What we do
London Transport Museum exploresthe powerful link between transport and the growth of London, its culture and society since 1800. By sharing this story of innovation, ingenuity, creativity and design, we ignite curiosity about the world around us and how to shape its future. Our collection is Designated Outstanding by Arts Council England. It includes more than 500,000 objects, from locomotives which powered the world’s first underground railway, to one of the most important collections of 20th century poster art. The collection originated in the 1920s, when the London General Omnibus Company decided to preserve two Victorian horse buses and an early motorbus for future generations. The Museum of British Transport opened in an old bus garage in Clapham, south London, during the 1960s, before moving to Syon Park in west London in 1973 as the London Transport Collection. The Museum was granted charitable status in 2007 which has enabled us to secure funding from new sources such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, and trusts and foundations including the Luke Rees-Pulley Charitable Trust, thereby extending our learning and engagement programmes. This funding enables the Museum to offer learning opportunities, skills development and engaging programming to a wide variety of audiences.
Hidden London
Explore ‘forgotten’ parts of the Tube network and go behind the scenes at some of London’s busiest stations with our exclusive Hidden London tours (virtual and in person), in our award-winning exhibition, on YouTube with our Hidden London hangouts, and discover even more hidden secrets with a special TV documentary coming out later in 2021.