London Museum will open in 2026 in Smithfield, four years after the closure of the original museum at London Wall.
The London Museum will bring two historic buildings in Smithfield back to life. The first, located in the Victorian General Market, will open in 2026, followed by the second in the Poultry Market in 2028.
The Victorian General Market will house the museum’s permanent galleries and will open early and close late. The building and galleries will be split into three spaces, including the vaults of the market.
Victorian General Market - Opening 2026
Visitors will enter the museum on West Poultry Avenue through a section called Real Time.
The general market building will house the Our Time gallery on the ground floor, housing a restaurant, bookshop, a show space for learning events and displays on London within living memory. Our Time will host events, including festivals, markets, performances, talks and debates.
The Past Time gallery will be located in the market vaults and will house 10,000 years of London’s history. There will be plenty of artefacts on display for visitors to explore, along with other theatrical, sensory and interactive elements.
Content will include Roman relics, clothing, vehicles, art and photography. The exhibit will explore the city’s history through three perspectives: time, place and people. Well-known Londoners of the past will appear and there will also be a focus on under-represented people in London.
A train line will run alongside the gallery space, with a window allowing visitors to watch the trains pass by and passengers to look into the museum.
Poultry Market - Opening 2028
The Poultry Market building will open in 2028. The ground floor will house temporary exhibitions and a new learning centre.
A platform area beneath the ceiling will accommodate displays and creative installations reflecting more of London’s history and future. It will also provide a view into the learning spaces, research centre, laboratories and offices. The basement level will hold the museum’s working collections store.
Group booking information for the new spaces will be announced in due course. Groups can currently enjoy self-guided visits of London Museum’s other location, London Museum Docklands. Advanced booking is recommended for groups of ten or more.
75-minute guided tours of London Museum Docklands are also available, featuring the museum’s galleries and an overview of the London’s river, port and people.
For more information about London Museum, including announcements about galleries and exhibitions, visit londonmuseum.org.uk/smithfield.
