London Transport Museum

What to expect

The London Transport Museum fills a Victorian iron-and-glass building in Covent Garden, designed in 1871 as a flower market. The market moved out in 1971, and the museum opened here in 1980. Its collection began in the early 1900s with retired buses and grew to include trams, trolleybuses and rail vehicles, including the first underground electric train from 1890.

You walk through the history of how transport shaped London, from horse-drawn buses to the Elizabeth line, with plenty of things to climb into. There are driving simulators, including an Elizabeth line cab, and a play zone for children up to seven. The shop sells posters and models, and guided Hidden London tours of disused stations are also run for visitors aged ten and over. Most visitors spend about two hours.

Don't miss

• The first underground electric train, from 1890
• Historic buses and trams
• Simulators including an Elizabeth line cab
• All Aboard play zone for under-sevens
• The Victorian flower market hall

Tips for your visit

• Younger children get most out of it, so build your visit around the play zone and the vehicles they can board.
• Hidden London tours need booking ahead on the museum's website.
• It is steps from Covent Garden Piazza, so pair it with the market and the street performers.
• Allow two hours, or less with older teenagers.