London, before the formation of what became the London Transport network and it was a huge reminder of how vital the role of transport has been for London and Londoners.
I also had no idea that the museum would hold quite so many original relics (including the oldest working bus in Europe: also in amazing condition), or the amount of hidden underground tube stations that TFL, subject to Covid are available to explore. Not all are available for in-person tours at current, due to Covid, but check out Hidden London | London Transport Museum (ltmuseum.co.uk) for more information on these when it becomes available. I had a fascinating chat with staff member Nathan about these- and found out that parts of the James Bond Skyfall film, are filmed at the derelict parts of Charing Cross station! Amazing.
It was super easy to navigate the museum, there was plenty of walkway space for pram use and of course lift access, and it was very easy to maintain distance from others. LM and I were huge fans of the 2 “All Aboard” play areas available, perfect for role playing and crawling babies! As you can see from these photos, these are beautifully designed spaces for your little ones to let off some energy.
We left feeling hugely satisfied: LM had been able to crawl to his hearts content and I managed to glean some information about London past and present and the vital part that Transport for London has played in its developments. The only thing we thought was missing from our trip was daddy! So, we WILL be back to enjoy again as LM grows and can continue to enjoy the museum and it’s celebration of London’s travel history!
Is London Transport Museum somewhere you’ve been or still on your to-visit list?
Website: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/