Free entry
Seven days a week
What it is
Museum tags: History; History; London history; Atlantic slave trade; World War Two
The Museum of London’s East London branch, set in a Grade I listed warehouse on the Isle of Dogs. It tells the story of London’s port and the Thames, from the rise and fall of the docks to the Blitz. Highlights include atmospheric recreated dockside streets, plenty of interactive exhibits and a Mudlarks family gallery, making it a great free museum for families. It’s also home to an excellent exhibition about London’s role in the Atlantic slave trade (at the time of writing the best in the city to explore this part of its history). Overall it’s an often-underrated way to understand a side of London not covered in the centre.
The building itself is really cool — set in old warehouses along the docks, it feels like the kind of place that should house this story. My two highlights were the Second World War section, especially the evocative paintings by William Ware done during the Blitz, and the permanent exhibition on London’s role in the slave trade. The latter is one of the best exhibitions on this topic I’ve seen in the city, unflinching and important.
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