London Museum Docklands
ENTRY
Free
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
Free museum with a soft-play family gallery for building tunnels, role-play and trails, right by Canary Wharf.
Under-eights get their own interactive play area, but the one to head for is Mudlarks family gallery: soft play, role-play corners and tunnel-building that'll keep a small child busy well past the point you were planning to leave. There are museum trails scattered through the rest of the building too, if you fancy turning the visit into a bit of a hunt.
Entry to the museum and its free galleries is free and you just turn up, no booking needed. Mudlarks is the exception. They recommend booking that one ahead if you want to guarantee getting in, which is a bit of a faff when everything else is walk-up, but it saves you turning up to find it full. Give yourself at least an hour, more if you've got a toddler who wants to do the trail twice.
The café has highchairs, activity sheets and babyccinos, and if you'd rather bring your own food there's a seating area for that on weekends and school holidays. Staff will warm a bottle and you can breastfeed anywhere in the building, which is one less thing to plan around. Prams get their own buggy park, and there's full lift access to every floor including the shop and café, so it's not a museum you have to carry a pushchair up stairs in.
If mornings feel like a lot, there's a quiet session every Monday in term time between 3 and 4.40pm. It's a short walk from Canary Wharf and West India Quay stations on the Elizabeth line.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Under-8s, with Mudlarks gallery the main draw for younger ones
- Booking
- Mudlarks family gallery booking recommended in advance to guarantee entry
- How long to allow
- At least an hour
- Food
- Family-friendly cafe with meal boxes, snacks and babyccinos
- Getting there by bus or train
- Few minutes walk from Canary Wharf and West India Quay stations on Elizabeth line
- Mudlarks family gallery is the one worth booking ahead for, everything else is walk-up
- Baby change points are on the basement, ground and third floors
- Own-food seating is only set up on weekends and school holidays
- A few minutes' walk from Canary Wharf and West India Quay Elizabeth line stations
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
General admission is free and there's no need to book, you just turn up.
Do we need to book anything in advance?
Not for general admission, but they recommend booking Mudlarks family gallery ahead if you want to guarantee getting in.
How long should we plan to stay?
At least an hour, they say, and there's enough spread across the galleries and trails to fill more.
Is it OK for babies and toddlers?
There's baby changing on three floors, a buggy park, bottle warming and you can breastfeed anywhere in the museum.
What's there for young children to actually do?
Mudlarks family gallery has soft play, role-play and tunnel-building, plus a separate interactive play area for under-eights and trails through the museum.
Can we bring our own food?
There's a seating area for your own food on weekends and school holidays. The café also does highchairs, activity sheets and babyccinos.
Is there a quieter time to visit?
Yes, every Monday during school term between 3 and 4.40pm.
Is it wheelchair and buggy friendly?
Full lift access to every public area, including the galleries, shop and café.
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