Groups will be able to head behind the scenes in a new Hidden London tour of Baker Street station for the first time to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Tube.
Visitors will experience history right where it happened in exclusive locations including original platforms, disused lift shafts and corridors, some of which were last accessed by the public more than 75 years ago.
The new behind the scenes tour of Baker Street, one of the world’s first underground railway stations, is part of London Transport Museum’s celebrations to mark 160 years since the opening of the Tube.
Baker Street Station’s fascinating history
When it first opened 160 years ago in 1863, the Metropolitan line was a pioneering solution to the congestion causing chaos on London’s busy streets. Baker Street is one of the seven original stations to open to the public along the line.
Today, the busy station is home to five underground lines and 10 platforms, the most on the Underground network. But hidden just out of sight from commuters and concealed behind locked doors lie reminders of the forward-thinkers who built the world’s first underground railway.
Groups will be taking on a journey through history to hear what the very first Victorian passengers thought of underground travel and how the Underground grew and expanded over the next 16 decades. They will learn how Baker Street has served not only passengers over the years, but also London Underground staff.
They’ll also step behind the scenes to learn about the station’s history as the Operational Headquarters for London Underground including details of staff recreational facilities such as a canteen, a rifle range and hear first-hand accounts from those who worked there over the years.
About the tours
London Transport Museum will be running the exclusive Hidden London tours at Baker Street between 6th September and 29th December 2023. Guided tours will take place on Wednesday to Sunday each week.
All Hidden London tours are written by historical experts from London Transport Museum and are based on content drawn from the Museum’s extensive archive and collection.
Additional dates to experience other Hidden London tours of disused Tube stations and secret spaces on the Underground network have also been released.
The tours that will run in addition to Baker Street in 2023 include:
- Down Street: Churchill’s Secret Station: Running between 30th August and 24th September, groups will explore one of London’s most intriguing spaces, hidden between the Piccadilly line tracks in Mayfair. It had a short life as a working station from 1907 to 1932, before becoming the Railway Executive Committee’s top-secret headquarters in World War Two. You’ll hear declassified war secrets and intrigues, how the railways were kept running during the war, and the stories of those who lived and worked there – including Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who secretly took refuge there at the height of the Blitz.
- Euston: The Lost Tunnels: Available on select dates between 4th October 12th November, you’ll discover a labyrinth of dark and dusty passageways once used by the travelling public, marvel at a gallery of preserved vintage advertising poster fragments that have been concealed for over 50 years and see the iconic Leslie Green station. Plus learn about the newest innovations to a Tube and Network Rail station that serves over 42 million passengers each year.
- Charing Cross: Access all areas: This tour is running on select dates between 8th November and 17th December and will take you to disused parts of the station, including the Jubilee line platforms that were closed in 1999 but which you may recognise from many famous movies and TV productions since, including Skyfall (2012), Paddington Bear (2013), and TV’s Killing Eve (2019).
There are also a number of special Christmas dates throughout December.
Group travel organisers can contact bookings@ltmuseum.co.uk or call 0343 222 5000. For more information go to www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london
