Open weekend at the Transport Museum depot

The Museum Depot in Acton is our working museum store housing over 370,000 objects.

Sights include rare road & rail vehicles spanning over 100 years, bus and rail sheds, signs, ceramic tiles, ephemera and ticket machines.

More options

web_banner_depot2015.jpg

The Museum Depot in Acton is our working museum store housing over 370,000 objects. Sights include rare road & rail vehicles spanning over 100 years, bus and rail sheds, signs, ceramic tiles, ephemera and ticket machines. Depot open weekends occur twice a year, typically around March and September.
Transport Uncovered

Date: Saturday 25 - Sunday 26 April
Time: 11.00-17.00 (last entry 16.00)
Location: Museum Depot, Acton
Tickets: Adult £10; Concession £8
Children and young people aged 17 and under go free (under 12s must be accompanied by an adult) Tickets can also be purchased from our Ticket Office on +44 (0)20 7565 7298 (open 10.00-17.30 daily)

On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April London Transport Museum will throw open the doors of its Depot in Acton, west London, giving Londoners and visitors to the capital the chance to peek inside and marvel at treasures from London’s transport past and present.

A weekend jam-packed with activities to celebrate the hidden stories of London’s transport system is in store for families, local residents, transport enthusiasts and anybody interested in the secret history of London.

Visitors will be able to take a trip on a moving miniature railway, take part in a guided bus pit tour, watch live demonstrations ofhow the Emergency Response Team deals with incidents on the transport system, listen to a talk by the editor of the Londonist about secret tunnels and disused stations on the Underground, while film buffs can put their feet up and watch rare films from the Museum’s archives.

Acton Depot is a treasure chest of over 400,000 objects such as beautiful transport posters, vintage Underground logo signs, luxurious train carriages, uniforms, photographs, engineering drawings and unusual exhibits that help to tell the often hidden story of London and its iconic transport network.

Events and activities include on the day include:

A talk about London’s transport secrets by Matt Brown, editor of the Londonist

Rides on Acton Miniature Railway

Meet the team that keeps the London transport system moving and safe after a fire or other emergency on the transport network

Bus pit guided tours

Family activities for children which include building spaghetti bridges and sand tunnels

Heritage bus runs

Visit the luxurious underground Carriage 353 decorated with gold leaf and velvet

Explore the Depot’s Engineering Drawings Collection

Find out what an engineer does all day on the Engineering Ambassadors Trail

Discover how signalling works and how important it is

Braking Eggsperiment - discover engineering secrets that slow Tube trains down with as little braking power as possible and have a go yourself on this fun activity.

Hidden Heroes Scavenger Hunt – find the objects that have kept London moving

Miniature Models – explore the Museum’s own collection of scale models of underground stations and check out models made by our invited guests, with some creations in Lego and Bayko

Film shows from the Museum’s archive, including a screening of the 1922 film Solving London’s TrafficProblem with live commentary from curator Simon Murphy

Find out more about how the Museum’s recently restored Battle Bus was used to transport troops in the First World War at home and abroad, and get on board the bus for a closer look