Skip page header and navigation

The depot

The Museum Depot in Acton is our working museum store - a treasure trove of over 320,000 objects.

Three times a year, we throw open the doors and welcome thousands of visitors to explore. Discover rare road and rail vehicles spanning over 100 years, signs, ceramic tiles, original posters, ephemera, ticket machines, and more.

Our Depot Open days take place three times a year, typically in April, July and September. With talks, activities, tours and fun for all the family, these festival-style events are an exciting opportunity to celebrate, learn, and enjoy one of the most comprehensive collections of urban transport anywhere in the world.

The Depot is also home to the London Transport Miniature Railway, a working miniature railway based on real London Underground locomotives, carriages, signals and signs run by our volunteers.

Depot Open Days: London by Design

Date(s)
Multiple dates from Friday 26 April 2024 to Sunday 28 April 2024

Join us for three days celebrating the history of London Transport design, and explore our collections store with its treasure trove of over 320,000 objects.  

Racks displaying roundel signs for Hammersmith, Aldwych and more

Depot Open Days: From Past to Present

Date(s)
Multiple dates from Friday 5 July 2024 to Sunday 7 July 2024

Join us at the Museum Depot in Acton, west London to discover the story of transport past and present, imagine what a green future could look like for London, and explore this treasure trove of over 320,000 objects.  

A photo of people walking between buses in the Acton Depot bus shed. Red buses on the right and Green and yellow buses on the left.

Depot Open Days: Connecting the Capital

Date(s)
Multiple dates from Thursday 19 September 2024 to Sunday 22 September 2024

Tubes, trams, bicycles, buses and cable cars have all played their part helping people navigate London. Discover almost 200 years of transport history in our collections store, with its treasure trove of over 320,000 objects.  

Child walking in to historic Underground train carriage painted red

What can you expect to see at Depot Open Days?

Gallery

A men and two children walking by a red tube train
Three girls standing on the top deck of a heritage bus
 A banner sign saying Welcome Aboard with a white train and red bus in the background
A family on a miniature railway vehicle at the Museum Depot
A family inside a vehicle with green seats at the Depot
Engines and stacks of storage at the Depot

Explore more about the Depot

Enjoy singing and story sessions every week and explore our collection with special events every school holiday.

Young children at a table of crafts

The Museum Depot at Acton holds the majority of the Museum's collections which are not on display in the Museum in Covent Garden. Only open for special events and guided tours throughout the year.

Museum Depot

Go behind the scenes on a guided tour at our working Depot in Acton and explore the treasure trove of items from our collection.

A group of people between red and green buses at the Depot