In this section
Press releases
- Plans approved to create new London Museum and regenerate Smithfield
- From DJ sets to late-night cinema Museum of London announces blockbuster festival weekends to close London Wall
- fabric to become world’s first nightclub-in-residence in a Museum
- Major new Museum of London Docklands exhibition uncovers London’s 700 year history of public executions
- 15-year-old Londoner takes over city bus stops as winner announced of Museum of London, BBC 100 & TfL poetry competition
- Museum of London unveils Greatest Hits mural to celebrate 45 years at London Wall
- Museum of London marks 100 days to closure with free event and giveaways for visitors
- Museum of London raises a further £7 million towards its new home at West Smithfield
- Museum of London celebrates 45 years at London Wall as it commences countdown to closure
- Sunil Gupta’s ‘Pretended’ Family Relationships photo series acquired by the Museum of London
- Putin’s Happy – Museum of London acquires Jeremy Deller film revealing a divided country and a city full of protest
- The Museum of London celebrates city's sporting hero with new display on Harry Kane
- The Museum of London presents 'Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream', opening 17 June 2022
- Joe Corré, Jordan and Richard Boon to appear in an uncensored, live Punk.London debate
- 300 year old love message embroidered in human hair to go on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London begins countdown to West Smithfield relocation
- Douglas Gilmore appointed Managing Director of Museum of London Docklands
- New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation
- The Prince of Wales becomes Museum of London Patron
- The Clash’s Paul Simonon’s famous Fender Precision bass to go on display
- Behind the Scenes of the Museum of London
- Stanton Williams and Asif Khan to design new Museum of London at West Smithfield
- Museum of London acquires ensemble inspired by the creativity of the Windrush generation
- Feeding Black: Community, Power & Place opening 16 July at Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London acquires NHS sign from ZSL London Zoo’s Giraffe House as part of Collecting COVID
- Museum of London sites set to reopen 19 May with extensions of Dub London: Bassline of a City and Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery
- Museum of London acquires Mayor of Lambeth’s homemade ceremonial chain as part of Collecting COVID project
- Museum of London acquires ‘viral’ Tweets for Collecting COVID
- Weavers’ Company donate £100,000 to the Museum of London’s move to Smithfield
- Museum of London receives Trump Baby blimp ahead of the Presidential Inauguration
- Museum of London to collect COVID dreams
- Arsenal’s captain donates Black Lives Matter shirt to the Museum of London
- Dub London: Bassline of a City opening 2 October at the Museum of London
- Public statement October 2020
- London Sugar & Slavery gallery
- New major exhibition Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery opens 11 September at the Museum of London Docklands
- Robert Milligan statue statement
- Museum of London sites to reopen 6 August with four-week extension of The Clash: London Calling display
- Public statement
- Museum of London releases first ever recorded soundscapes of London alongside new recordings of London in lockdown as part of Collecting COVID project
- Design concepts for new museum at West Smithfield revealed
- The Museum of London collects shared experiences of Ramadan in lockdown as part of Collecting COVID project
- Unheard oral histories are released by the Museum of London to mark Windrush Day
- Collecting Covid: the Museum of London seeks to mark unprecedented pandemic for the future
- Millicent Fawcett’s ‘Steadfastness and Courage’ brooch to go on permanent display for the first time
- Museum of London submits plans to create a new world-class cultural destination in West Smithfield
- King Charles I’s execution vest to go on display in new major exhibition
- Museum of London to celebrate Dub Reggae and its influence on the capital
- East End bastion Syd’s coffee stall to be donated to the Museum of London
- Free exhibit celebrating the making of The Clash’s ground-breaking album ‘London Calling’ now open
- Museum of London acquires extremely rare plate that belonged to Samuel Pepys
- The story of the Krios of Sierra Leone to be told in the Museum of London Docklands’ latest display
- Museum of London to host The Clash: London Calling exclusive free exhibit of over 100 personal items
- The largest ever Bronze Age hoard in London has been discovered
- Designs for Museum of London’s new West Smithfield home revealed
- Smithfield Street Party
- Museum of London hopes to acquire both the Trump Baby Blimp and the Sadiq Khan Blimp as part of their permanent collection
- Secret Rivers
- Beasts of London
- Recently acquired panorama goes on display for the first time at the Museum of London
- Museum of London appoints leading names to Board of Governors
- Earliest skull ever mudlarked from the Thames to go on display at the Museum of London
- Museum of London acquires beautiful panorama of lost Houses of Parliament
- Bengali arts and culture on show at the Museum of London Docklands family festival.
- Bonus Levels: Artist Lawrence Lek invites viewers to re-imagine future London
- Young Londoners to take over Museum of London this March
- The Museum of London hopes to acquire Whitechapel 'fatberg'
- Treasured children’s author Jacqueline Wilson’s latest book Wave Me Goodbye inspires family day at the Museum of London Docklands
- The City is Ours: A Tale of New Cities
- Adventures in Peter Pan’s Neverland at Museum of London Docklands
- Photography of Londoners and their pastimes on show at Museum of London
- Tracking London’s most talked about topics and emojis
- London Nights: Museum of London unveils the city at night in major photography exhibition
- Museum of London Docklands celebrates Chinese New Year this February half term
- Statement on 20 May 2017
- Whitechapel’s famous monster fatberg is coming to the Museum of London
- Museum of London Docklands to showcase rare Roman sarcophagus in first public display
- Malcolm Reading Consultants appointed to run West Smithfield International Design Competition
- 8,000 years of human history on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- An Idea for a Future London open call winner announced
- Five Museum of London apprentices appointed
- London Visions: Hypothetical scenarios of a future London
- “Reputational whitewashing” investigated in latest display at the Museum of London Docklands.
- Rare George Cross medal goes on display at the Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of London displays recently acquired Sutherland drawings in new exhibition of Blitz artwork
- What does the future hold for London and cities around the world?
- Mayor of London and City of London Corporation pledge support for new Museum of London at West Smithfield
- Smithfield street party: Museum of London celebrates 150 years of Smithfield markets
- Museum of London uses Minecraft to recreate the Great Fire of 1666
- Museum of London releases third and final Great Fire 1666 Minecraft map
- Taste not waste: Be inspired by unique recipes using your leftover food for a more sustainable future London
- Museum of London opens most theatrical exhibition ever to mark 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London
- Museum of London acquires 100 menswear items worn by townscape consultant Francis Golding
- Votes for Women programme
- Technology replacing jobs won’t halt our working spirit
- Rare Victoria Cross with mysterious story to go on display at the Museum of London
- New display at the Museum of London traces the capital’s obsession with ice skating
- Rare tools give insight into working lives of Roman Londoners at the Museum of London
- New display reveals complex history of British Army’s West India Regiments
- Historic vessels Knocker White and Varlet set sail to new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf
- Missing Bake Off? Take your taste buds back in time with 17th century gingerbread
- Paddington returns to Museum of London
- Learn how to code like a pro and celebrate digital technology at the Museum of London’s free family festival
- 17th century fire engine restored for Great Fire exhibition
- Museum of London boosts Great Fire collections with mysterious manuscript
- Major new gallery at Museum of London Docklands explores history of the world's largest docks
- Sir Edward Lister joins Museum of London Board of Governors
- West Smithfield Design Competition shortlist announced
- Museum of London bolsters its art collections
- West Smithfield International Design Competition launched
- Another record-breaking year for the Museum of London
- After dark at The Night Museum
- New display about the life of ‘The Royal African’ and the slave trade
- Statue of Robert Milligan joins Museum of London collection
- Our statement on Fabric
- People of Punk bring the year of celebration to an end
- Tunnel: the archaeology of Crossrail
- Museum of London to make 5,000 stories from the capital available to the public for the first time
- The Museum of London Docklands announces major exhibition with public call out to find iconic pieces of fashion history
- Trump Baby Blimp undergoes test inflation
- Museum of London Docklands launches the Dodger family trail, based on BAFTA-winning BBC TV series, Dodger
- Museum of London Docklands announces Indo + Caribbean: The creation of a culture
- Young Londoners push for a more sustainable city in Museum of London report
- Museum of London Docklands announces street party to mark its 20th anniversary, with Vanity Milan, star of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, to headline
- Museum of London formally appoints Sir Robert McAlpine as Construction Management Company on Smithfield project
- Rare Festival of Britain sculpture discovered in London garden will join Museum of London collection
- Jennifer Francis appointed Director of External Affairs at Museum of London
- Museum of London announces acquisition of major sports collecting project, including Wimbledon oral histories
- Coats worn by Princess Diana and Dot Cotton to go on display as part of a major new exhibition
- Bridget Banton and Samir Patel join Museum of London Board of Governors
- Museum of London issues public call for iconic signs from across the capital
- First witness to the Great Fire of London uncovered
- Opening Friday 13 October – Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style at Museum of London Docklands
- Foundation stone unveiled for the new London Museum as principal construction works begin
- New research finds Black women of African descent more likely to die of medieval plague
- Rare tie discovered in charity shop goes on display in London fashion exhibition
- Museum of London Docklands launches new display in collaboration with Mind and Taking Shape Association
- Acclaimed Fashion City exhibition extended to 7 July 2024 with free student ticket offer for April and May
Museum of London celebrates 45 years at London Wall as it commences countdown to closure
- Museum of London is celebrating its 45-year history at London Wall with a special, six-month programme of events, activities and displays
- The museum will host an epic leaving party before closing its doors to the public on Sunday 4 December 2022, in preparation for its move to West Smithfield
- From Roman picnics to large LEGO builds, activities for the entire family will kick off in July and continue through to December
- The fun-packed celebration includes special behind-the-scenes access during Open House and two closing weekend festivals celebrating the past 50 years of London history
- Headline displays Harry Kane: I want to play football and Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream will run until December as part of the big finale
- Museum of London Docklands will remain open throughout, changing its name to The London Museum Docklands in January 2023
11 July 2022 – Museum of London will celebrate 45 years at London Wall with an exciting programme of events, activities and displays that will welcome visitors to the site one last time before its doors close on Sunday, 4 December 2022.
The Museum of London Docklands will remain open to visitors with a major exhibition Executions planned from 14 October 2022. The new site at West Smithfield, named The London Museum, will open in 2026.
The programme includes a range of interactive and immersive activities for young visitors and the entire family through the summer holidays, the October half-term, and a jam-packed month of school visits in November framed around different themes corresponding to the museum’s collection.
Summer activities include:
- Arty Archaeologists: a workshop offering young visitors the opportunity to touch Roman London archaeological finds and mould their very own for future archaeologists to discover.
- Morning Explorers: catering to the needs of children with autistic spectrum conditions, this event offers early access to the museum’s galleries, an object-handling table and sensory space.
- Big Brick Build: mosaic mayhem: build a giant mosaic with LEGO bricks, recreating the famous Bucklersbury mosaic, which is on display in the museum’s Roman gallery.
- Minecraft Missions: build a Roman temple: a session inviting young visitors to take the museum’s Minecraft challenge and construct their very own ancient Roman temple
- Magnificent Mosaics: an activity inviting young visitors to craft their own paper mosaic to take home.
- Roman London object handling: an activity offering young visitors the opportunity to handle real Roman artefacts and listen to tales from Roman London.
- Meet the Romans: young visitors get to discover the wonders of Roman London, and meet and ask Roman Londoners questions about their day-to-day lives.
- Picnic and party like a Roman soldier!: young visitors get to master the art of Roman soldiery alongside the museum’s musical tribute to Roman London. Families are invited to bring their own picnic to enjoy at the end of the day.
Visitors will gain behind-the-scenes access to the museum during Open House on 10 & 11 September, which will showcase the preparation of moving the museum to its new home, alongside prized objects from the museum’s seven million-strong collection. The museum will also host a celebration of Black History Month in October.
Throughout November, the museum will host school visits framed around different themes each week, including Prehistoric London, Votes for Women, Romans and Great Fire of London. The month-long programme will give young visitors a last chance to see their favourite displays with a new twist — including interactive activities and immersive, actor-led guided experiences.
Two free headline displays will close the museum’s London Wall site. Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream (17 June 2022 - 4 December 2022), co-curated with Roony ‘RiskyRoadz’ Keefe and featuring Grime pioneer Jammer, honours the music, people and places central to the Grime scene in east London, with a series of newly commissioned films. Harry Kane: I want to play football (21 May 2022 - 4 December 2022) celebrates one of the city’s sporting heroes and aims to inspire the next generation in the run-up to the World Cup.
The programme will culminate with two celebratory festivals. One for families on 26 & 27 November and a final closing festival on 2, 3 & 4 December that will celebrate the past 50 years of London history.
The Museum of London first opened its doors in 1976, with a ceremony attended by Her Majesty the Queen. Its first exhibition celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and over the years, its programme of displays has explored a range of topics from the Suffragette movement to 15,000 years of settlement from overseas; metropolitan eating to London’s nightlife; Dub music to London’s fashion scene; the Whitechapel Fatberg to Sherlock Holmes; Vivienne Westwood to The Clash.
The museum’s chronological galleries represented a radical new approach to design when they first opened in 1976. Visitors can still follow the museum’s linear structure to explore the city’s history, from prehistory to the present day. The Roman Bucklersbury mosaic, Oliver Cromwell’s death mask, a sword belonging to Admiral Nelson, the Booth Map of Poverty, Selfridge’s art deco lifts, and a 1960s Beatles dress are among the rare and unique objects on show at the museum. Visitors will have a final chance to see these items, alongside the museum’s immersive pleasure gardens and Victorian Walk before the site closes in December. Star objects from the galleries will also be celebrated with a series of online micro-documentaries and on-site talks in the coming months.
Sharon Ament, Director, Museum of London, said: “The Museum of London has been breaking ground and celebrating the capital for the last 45 years at our home in London Wall. Since first opening in 1976, we’ve welcomed over 21 million visitors, including more than 1.5 million school children since 1998. We’re hugely proud of what we’ve achieved here and remain ambitious to continue to serve Londoners with a world-class new museum in West Smithfield. Before we move, we invite you to join us one last time as we celebrate our unique collection and remember almost five decades of storytelling about this fantastic city.”
ENDS
Press Enquiries:
Brunswick Arts: [email protected]
Sophie Lealan: +44 7860 784020
Pavlos Amanatidis: +44 7570 822656
Notes to Editors
Dates: Monday 25, Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27, Thursday 28, Friday 29 July
Times: 10.15 am, 11.00 am, 11.45 am, 12.30 pm, 2.15 pm, 3 pm, 3.45 pm
Ages: 5+
Free advanced booking required
What will archaeologists learn from the objects we leave behind today? Touch some real archaeological finds from Roman London and get inspired to mould your own history for the future. Find out what archaeologists do and what they can learn from the artefacts they excavate. Then use clay to create your own objects for a future archaeologist to investigate in this workshop celebrating the CBA Festival of Archaeology.
Date: Saturday 6 August
Time: 8.30 am – 10 am
Free advanced booking required
Explore the museum at this relaxed early opening, sensitive to the needs of children with autistic spectrum conditions. Enjoy quiet time in the galleries between 8.30 – 10 am. Visit our Roman object handling table and sensory space. Plus, get the chance to visit our Harry Kane: I want to play football display before the crowds arrive. Siblings and children with other types of SEND are very welcome.
If you have any questions or would like further details, please email [email protected].
With thanks for the support of John Horniman’s Children’s Trust.
Big Brick Build: mosaic mayhem
Dates: Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 August
Times: 10.30 am – 1 pm & 1.45 – 4.30 pm
Ages: 5+
Free, no booking required
Help us build a giant mosaic with LEGO bricks! Join The Brick Consultant, Steve Guinness, and get stuck in with our big build as we recreate the famous Bucklersbury mosaic on display in our Roman gallery. Families will get the chance to complete their own mosaic square and add it to the collaborative mosaic. Watch it grow, piece by piece, over the three activity days.
We anticipate that the activity will be very popular, and so please expect to queue to take part.
Minecraft Missions: build a Roman temple
Dates: Monday 15, Tuesday 16, Friday 19 August
Times: 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm
Ages: 5+
Free advanced booking required
Do you have what it takes to be a Roman architect? Take our Minecraft challenge and see if you can construct an ancient Roman temple in this ticketed session using museum iPads.
Dates: Tuesday 26 & Wednesday 27 July, Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3, Monday 8, Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11, Monday 15, Tuesday 16, Monday 22, Tuesday 23, Tuesday 30 & Wednesday 31 August
Times: 1.45 – 4.30 pm
Ages: 3+
Free, no booking required
Get inspired by the colourful mosaics on display in our Roman gallery and create your own to take home. Using vibrant paper pieces to craft your masterpiece, you'll follow in the footsteps of the most renowned Roman mosaicists to create something fit for the richest Roman Londoner's living room!
Dates: Tuesday 26 & Wednesday 27 July, Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3, Monday 8, Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11, Monday 15, Tuesday 16, Monday 22, Tuesday 23, Tuesday 30 & Wednesday 31 August
Times: 10.30 am – 1 pm
All ages
Free, no booking required
Get hands-on with real Roman artefacts at our object handling table for families. From ancient soldiers' hobnailed boots to a leather bikini and Roman game counters, hear fascinating tales of life in Roman Londinium.
Dates: Monday 1, Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3, Thursday 4, Friday 5, Saturday 6, Sunday 7, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 August
Times: 11.15 am – 3.45 pm
All ages
Free, no booking required
Get the gossip on life in Londinium. Ever wanted to ask a Roman Londoner about their favourite sweet treats? Maybe you’d like to interrogate them on their washing habits or ask about their favourite show at the amphitheatre? Pop to our Roman gallery to discover the wonders of the ancient city. Plus, you might just bump into a Roman Londoner while you're there!
Picnic and party like a Roman soldier!
Dates: Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Thursday 25 August
Times: 11.30 am, 12.45 pm, 2 pm
All ages
Free, tickets allocated on arrival
Move, march and master the art of Roman soldiery with musician Paul Rubinstein in this musical tribute to the Roman London. Bring your own picnic to munch on at the end of your adventure by the remains of the Roman city wall.
Please sign up for a ticket at our Family Desk when you arrive at the museum. Note that spaces will be limited on a first come, first served basis.
School Visits
Throughout November, the museum will host school visits, framed around a different theme each week:
- 7 - 11 November: Prehistoric London: a workshop offering school students the opportunity to handle objects from the museum’s Prehistoric London collection and engage their creativity with a craft activity
- 14 - 18 November: Votes for Women: an actor-led workshop and an ephemera-handling session from the museum’s Suffragette collection
- 21 - 25 November: Romans: a session inviting school students to handle objects from the museum’s collection and enjoy an interactive experience in the Roman London gallery led by an actor
- 28 November – 2 December: Great Fire of London: school students discover the history of one of London’s greatest tragedies through a storytelling session
About the Museum of London
The Museum of London tells the ever-changing story of this great world city and its people, from 450,000 BC to the present day. Our galleries, exhibitions, displays and activities seek to inspire a passion for London and provide a sense of the vibrancy that makes the city such a unique place.
The museum is open Monday – Sunday 10am – 5pm and is FREE to all. You can explore the Museum of London with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added regularly. www.museumoflondon.org.uk.