London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum is housed in the former Flower Market building at Covent Garden in central London, and is dedicated to the history of London's transport over the past two centuries. The collection covers the world-famous London Underground, the city's buses (from horse-drawn through Routemaster to modern), trams, trolleybuses and associated infrastructure and design heritage.
The museum is celebrated for its strong design ethos, reflecting London Transport's long association with iconic graphic design (including the Underground roundel, the Johnston typeface and the schematic Tube map by Harry Beck). A separate Museum Depot at Acton in west London houses the larger reserve collection, including stored Underground trains, buses and other vehicles, and is open to the public on advertised days.
History
The collection traces its origins to the 1920s, when London Transport's predecessor companies began preserving historic vehicles. After several earlier homes including Syon Park and Clapham, the museum opened at Covent Garden in 1980, with a major redevelopment completed in 2007. The Acton Depot opened in 2003 to house the reserve collection.
Stations and infrastructure
The Covent Garden museum occupies the Victorian Flower Market on the Piazza, with displays running chronologically through London's transport development. The Acton Depot is purpose-built for storing and displaying the reserve collection.
Route and stations
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Special events and operations
Special events include Acton Depot Open Weekends (typically held several times a year), behind-the-scenes tours, exclusive heritage Underground rides on disused or rarely-used parts of the network, and design and family events at Covent Garden.
Visitor information
The Covent Garden museum is a few minutes from Covent Garden tube station (Piccadilly Line). Standard entry charge applies, with annual passes available. Acton Depot tickets are released for advertised Open Weekends only.