Museum of London Docklands
Free Entrance
Reachability:
London underground station Canary Wharf, Jubilee Line and station West India Quay, DLR, Zone 2
Opening times:
Daily open from 10:00 till 17:00 o'clock. (Link at the end of the article)
Tip: Combine your visit to the Docklands Museum with a walk among the skyscrapers in Canary Wharf, enjoy the view of the River Thames and visit the shopping center.
Visitor Information:
The Museum of London Docklands gives you a good insight into the development of the docklands and the influence on the city history with the help of models, original objects, interactive stations and some film screenings. Due to the vivid presentation the visit will be interesting and entertaining for both, adults and children. Recommendable for all London tourists who want to learn more about the city and the history but do not want to spend too much money. The entrance fee is free of charge.
The Museum is built up chronologically with different galleries according to the city history. Each of them is covering certain time ranges. Depending on your personal interest you can decide easily which time areas you want to explore in detail.
How much time should you plan for your visit?
If you do not look into too many details at the different galleries, you should calculate approx. 1.5 hours for your visit. If you are very interested and want to read a lot of the information boards, you should calculate at least 3 hours for your visit.
Highlights you should look at:
The London, Sugar & Slavery gallery will show you the big influence of the slave trade and the trade and storage of sugar on the docklands area and the city. Learn more about this time with multimedia stations, original paintings and objects from this area.
In the Sailortown gallery you can see the recreation of a complete street nearby the dock around 1850. Here you have the opportunity to feel a little bit of the atmosphere from that time. See how the sailors spent their time during shore leave and which stores were important for them.
The No.1 Warehouse gallery gives you an insight into the structure and organization of the first enclosed dock system in the area, the West India Docks. The building was constructed in 1801 and is now the home of the Docklands Museum. In this gallery, you will also learn some interesting details. For example why the workers at that time had to wear work clothes without pockets.
The subject of the Docklands at War gallery is the Second World War and how it affected the Docklands in London. The London city area, including the port, was frequently a target for the German Luftwaffe. Discover how the Docklands were protected and which safety measures were taken for the port workers.
Link to the museum:
Museum of London Docklands
