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  Location within London Borough of Tower Hamlets | |
Former name | Museum in Docklands; Museum of London Docklands |
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| Established | 2003; 22 years ago (2003) |
| Location |
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| Coordinates | 51°30′27″N0°1′25″W / 51.50750°N 0.02361°W /51.50750; -0.02361 |
| Visitors | 324,438 (2019)[1] |
| Director | Sharon Ament |
| Public transit access | West India Quay |
| Website | londonmuseum |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Warehouses and general offices at western end of North Quay |
| Designated | 19 July 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1242440 |
TheLondon Museum Docklands inWest India Quay, London, explains the history of theRiver Thames, the growth of thePort of London and thedocks' historical link to theAtlantic slave trade. The museum is part of theLondon Museum and is jointly funded by theCity of London Corporation and theGreater London Authority.
The museum opened in 2003 ingrade I listed early 19th-centuryGeorgian "low" sugar warehouses built in 1802 on the north side ofWest India Docks, a short walk fromCanary Wharf.[2][3]
Much of the museum's collection is from the museum and archives of thePort of London Authority, which became part of the port and river collections of theMuseum of London in the 1970s. These were put into storage by the Museum of London in 1985.[4] The museum includes videos presented byTony Robinson, and it houses a large collection of historical artefacts, models, and pictures in 12 galleries and a children's gallery (Mudlarks), arranged over two floors. Visitors are directed through the displays in chronological order.[3] The periods covered range from the first port on the Thames inRoman times to the closure of the central London docks in the 1970s and the subsequent transformation of the area with commercial and residential developments.[5][6]
The museum has acquired several historic vessels for preservation over its existence. Among these were thetugboatsKnocker White andVarlet, both acquired in 1986.[7][8] By the 2010s the museum had decided to rationalise its collection of vessels; one was transferred to a local group, and another, theWey bargePerseverance IV, to theNational Trust. The last two vessels,Knocker White andVarlet, were transferred toTrinity Buoy Wharf in November 2016.[9][10]
In 2007, the museum marked the bicentenary of theSlave Trade Act 1807, which abolished British involvement in theAtlantic slave trade by opening a £14 million exhibition funded by theNational Lottery Heritage Fund entitledLondon, Sugar, Slavery.[11][12] In March 2016, the museum opened an exhibit relating to the building itself. The building was originally called No. 1 Warehouse, and was built in 1802 during the expansion ofWest India Docks.[13] In September of that year, the museum displayedDick Moore'sGeorge Cross medal for bravery during theLondon Blitz.[14] In 2017, the museum opened an exhibit displaying archaeological findings discovered during work onCrossrail.[15] In September 2020, the museum put on display theHavering hoard in an exhibition that ran until 18 April 2021.[16][17]
| Service | Station/stop | Lines/routes served | Distance from London Museum Docklands |
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London Buses | Westferry station | 135,277,D3,D7 | |
London Underground | Canary Wharf |  | 800 metres walk/15 minutes |
Elizabeth line | Canary Wharf |  | 500 metres walk/10 minutes |
| Docklands Light Railway | West India Quay |  | 260 metres/5 minutes walk[18] |
London River Services | Canary Wharf Pier | Commuter Service Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Service | 650 metres/12 Minutes walk |
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