Name: May Half Term: Routes and Roundels
Start: 2024-05-25T00:00:00+01:00
End: 2024-06-02T23:59:00+01:00
Location: London Transport Museum

May Half Term: Routes and Roundels

Fuel your imagination at our Festival of Curiosity this half term as your family enjoy curious and creative problem-solving challenges and meet real-world engineers. Follow our STEAM-inspired family trail, join an interactive workshop or storytelling session, and much more!

Down Street: Churchill's secret station

Experience the Railway Executive Committee’s bomb-proof headquarters during World War II, the warren of tunnels where Churchill sheltered.

Plan your school visit

Find the information you need to plan and book your visit to London Transport Museum in Covent Garden or the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, west London.

Upcoming dates:

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2 June 2024, all day

Family fun this half term

Join us during May Half term to celebrate the iconic London transport Roundel. Starting as a station nameboard, it has grown to become one of the most widely recognisable logos in the world. Take part in fun activities exploring the long history of the Roundel and discover how it continues to be used today to help people safely find their way around London. 

A woman and child are in the image. The woman has long brown hair, and a black cardigan. She is crouching down with her back to the camera slightly. She is helping the small child to stand. The small child is wearing a red sweater, blue jeans and sneakers. The child is looking into a glass cabinet. The cabinet is filled with large objects related to the overground. The woman and child are both engaged at the objects in the cabinet. The scene is brightly lit with warm lighting.

What’s happening?

Design a Roundel

Get crafty as you design your own London transport Roundel! A hundred years ago, the architect Charles Holden began to include Edward Johnston’s circle and bar Roundel into his new Tube station designs. Below ground, Roundels were placed along platforms, and above ground, they could be seen on flagpoles, station signage and even stained-glass windows. The use of this striking symbol began to help people to easily spot stations as they navigated the city. Have a go at making your very own design inspired by this history.

Sessions will take place daily at 11:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:00 from Monday 27 May - Friday 31 May.

Roundels through the Years

Today the London transport Roundel is recognised by people around the world, but how did it come to be the famous logo it is today? Hunt for historic Roundels hidden around the Museum’s galleries and discover fascinating facts about how its design has changed over more than 100 years of history.

Available daily between 10:00 - 18:00 from Saturday 25 May - Sunday 2 June.

Tale of Two Times (Suitable for children aged 7 and under)

Join us for an interactive storytelling session exploring the journey of two children, one from the present day and one living 100 years ago. Travel with them as they find a route that takes them from London Transport Museum to our Depot in Acton, west London. In this session, children will explore how transport routes around the city have changed over time and how to travel safely around the capital today.

Sessions last 30 minutes and will take place on Saturday 25 May, Sunday 26 May and Saturday 1 June, Sunday 2 June at 10.30, 11.30, 13.30, 14:30.

In this image we see a woman and a young child on a bus. The child, a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, and wearing a pink and blue knitted cardigan sits in the front. The child is holding the wheel in her hands, in the drivers seat. The woman is sitting behind the child, at the back of the bus. She is wearing a navy cardigan, a textured blue scarf and a blue headband. She is also holding a steering wheel. The background shows the interior of the bus, with seats and windows visible.

A group of people are standing in front of a map in this image. There are multiple individuals visible, with one person wearing glasses and another holding a small girl. The setting is bustling and vibrant, with a mix of different ages and genders.

In this image we see a woman and a child immersed in an interactive game. The woman is wearing sneakers, blue jeans and a sweater. The woman is facing away looking at the interactive screen. The child is also wearing sneakers. The child's back is sitting with their back to the camera. The child is focussed on the digital screen displaying the interactive game. The room has a fun ambiance with vibrant colours. The scene captures a moment of leisure and enjoyment as the two individuals engage in gaming.

There’s so much more to see and do at the Museum!

From the past to the future

Discover historic trams, trains, buses and trolleybuses from London’s past. You can even climb on board some of our vehicles!

Explore our exhibition Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Recruitment, which celebrates the generations of Caribbean people that have shaped London’s transport history and culture: family-friendly interactives and labels help prompt conversations with your children.

Don’t miss the Future Engineers gallery where you can get hands-on with interactive exhibits, including sitting in the driver’s seat of our Elizabeth line train driving simulator.

All Aboard family play zone

Explore the All Aboard family play zone where younger kids can play conductor on a bus, repair a mini Tube train with toy spanners, and work in the ‘Lost Property Office’.

Enjoy tasty food

Grab a bite to eat at Canteen, the Museum’s café bar, while enjoying views over Covent Garden Piazza. There are a range of meals to choose from for lunch, or take a break with refreshing hot or cold drinks and delicious sweet treats.

Tickets

All family activities are free with your Museum admission - and kids go free!

Book your annual passes in advance.

Tickets

Location

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London Transport Museum
Covent Garden Piazza
London
WC2E 7BB
United Kingdom

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