London's rich and varied history regarding transportation is well represented at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden.
The popular attraction reopened in 2007 after a two-year refurbishment costing more than twenty million pounds.
Being situated in Covent Garden in the heart of London, space is, of course, a little limited.
So you might not be surprised to learn that the collection in Covent Garden, while substantial, is actually just the tip of the iceberg.
Out west, located in the suburbs of Acton, you'll find the
London Transport Museum Depot. Now
this is where it's at!
Not many people seem to know about the London Transport Museum Depot, but this is where most of the items not on display in Covent Garden are held, and you can go along and take a look around.
The Museum Depot is massive – it holds more than 370,000 transport-related items within its 6000-square-metre space, including vehicles more than a hundred years old, posters, signs, ticket machines, engineering drawings and uniforms.
To explore this unique and staggeringly huge collection you'll need to join one of the depot's guided tours that takes place on the last Friday and Saturday of every month. There are two tours on each day, one starting at 11am and the other at 2pm.
Alternatively, look out for information about their occasional Open Weekends. These themed events are run by volunteers and designed to be both informative and fun for the whole family.
There are often transport-related interactive activities laid on at the themed events, aimed especially at children. Storytelling sessions also take place. There'll even be a chance to ride on the Acton Miniature Railway!
Click
here for more information about events and visiting opportunities.
