Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

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30 May 2022

Countdown begins on Museum of London's epic move to Smithfield Market

Museum of London in the UK will move to its new home in Smithfield in the heart of the capital at the beginning of 2023.

The popular attraction is moving to the historic General Market buildings that have remained derelict for more than three decades.

Described as one of Europe's biggest cultural projects, the new £337m museum space has been designed by Stanton Williams, Asif Khan and Julian Harrap Architects.

The new museum will celebrate the existing architecture of the site and offer more exhibition space, with exhibits making use of the historic buildings both above and below ground.

It will also explore key moments in London’s history. For example, visitors will see evidence of the birth of the digital age in London in 1837 via a section of the world’s first commercial electric telegraph cable that ran between Euston Square and Camden Town.

Set to open in 2025, the development will see the historic General Market at Smithfield being brought back to life within the Culture Mile, the City of London's cultural district.

As part of the move, the attraction will be renamed The London Museum.

Sharon Ament, director of Museum of London, said: “London has been slap-bang in the middle of it all – culture, trade and ideas – for hundreds of years and so it feels right that we’re relocating the Museum of London to Smithfield Market.

"This will be more than a museum, it will tell the story of all Londoners – past, present and future.

"It will be a new civic space for millions of visitors to enjoy, 24 hours a day, and it will be a living, breathing building that buzzes with the energy of Londoners. It will bring a new economy and foster a new relationship between people and the place in which they live, work or are visiting.

“The countdown starts now. This summer, we’ll be celebrating 45 years at our London Wall site, honouring our great past at the centre of London life before looking forward to being reborn as The London Museum.”

The museum’s current site, at London Wall in the City of London – a location it has occupied since its inception in 1976 – will close in December 2022.

In the 46 years since its launch, the museum has welcomed more than 21 million visitors.