Design Classics to Feature at Acton Depot Open Days
Includes talks, historic vehicle displays, demonstrations and family activities
Acton Depot has more than 320,000 objects. Picture: LT Museum
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September 2, 2026
London Transport Museum will open the doors of its Acton Depot for the final time this year from 25 to 27 September.
It provides the opportunity to visit into one of west London’s most extraordinary hidden spaces for a weekend devoted to the capital’s transport design heritage. The Depot, normally closed to the public, houses more than 320,000 objects ranging from historic trains and buses to maps, moquette fabrics, posters and rare signalling equipment. September’s open days celebrate the design classics that have shaped London’s transport identity, from the evolution of the roundel to the creation of the iconic Underground map.
Across the three days, visitors can explore the vast collection at their own pace while enjoying a programme of talks, demonstrations and hands‑on activities. Curators, historians, Transport for London design specialists and museum volunteers will give short talks on subjects including the architecture of the Piccadilly line, Art on the Underground and the principles of inclusive design. Families can take part in creative sessions inspired by the Depot’s design theme, from matching moquette patterns to designing futuristic transport posters or creating their own roundel.
The event offers rare opportunities to get close to historic vehicles and equipment. Guests can climb aboard 1927 standard stock and 1938 stock trains, examine pioneering RM1 and RM2 buses, and explore models, maps and station architecture. Live demonstrations will showcase heritage signalling equipment, while the Depot’s object‑handling trolley allows visitors to try out ticket machines and tickets from different eras. The miniature railway will run throughout the weekend, giving younger visitors the chance to hop aboard a small train in the Depot yard.
Creative workshops, poetry readings and restoration displays add to the atmosphere, including a chance to see the ongoing work on the Museum’s Q stock carriages. A SEND‑friendly hour on Saturday offers a calmer environment for visitors who prefer reduced noise and fewer crowds. Food, drink and music will be available throughout the weekend, with Benugo, Mini Bean Coffee, Crepe Salut and Well Nice Food providing refreshments and live music celebrating TfL’s Busking Scheme.
The Depot shop will be open with a range of exclusive gifts, from moquette‑patterned socks and cushions to posters, prints and authentic Tube signs. The London Transport Museum Friends will also be on hand for anyone interested in supporting the preservation of London’s transport heritage.
Adult tickets cost £19 and children’s tickets £10, with free entry for under‑threes. Concessions are available, including discounted tickets for residents of Ealing and Hounslow.
Advance booking is recommended.
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