Last chance to visit this transport treasure trove in 2023!
London Transport Museum's final Acton Depot open days of the year are right around the corner. From Thursday 21 September to Sunday 24 September, you'll have the rare opportunity to explore this remarkable museum store, which is home to over 320,000 fascinating objects — from maps to ticket machines, to rare road and rail vehicles — spanning 100 years of transport history.
This time, the theme's 'transport and stories', with the depot showcasing the workers and passengers who shaped the capital's public transport network. Travel back in time by chatting to friendly costumed characters including tube map designer Harry Beck and Joe Clough, Britain's first Black bus driver. Add your own stories to the Memory Mile, or explore 30 years of Poems of the Underground via a special poster display.
All of the above — plus selfie stations and street food — can be found Thursday-Sunday at the Acton Depot. There are also a few special events happening on specific days. Read on for the details, choose the day the tickles your fancy, then click below to book. Tickets cost £17 for adults and £8.50 for children. Kids aged 3 and under go free!
All images © London Transport Museum unless otherwise stated. |
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| Hidden London Mini Model Tours Discover London Underground stations past and present, in miniature form, with the Hidden London team on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 September. These folks run tours of disused stations like Aldwych, which you'll a find model of at the Acton Depot. The team also has a stall, running all four open days. |
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| Expert Talks Learn all about the people through the ages who have kept London moving at different talks taking place every day. Speakers include Matt Brosnan, London Transport Museum's Head Curator (Thursday and Saturday) and Secrets of the London Underground presenter and historian Tim Dunn (Sunday).
Image © Transport for London |
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| Iconic Design On the Thursday and the Friday, you've got the chance to take a mini tour of the Depot's Poster Store, where you'll find hidden design classics. Then, over the weekend, it's time for an Art Store tour — expect maps and rarely seen art originals. |
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| Puppetry Workshops There are all sorts of child-friendly activities happening over the weekend, too. Get the whole family involved in a creative workshop on 23 or 24 September, where you'll create a puppet show inspired by your journey to Acton Depot (or a fantasy trip, if you really want to let your imagination run riot!) |
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| Rides and Demos Here's some more family-friendly hands-on fun: a chance to play train driver in a real Victoria line driving cab! At this rig demo, you'll learn how trains on the world's first automatic railway keep running. Plus, the London Transport Museum Miniature Railway will be in service! Both activities take place Saturday-Sunday, and the miniature railway must be booked separately. |
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