Discover the story of the world's greatest city at the new £20 million Galleries of Modern London at Museum of London.

Three years in the making, five new galleries tell the story of London and its people from 1666 to the present day. 7,000 objects, show-stopping interactives, specially designed family areas, film and changing displays transport you through the capital's tumultuous history, rich with drama, triumph and near disaster.

The Galleries of Modern London tell the story of London and Londoners over the past 300 years. During these years London became the city we see around us today.

From the devastation of the Great Fire of 1666 to the wonders of invention at the Great Exhibition in 1851, the Suffragettes' fight for voting rights to the fashions which made the sixties swing, the galleries are an immersive experience of rebirth and renewal, of excess and of struggle.

Entering the new galleries, discover a city rebuilding itself after the Great Fire. A 240 year-old printing press spills news stories across the gallery in an innovative collision of new and old technologies.

Museum treasures, including Nelson's sword, stunning Huguenot silks, and the extraordinary aerial view of the 1806 Rhinebeck Panorama, can be admired as you walk over cases which hold the city's archaeology underfoot.

London was the world's wealthiest city but success came at the expense of its people with Londoners living in separate worlds of rich and poor. Charles Booth's Map of Poverty illustrates how impoverished East Enders lived in the shadows of London's glamorous West End.

The fractured city saw rising conflict with workers uniting to fight for their rights, imprisoned Suffragettes on hunger strike and communist and fascist groups emerging as the nation moved closer to war.

London survived despite the poverty and conflict that threatened to overwhelm it and emerged as a rejuvenated city. Witness modern London for the masses; flickering with electricity, chattering with telecommunications and motoring on with cars and tubes. A youth and multicultural revolution played out as Londoners absorbed new values and claimed new rights.

London homes and streets were transformed; Bill and Ben delighted London's children, the first Apple Mac computers appeared and fashions shifted from Mary Quant to Alexander McQueen.

The City Gallery opens up the ground floor, allowing the Museum to be seen from street level for the first time. This new extension provides a vast window on to London Wall, allowing you to peer into the galleries inside and glimpse the real city outside.

The centrepiece to this new space is the magnificent Lord Mayor's Coach which is now more than 250 years old.

The Sackler Hall is a vast, contemporary hub that provides a space for rest and refreshment. A bank of computers enable you to find out more about any object on display or items in our stores.

Changing exhibitions celebrate London creative talent while a new film commission paints a modern portrait of London life on nine plasma screens and a elliptical 45 metre LED curtain.

To mark the opening of the Galleries of Modern London we have also launched a number of new displays.

An interactive installation by Thomson and Craighead and the Singh Twins' response to the Museum's Empire paintings are currently on display, along with a newly acquired portfolio of prints from Keith Coventry.

Plan your visit to the new galleries by exploring the services and facilities on offer.

Find out how to get to the Museum and print a map of the area.

Innovative interactive technology specifically designed for families, including those with children under five, will be fully integrated into our new galleries so you can enjoy learning about London's history together.

Join us for free regular events every weekend and holiday, or enjoy activities in the galleries (subject to availability).

We offer a rich programme of free visits, sessions, videoconferences and INSET courses for primary, secondary and special schools to enrich teaching across the curriculum.

Find out how to arrange a class visit to the new galleries, discover the extensive range of sessions available in our new Clore Learning Centre or explore our teachers' resources.

Download our free iPhone app Streetmuseum or buy prints of the images featured in our 'You are here' advertising posters plus other images from our extensive picture library. You can also see what we are up to through our blog, Facebook and twitter profiles, or check out our online games.

Coming soon: watch this space for collections online which will allow you to find out more about all the objects on display in our new galleries, plus some of the objects in our stores.

The Museum's venue hire spaces have also been transformed and include a brand new lecture theatre for 220 people, meeting spaces and an interactive media centre.

In addition, the Galleries of Modern London will include spaces for drinks receptions for up to 1,000 people and dinner for 300 people.

Find out how to film in our new galleries, read our press releases or contact our Press Office via our online newsroom.