Have you ever wondered what happened to all those wonderful old buses that ran in London and which you only now see in old films and books? Well, the good news is, some of them live on! While thousands went to the scrap yard at the end of their working lives, some have found their way into preservation as living, moving museum pieces at London Bus Museum. Here you will discover the largest collection of working historic London buses in the world, a priceless heritage representing more than 150 years of public transport evolution in the capital.
London Bus Museum is much, much more than simply a display of old buses for enthusiasts; its aim is to present the unique engineering heritage of the collection in its historical, social, technological and educational background.
Here you can re-live the happy times of travelling on these knights of the road, experience the sights, sounds and smells of a past age, evocative of colourful liveries, elegant coachwork, fine leather and moquette upholstery. A wonderful day out with a difference - indefinably nostalgic for those who rode on them, as well as a world of fascination and wonder for the younger generations, many of whom have never even been on a bus!
The displays are organised in a timeline sequence starting with the horse-bus period of the late 19th century, into the early motor-bus era before WW1 and the development of the familiar 'modern' bus in the 1930s, through the trials and tribulations of WW2, then into the era of the huge standardised fleet in the 1950s-1960s and finishing with the emergence in the 1970s of rear-engined buses operated by one person. Each exhibit is placed within a diorama of a period London street scene, adding to the historical ambiance of the museum. At special events, some of our buses are used for rides, providing a real taste of travel from a bygone era.
London Bus Museum displays the culmination of 50 years of preservation work and is open for viewing seven days a week, providing the opportunity to see our vehicles and artefacts in a light, airy and modern environment.
We invite you to delight in a day out with us at London Bus Museum.
