When does the London Museum open? Everything you need to know ahead of £437m attraction’s big launch

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The London Museum is just weeks away from opening at its new location at Smithfield Market.

Following the closure of its London Wall site in 2022, the museum is relaunching at the restored Victorian General Market building in Farringdon.

The revamp of the historic market hall – which has been out of public use for more than 30 years – has cost £437 million and taken around a decade to complete.

It has been funded through a partnership between the City of London Corporation, the Mayor of London, and partners.

Launching ahead of its 50th anniversary, the museum’s new home will offer a more spacious and contemporary home for its expanded collection.

The adjacent 1960s Poultry Market will open in 2028, with two temporary exhibition spaces, a learning centre, and a store for collections.

CGI image of new Museum of London location at Smithfield with the General Market on the left and the Poultry Market on the rightSecchi SmithWhen will the London Museum open? The London Museum will open its doors in Smithfield’s General Market on November 28.

The museum was first opened as the Museum of London on the corner of London Wall and Aldersgate Street in December 1976.

It will now celebrate its 50th anniversary at its new location.

Speaking on the opening, director Sharon Ament said: “This has been a long undertaking – not without its challenges but mostly filled with immense joy and hyper-creativity – and now we are counting down the days to welcome our first visitors. At the beginning we asked ourselves how to be the best museum for London, the answer is, to be London itself, in all its grit and glitter.”

CGI of Past Time hall in the General Market of SmithfieldSecchi Smith Atelier BrücknerLike its Docklands branch – which will stay open as a long-term venue – the London Museum’s Smithfield location will be free to visit.

The museum is likely to offer paid-for experiences and separate exhibitions, which will require tickets.

However, general admission tickets are free.

Opening times have not been announced, but most major London museums operate between 10am to 5pm on weekdays.

The museum prides itself on showcasing the stories and people that have shaped London for millennia.

Its impressive collection will be spread across three interconnected spaces – Real Time, Our Time, and Past Time.

The museum will open on November 28Secchi Smith Atelier BrücknerThe Real Time exhibition areaSecchi Smith Atelier BrücknerThis will include artefacts from Roman London, like rare examples of Roman mosaics, and interactive exhibits highlighting major events such as the Great Fire of London and the 2012 Olympic Games.

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The Our Time exhibition features 13 installations rooted in the city’s living memory, like the Lord Mayor’s Coach and East End icon Syd’s Coffee Stall.

There’s also giant animated screens telling the stories of Londoners today, and works from modern artists like Banksy.

Visitors will also have access to one of the most significant collections of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery – the Cheapside Hoard – in the Goldsmiths’ Gallery.

A view onto the Thameslink lineSecchi Smith Atelier BrücknerThere’s even a six-metre viewing window where visitors can peer into the Underground and watch the Thameslink travel through Farringdon.

The London Museum will also offer various experiences from its new location. This entails a weekly tea club, late night DJ sets, and monthly dinner clubs.

The museum will also invite guest editors to take part in exhibitions, starting with London Tastes, sponsored by Sainsbury’s. The offering will celebrate London’s diverse culture and has been curated by Great British Bake Off star Ruby Tandoh and food writer Jonathan Nunn.

The museum will host late night house partiesSecchi Smith Atelier BrücknerSmithfield Market will be completely transformed into the London MuseumSecchi SmithHow long has the project taken and how much has it cost to build? Plans for the London Museum were first mooted in 2014, with the City of London Corporation confirming the move to Smithfield in 2015.

At that time, the renovation was pegged to cost just £70 million before being upgraded to £250 million.

The original opening date of 2021 was then pushed back to 2026 amid issues with renovating an old building.

In August 2022, the museum also discovered a freshwater spring underneath the site.

Now, ahead of its opening, the total cost of the project stands at £437 million.

The cost has been shared by the City of London Corporation, the Mayor of London, and other charitable partners, including the Goldsmiths’ Foundation, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the Linbury Trust.

An annual Christmas Eve meat auction at Smithfield MarketAFP/GettySmithfield Market has a history of more than 800 years – serving primarily as a meat and livestock trading hub for Londoners.

It operates through the night, supplying butchers, London restaurants, and caterers.

Parts of the meat market still exist, with only some of the historic complex being redeveloped to house the London Museum.

However, traders have been told they must vacate the premises by 2028 to complete the expansion of the London Museum.

Both the wholesale meat market and the fish traders at Billingsgate market will trade at a new facilities in the Royal Docks.