Come on... let's go exploring!
So, I love this London museum for kids of all ages and it is even fun for adults. It might seem a bit geeky or a bit niche, and the tickets for adults are not the cheapest BUT kids under 18 go free! Yes FREE! So I would recommend thinking about it if you are visiting London with your family for the following reasons:
Ticket price: at the time of writing the ticket price is £17.50 for an adult ticket so not the cheapest BUT kids go free, concessions are £15.00 and if you book online you save £1.50. So it might be a bit expensive but if you make the most of all the free things that you can do in London while you are here (National Gallery, British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, both the Tates… to name but a few, donations always welcome!) then perhaps budgeting for this museum is doable. You could spend an hour or two here, there’s also the shop and the café which could extend your time – so on a rainy afternoon, or a day when you’re pooped and want something that will engage the kids or grandkids while you switch off a little then this could be a good option. Also the tickets are valid for multiple entry for a year, so if you are in London for a while then you could always pop back.
Location: the London Transport Museum is in a great location - Covent Garden, which is great for many reasons – it is very central, it is an historic square, it has a beautiful church, it has lovely old market buildings with lots of shops and cafes, and it is famous for its street performers, so you have worthwhile things to do before and/or after your visit.
Interactives: there are loads of bits of historic transport to climb on and in, buttons to press, levers to pull, clothes to try on, etc. It is not just little hands that want to touch things – touching things is how we learn, it helps us process what we see, so it is good to satisfy our little ones desires to touch, but also our teenagers and our own need to touch things (other free places where you can touch things include Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A, parks etc)
Easy to relate to: Transport might seem geeky but it is something we all have experience of and that means it is easy to talk about. If you want a museum that can encourage discussion between you and your kids, or your grandkids, or between siblings, then this could be a good one. Grandparents can reminisce over what trains and busses were like when they were young, parents the same, and siblings can talk about how old transport was different to what they are used to today. For pre-speech kids – well they seem happy just exploring, touching and crawling – and you can get some great photos!
Stamper: When you arrive make sure you get the map for kids – they normally give it to you with your tickets – it is a simple and colourful map, which directs you to a stamping machine in each section of the museum so as you go round your little ones have to collect a different stamp. The machines can be a bit hard to push down so you might have to help little kids but it is a great way to make children really explore the museum and visit each part of it. And it makes a nice souvenir as well.
Shop and café: The LTM has a lovely café, so if you fancy a coffee and a snack before, after or even during (remember the multiple entry, annual ticket!) then you can take a break here. The shop is wonderful – I am always tempted here! It is a great place for a London souvenir, especially something linked to our iconic underground network, but there are also loads of things to keep children amused as well as old fashioned, traditional toys.
So, give it some thought. It is one of my favourites and I think definitely worth the money. Let me know what you think!