Temporary closure from Monday 2nd November 2020 until early Spring 2021

The present Museum layout has served us well for ten years with many thousands of visitors passing through the doors to enjoy a nostalgic trip into the past with the London bus.

But, time moves inexorably on and the Museum must evolve and develop to meet the expectations of newer generations of visitors – young and old. 

So, a major “refresh” / refurbishment has been planned. With present Covid-19 visitor restrictions and the seasonal fall in visitor numbers over the winter months, now seemed the ideal time to temporarily close the Museum and put the plan into action. 

Key features of the refreshed Museum layout:

• A Routemaster bus – the face of the London Bus to many people – will greet you at the entrance
• A central hub containing a London Bus Timeline from horse-bus to modern Volvo accessible (low-floor) double-decker, together with changing displays covering topics such as the work by women in London Transport, the “Windrush” generation and more
• Surrounding the hub will be a selection of vehicles to answer questions such as “Why are those buses green?”, “Why has that bus got windows in the roof?” and “Are electric buses new?
• Encompassing the hub will be a roadway connecting the two main vehicle doors with initially a display of vehicles from the 50s, and 60s, with a bus stop and a bus shelter
• Crossing the road will access a display of some of the service vehicles which kept London Transport running and beyond it a vehicle under restoration
• Between road and Museum offices will be the childrens area, featuring the Similbus training bus and Optare minibus, together with seating and screens showing London bus videos
• The balcony will contain displays of models, uniforms and tickets etc. and give an unobstructed view of the entire Museum display. The far end of the balcony will be devoted to children’s education
• The demonstration 1920s K-type bus chassis will be angled and raised to allow comparison with the 1950s RT-type bus chassis at ground level
• The Museum shop will be remodelled and enlarged

There are just a few days remaining to visit the existing displays at the London Bus Museum but it is hoped that limited numbers of visitors will be able to see how the transformation develops over the coming months before the grand reopening due in the Spring of 2021.

In the meantime bus rides will continue at weekends and during school holidays throughout the temporary closure for visitors to experience the fun and excitement of travelling on traditional London bus.