The Museum of London at 150 London Wall closed permanently in December 2022 after more than four decades beside the Barbican. Renamed London Museum, it is relocating to the historic Smithfield General Market buildings, with an opening date of Saturday 28 November 2026 (source: London Museum). Historians, families and students still seek it out for one of the world’s largest urban history collections, spanning prehistoric finds to the present day.
The Smithfield galleries will be organised into three sequences: Real Time, Our Time and Past Time. Real Time greets visitors at the entrance with a live data display tracking London’s movement, demographics and events (source: Artprice). Collection favourites from the London Wall era include the gilded Lord Mayor’s State Coach and Thomas Heatherwick’s 2012 Olympic cauldron.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Until Smithfield opens, visit London Museum Docklands. It occupies a Georgian sugar warehouse at West India Quay, close to West India Quay DLR and Canary Wharf station. General admission is free, though special exhibitions may carry charges (source: City of London). Expect heavy demand during the Smithfield opening weeks, so check the website for timed entry and arrive on weekday mornings to avoid crowds. Farringdon and Barbican stations serve the new site, and St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the Barbican Centre are both nearby.
