ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM FOR KIDS

INSIDE: There’s hundreds of things to do at the London Transport Museum for kids.

The London Transport Museum is not somewhere that immediately springs to mind when you are planning a trip to London with kids.

Most families visiting London for kids plan their itinerary to include:

Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard, and Westminster Abbey
Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, and the Princess Diana Memorial Playground
The Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum
Harrods Department store with kids
Madame Tussauds
Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London
London Eye and a Thames River Cruise
the famous London markets such as Camden market and Portobello market, and
Royal Parks, including Regents Park.
London Zoo

Top of the list, a Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour.

BUT, the LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM in Covent Garden is one of the best places for kids in London as it’s all HANDS ON!

My boys love everything to do with transport and vehicles, so the London Transport Museum Covent Garden was a done deal for us but it’s fun for boys, girls, teens and families.

Stop asking is the London transport museum for kids worth a visit?

IT IS!

Take a look below for details.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a small commission at NO extra cost to you.

Guide to London Transport Museum for Kids

Kids LOVE the Transport Museum in London (sometimes mistakenly called the London Bus museum, but it’s not. That museum is in Surrey. )

The London Transport Museum is the world’s leading museum of urban transport.

The London Transport exhibitions include All Aboard, the Museum’s exciting new play zone which opened in March 2015, for children 0 – 7 years old.

There’s also a dedicated baby-space infants at the ‘Baby DLR’ with an interactive wall and building blocks. It’s on ground floor and level 1 of the Museum.

Covent Garden Transport Museum ALL ABOARD exhibition

Here’s a list of things to do at the London Transport Museum London ALL ABOARD

No.1: Role Play

Role play in dress-up uniforms and become:

drivers
cleaners
station announcers
mechanics (as pictured above) and
river captains aboard ferry boats too!

Repair a mini Tube train with toy spanners,

No.2: Work and play in the ‘Lost Property’ office

No.3: Play on the Transport Museum vehicles for kids

Play on a mini fleet of vehicles
‘Sailing’ the Thames Nipper
Serve passengers in the Nipper café

London Taxi

Drive a black cab
Fly the Emirates Air Line cable car

No.4: Make driver announcements

And search for the ‘noisy seats’ on some of the vehicles which make funny sounds when sat upon.

Kids can also help customers at the mini information desk using the magnetic message board, maps and clocks.

Singing stars of the future can play musical instruments at the busking spot.

All Aboard exhibition is located on the ground floor and Level 1 of the museum.

That’s not all!

MORE Hands on Activities at the British Transport Museum

Try these activities throughout the Transport Museum in London:

Drive Tube train simulators
Pick up a free stamper card and collect transport stamps around the Museum galleries

No.1: Board a bus

Board real buses, trains and trams and get in the driver’s seat!
Meet costumed actors who bring some of the exhibits to life
Dress up in historical outfits
Eat fun food in our cafe (see below!)

No.2: Choose some activities from the family station.

Activities include:

folding your own bus and driving it between the vehicles
spotting shapes around the Museum through shape spotters, and
opportunities to make up your own transport story.

Available at weekends and school holidays. Suitable for families with children aged 3 – 12

London Transport Museum cafe

Wondering where to eat at the London Transport Museum?

No.1: Upper Deck Cafe

Do not miss the super fun food at the Museum’s Upper Deck café:

Tube line milk shakes
train shaped pasta dishes, or
collect a bus shaped lunch box to take to the indoor picnic area.

There’s more hot & cold food and drinks including smoothies, which are available throughout the day.

Check the menu here

Situated at the front of the Museum above the gift shop, enjoy views over the Piazza in Covent Garden.

High chairs are available.

Upper Deck Cafe Opening Hours

Sunday to Tuesday 10.00 to 6.30pm
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 7pm

No.2: Lower Deck Cafe & Indoor Picnic Area

This London transport museum cafe is situated in the main museum the Lower Deck café offers:

a range of sandwiches
snacks
hot and cold drinks
English homemade gelato
frozen yoghurt
milkshakes,
plus award winning coffee from trained baristas!

Lunchboxes are available for kids – choose any four items and get cucumber & carrot sticks for free

Open Saturday and Sunday* 10:00 to 16:30
During school holiday periods the Lower Deck ice cream cafe is open daily from 10:00 to 16:30

No.3: Picnic Area

The museum has a small indoor picnic area where you can eat your own packed lunches

London Transport Museum Events

The London Transport Museum Covent Garden has some extra special family-friendly activities and events.

Click here for details of current family events at London Transport Museum.

Click here for details of events for children under 5.

You can also take a Behind the Scenes Tour.

London Transport Museum app & guide

Download the free London Transport Museum Covent Garden App on iPhone or Android.

Download the Family Guide to the London Transport Museum Covent Garden.

(There’s some tips on what you should NOT miss!)

The London Transport Museum Shop

Do not miss this fabulous gift shop in London for London souvenirs.

Browse the heritage and contemporary design collections inspired by London’s public transport system and iconic London landmarks, both above and underground.

London Transport Museum Kids & Family Shopping Guide

We bought the BEST Christmas jumpers with London Bus icons from the London Transport Museum shop.

(This is us wearing them, meeting the REAL Santa in Lapland Finland. Read all about it here)

At the London transport shop, you can buy:

London underground posters and prints
London transport posters
London underground lightbox signs
Recommissioned luggage racks just like they used to have on the British trains
mugs and models of classic London buses and trains.
exclusive products from Transport for London
London tube maps
teatowels and kitchenware
scarves and socks

All purchases support the Museum.

London Transport Museum shop opening hours:

Sunday – Tuesday 10.00 – 18.30
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10.00 – 19.00
Friday 11.00 – 19.00

Keep an eye out for the London Transport museum shop sale!

Hot tip: London Transport Museum Pressed Penny souvenirs

Do find the Souvenir penny machine if you are a collector like we are.

THE INSIDE SCOOP: Transport Museum London

Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in British pounds, unless otherwise stated

Phone: +44 20 7379 6344
Website: Click here
Email (guest relations): [email protected]

London Transport Museum Opening Times

Museum Galleries:

Monday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 10.00 – 18.00 (Last entry 17.15)
Friday 11.00 – 18.00 (Last entry 17.15)

The London Transport museum tickets

The London Transport museum prices are:

Children, and young people under 18 enter for FREE! (Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult).
Adult £18.00; Concession £17

There is no London Transport Museum entrance fee for carers – one carer is admitted for free when accompanying a concession paying adult.

London Transport Museum Covent Garden tickets allow unlimited daytime entry to all Museum galleries and temporary exhibitions for a whole year.

(Terms and conditions apply. See website.)

London Transport Museum Discount tickets

No.1: Book discount tickets to London Transport museum

Click here (Get your Guide)

No.2: London Transport Museum 2 for 1 tickets

These come up from time to time.

Keep your eyes peeled.

How to get to London Transport Museum London

Get to the London transportation museum:

By Underground

Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Holborn, Embankment, Charing Cross
Plan your journey with Transport for London

By Bus

Strand or Aldwych (RV1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 139)

By Rail

Charing Cross and Waterloo Mainline StationsPlan your journey with National Rail

By Boat

Save with our joint ticket for London Transport Museum and MBNA Thames Clippers.
Embankment Pier is the closest pier to the museum, a 10 minute walk away.
Plan your journey with Thames Clippers

By Bicycle

Get here using Santander Cycle Hire.
Nearest Docking Stations are available behind the museum on Tavistock Street and a short walk from the Museum on Wellington Street.
There is also a public cycle rack located a few minutes walk from the museum in Russell Street.
A comprehensive list of cycle parking locations across Westminster can be found on the Westminster Cycling Campaign website.

By Car: Click here for google map directions to London Transport museum

London Transport Museum Parking

There is a very limited number of parking spaces available near the Museum.
These spaces are charged at £4.40 per hour, with a maximum stay of around 4 hours.

The ParkRight app for mobile, developed for the City of Westminster, can provide you with real time parking space occupancy information.

Facilities at the Transport Museum in London

Baby changing room
Baby feeding room
Ramp /lift access to all galleries
Buggy park for strollers
Picnic area
Seating around the galleries so you can breastfeed if you need

Take a break at Transportorium on the Moquette seats! (pictured below)

Hot Tip: The London Transport Museum Depot Acton

Did you know, the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton is a secondary storage yard and holds the majority of the Museum’s collections which are not on display in the main Museum in Covent Garden?

It opens to the public for special events, including themed open weekends and guided tours.

London Transport Museum Depot is located at 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, Acton Town, London W3 9BQ.
The closest bus stops to the Museum Depot are Gunnersbury Lane (Acton Town station) 70 or E3.
The closest Underground station is Acton Town (2 mins).
There is no parking at the Depot except for disabled badge holders

Visit London Museum of Transportation during an Open Weekend!

The London transport museum depot open day weekends happen twice a year, typically around March and September.

There’s make-and-take workshops alongside engineering challenges, quizzes and trails.

Above all you can explore over 370,000 items spanning 200 years of London’s public transport.

Toadstool Rating: London Transport Museum London for kids

It’s a winner!

Looking for MORE Fun Things to Do in London with kids?

Click the links in blue below for more London ideas.