Well worth a visit. You could easily spend 2+ hours here; longer if you read all the information panels. Admission is free although donations are welcomed. As a Londoner who has lived here for several years, it was fascinating to see the history of where I live, and explanations for why some things are the way they are. There is also a small coffee shop.

An educational museum on the history of the London dock lands. It spans 3 floors and covers every part of docklands history. The exhibits are well laid out and some are interactive. There’s audiovisuals and an education centre. There’s a small gift shop at the entrance. Best of all it’s free! Worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Fantastic customer service and welcome. Beautiful place. A must visit for the kids.

Very interesting, all about the docks from the time on the slave traders and sugar trade. Right up to modern uses of the area.Some useful interactive information as well.A good play area for the kids.. The Mudlarks and a nice café.

Very informative place with exhibits to entertain all ages. Definitely worth a visit, and FREE! Plus, if you have little kids, dont miss the soft play area on the ground floor by the cafe.

Excellent museum. As others have said, it is much larger than expected and all aspects of the docklands story are worth telling / learning about.The no-nonsense explanation of the slave trade is brutally honest for once. Having said that, it is not a downbeat experience, there are many other interesting and lighter stories to be told.All the staff were lovely and one warned me that its the kind of place you need to revisit and I definitely will. Absolutely worth the £5 donation.

Visited the Havering Hoard this week as well as the rest of the Museum and really enjoyed it, Ive visited the Museum 3 times and will definitely return.

This is a fascinating museum with extremely well laid out artefacts. I found the history fascinating but the building itself as also a joy to behold. It was also great to be able to see some of the old docklands outside. A really interesting area and the museum was free.

Love it! Very well organized and taken care of. The exhibits were exemplary. We arrived late which is such a shame bec. we didnt get to finish all of it. If you like history and take delight in learning from days past youd enjoy aday of visiting this museum.

Its free and educational for kids and adults. I would recommend making a donation or buying a few souvenirs to help them maintain it.

I love this museum. Its a powerful, thoughtful collection/exhibit in a relevant location. The building is a converted warehouse and the exhibit covers the history of the docklands from the first docks to the slave trade, imperial trade, and even the modern development of Canary Wharf. I believe its the only London museum that acknowledges the history of Londons role in the slave trade, and it does so with care and detail. The staff is always lovely and helpful, and they frequently run cool events as well. Truly one of my favourite museums Ive been to.

Great place to visit and it was free.I loved the way you navigate from the top floor down.

Great place to visit, I only found out about it through London Museum newsletter, lots of history in a great area of London, worth a visit.

Amazing free museum. One of the best yet Ive seen displaying truthful history about slavery.

This has got to be the best museum I have ever visited. It is so well laid out with the recommendation that you start at the third floor and work your way down. The exhibits do a brilliant job transporting you back to times long gone and ones not so long ago! The air condition system kept it very cool, unlike other museums we visited, where it was quite hot and stuffy. It looks small from outside but definitely is not. There is a cafe, although we didn’t use it as lunch plans were arranged prior to trip. Families will be glad to hear the museum has a seating area specifically for people who bring their own food and drink. There is a little shop to purchase souvenirs also. The staff were extremely welcoming. I will definitely tell anyone I know who is visiting London to make a stop here. On exiting the museum to the left you have a plethora of bars and restaurants along the river in the direction of the overground train station at Heron Quays which is only one stop from Canary Wharf. We sat outside at Brown’s.

Amazing free Museum that is definitely worth visiting.Fantastic exhibitions in a historic setting that is a joy to explore.Very clean and well organized throughout. The staff do a very good job to make you feel welcome and informed.A vast array of artwork that highlights the maritime trade that built the Docklands into what they are today. This includes the brutal slave trades.The Museum has quite uncanny valley scenery that transports you back to the times the Docklands waters were littered with cargo ships.A lovley cafe located near the entrance with a plethora of sandwiches meals including cheese and tomato, vegan cheese, and kids meals boxes aswell as sweet pastries.The museum contains a soft play for children that you will have to book in advance.The soft play is called Mudlarks and has lots of crawling and running soace including wet play and wheel barrows !!! You have to book the soft play separately.Make sure to visit the gift shop on the way out for memorabilia.You will be asked to download the NHS tracking app upon entry if you do not have it on your phone already.Worth visiting for the architecture of the grand Museum alone, you will not be disappointed.5 Stars Well Deserved!!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Very interesting to see. Its free to enter and you can give a donation. Well worth a visit. A must!

Very interesting. Theres a lot more on show than I realised, at times it seemed endless, in a good way. All put together in a way that enlightens my understanding of the modern London.

Wonderful, enchanting tour. Just going to get a sense of how fantastic he is

Whata great place to visit easy peasy pre book your free tickets and off you go lots of fantastic artifacts well laid out covid friendly environment and a cafè on the ground floor and small gift shop.They are asking donations to keep it open we gave on entrance and more when we left. Definitely worth a visit fun for all the family

Of all the London Museums this is a little known gem.Great for kids and adults alike.And if youre hungry check out the close by Docklands Diner for pukka east end grub. But as is befitting a proper cafe for locals it only does breakfasts and dinner (lunch if youre posh) on Monday to Friday.

Tidy, pleasant place, I also recommend it to families, kind helpful staff.

A cracking Museum dedicated to the docks of London through the ages. A stand out exhibit is the walk through the Slave Trade & how London participated. It is factual & honest & depicts History as an education to learn from. Many interesting exhibits through the timeline to the present day & the Dockland regeneration. Well worth a visit by everyone.

Absolutely lovely place. The cafe is little to be desired but there are other places around to eat if you really need a proper lunch. The museum is lovely and child friendly, really recommend it. Its also quiet which is nice.

I’ve enjoyed both my visits to this museum. Most recently, the Havering Hoard exhibition was brilliant. Very informative and well-presented. The cafe is nice and the kids’ play area looks good.

A neat chamber museum in a former London dock building. An interesting exposition, given the fact that the industry has defined the countrys economy for more than a century, its history from inception to its end. The museum is well organized and leaves a pleasant experience.

Very pleasant visit today Wednesday being very few people and found it interesting. For older generation many pictures and stories will bring back good and bad memories. For youngsters an insight into what life was like and probably they will have covid info in a couple of years time.

Loved it...Interesting facts about London dockland .Well presented and interactive. Lovely mud lark area for kids to understand about docklands. Other interesting activities for kids on all three floors. We spent about 5 hours inside. Very near to Canary wharf station.

A superb overview of the docks from around 1800 in an original warehouse. Lots of space and a well thought out top to bottom route. Excellent narrative covering trade, slavery, dockers, WW2 and the transformation into a financial district.

Went for Havering Treasure Trove exhibition. It was very good, well laid out and explained.Its finished now, but the rest of the MoL Docklands museum is brilliant and covers a multitude of history areas.Cafe is reasonably priced but only had a poor selection of sandwiches the day we visited.

Excellent staff, really great interactive parts for children too. The section about the slave trade was very thought provoking. There was an awful lot of reading throughout which some may find off putting. Well worth a visit to the area as well.

One of my favourite Museums spread over three floors set in an original warehouse.You start on the top floor and proceed down through a history of the Docklands.Free entry and highly recommended.

If you have any interest in the maritime history of London, you need to make a beeline to this fascinating free museum. I found the exhibitions on slavery and the Havering bronze hoard to be enthralling. It is such a big and spacious museum so you could spend a very long time there just reading and exploring. Look out for the whaling equipment downstairs!

Definitely worth a visit. So interesting and well laid out Spent over 2hrs there. Eateries nearby. A hidden gem of an area, 5 mins walk from Canary Wharf at the old West India docks.

We were looking for somewhere to go to kill time while waiting for our main event and decided to go to the Museum of London Docklands.From the outside, youd think it wasnt that big but once you get inside, it was massive, it has many more floor than we thought, so many things to see that we didnt have time to finish the whole thing.I would say give the place like 2 hours give or take for your visit, take your time because theres a lot to take in and see.It was great to know the history and background of certain things based in the area.Theres a cafe inside where you can pickup some refreshments and your standard gift shop.The staff were nice, cant say nothing bad.All in all, great experience and worth your time.

Great museum.learnt a lot. First went there last month and have been back a few times since.Friendly staff and kids play area was fun for my little one, booking in advance is required.

Wonderful 4 hours walking round, everything you need to know regarding Docklands, from Roman time, the war, the 1960s and up to present day. A must not to be missed, free entry, and if you go please try to put some money in the donation boxes, as it helps, it needs more people to visit.

Lovely place, enjoyed the exhibition on the top floor in regards to slavery.

Didn’t expect to stay almost 3 hours inside. The museum is so interesting. Also very well made with a lot of things to see. My favorite part was the little town they made where you can wander around. It was amazing! Feels like you travelled back in time.

Very cool museum, worth a visit! A lot of interactive displays which are fun for adults and kids. If you want to visit now you need to book a ticket online for free :)

Well laid out and some fascinating information about Docklands history. Grandson particularly enjoyed Sailor Town a mock up of a street in the area in Victorian times.

A fantastic and slightly hidden away free museum.Unlike many it doesn’t feel old, dark or stuffy. It’s hugely welcoming to families and individuals alike. It’s packed with technology and hands on exhibits.Starting on the top floor(3) you follow a comprehensive chronological journey through the Thames and the docklands. Even for the knowledgeable you will be surprised and what you didn’t know.This is well worth a visit and give yourself a few hours or more than one trip to take in all the information, films and photos.

Very interesting museum. Excellent for kids too. Very nice location in a pedestrian area, with plenty of choice for a quick bite or a fully fledged meal. Easily reached by public transport.

Great place to learn about the history of the docks, very interesting.We went on the great stink storytelling and Emily, our storyteller, was brilliant. Very engaging and entertaining.The museum is split over 3 floors, with a cafe and small gift shop on the ground floor and the exhibits from floors 1-3. My almost 8 year old liked some of it but did find some of it a bit boring, I think it depends what your children are in to really.Great disabled access.

Enjoyable place to visit. Quite a lot is child orientated but also informative about the rise and decline of the upriver docks and development of Canary Wharf and Industrial Conflict wrt the docks. I didnt notice any mention of the likely connection to the Brinks May heist but I guess that may be a bit of a risk for such an organisation ???Decent cafe area .

I love this museum. I went today to see The Havering Hoard. Beautifully displayed & presented, with such interesting information. The Bronze Age landscape is wonderful. I sat from dawn to dusk in a a matter of minutes! And I can never visit without popping into Sailor Town. Delightful. Add to all this, very pleasant & helpful staff. A gem of a museum in an amazing building, with a great cafe.

Free entrance. Online booking. Detailed pictures, objects and knowledgement. 3 floor exhibition area. Starts from upper floor. It was great experience. 👌

Excellent experience. A fantastically-curated museum with friendly and enthusiastic staff. Well laid out and a very interesting insight into the rich and varied history of the Docklands.

As a big fan of social history, I loved this museum but wish Id realised how big the 2nd floor Is so I wouldnt have spent quite as much time on the 3rd floor. With free entry, the suggested donation of £5 is well worth it and I hope thats enough to keep the place open as its so important to inform current and future generations of our commercial, industrial and social past. I really want to return to see the parts I didnt have time for on this visit.

Discover how the docks transformed London and made the city we know today at the Museum of London Docklands, near Canary Wharf.Although not strictly a “Secret London” destination, the Museum of London Docklands isn’t on the usual tourist path like its bigger brother in The City. Don’t let this fool you however; The Museum of Docklands is one of our favourite museums here at Historic UK.The museum focuses on the history of London’s river, port and people and starts its story during Roman times. As you walk through its three floors of history, the journey follows a chronological narrative all the way through to the most recent redevelopment of the Docklands.The museum itself is housed in a Georgian sugar warehouse built in 1802, and is located just at the side of West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs in East London. Its location is made all the more dramatic by the fact that it’s built right next to the Canary Wharf development, making quite an interesting juxtaposition between the old and the new!The museum features 12 galleries, featuring such exhibits as “Docklands at War”, “Warehouse of the World” and “London Sugar & Slavery”. It also includes a series of life sized, walkthrough replicas of how the docks used to look, feel and smell.Finally, and best of all is that the Museum of London Docklands is now free!

I work near here sometimes and always see groups of kids go into the museum. I now see why. The place is really good for kids. Plenty of activities. But also great for adults. It covers a lot more than “just the docks” and is worth a visit just like any other London museum.

Amazing place to explore with kids.Kids just love it! Definitely will return! ❤🤩

Free entrance. Online booking. Detailed pictures, objects and knowledgement. 3 floor exhibition area. Starts from upper floor. It was great experience. 👌

What a great afternoon, being a docker and having both sides of family heritage in docking this was fabulous, really informative and would thoroughly recommend going to anybody, any donation is welcomed as I would love to keep this so all can go.

Had a great day out with the family exploring the history of the Docklands. The exhibits are very well put together and sparked many an interesting conversation with the children!

London Docklands has a rich and varied history. The exhibition housed in an atmospheric listed warehouse is truly engaging.

Loved it buy arrived late so couldnt get the full experience. I will return.

Fascinating walk through the history of the docklands, Ive been twice this year and will come back again sometime Im certain.

Local gem ! First thing first Its a free museum ! . There is so much to see, very well presented history of docklands through its creation, its trade , what it went through during world war 2 , and its cultural diversity . I loved my visit here, not too busy , has a cute cafe as well. Staff are friendly and very helpful. Definitely worth visiting.

Great FREE day out with the kids in a beautiful setting. Plenty to do and the kids loved the soft play (advanced booking required). Great local history to soak in for the adults too.

Great museum in a lovely old building. My only criticism is why do they keep these places so dark? We found it quite tiring having to keep straining your eyes to read.The pub next door is good for lunch...

Wasn’t aware of this place at all. Was quite a pleasant surprise. They run short courses for a variety of subjects. Beautiful place. Many restaurants around for your choice. Quite convenient choices of Transport. Great place for a day out with friends or a quite read by the dock.

Great museum for all ages. Fantastic activities for kids with things to look out for as you walk around. You get a real sense of how things used to be and how weve evolved

Great info about London Docks. Free entry. No free parking. Use the one nearby which is paid. Worth visiting.

Really welcoming and after the first gallery consisting of sack hooks and weighing scales, which made the heart sink, the rest of the museum is really well set out and interesting. Its very slightly wordy but that makes a nice change from museums which seem targeted at 10 year old kids (not that our ten year old kids seemed to notice the lack of patronising explanations)

Wonderful history laid out ina sympathetic manner. The acknowledgement of the slave trade is also no excluded, which is refreshing.

Interesting place to visit with lots of historical information to learn about. It is set up over 3 floors with a restaurant cafe area and shop on the ground floor along with a play area for younger children.The museum gave some historical stories about the Docklands area, London, architecture, poverty and also about slavery. It was a great deal of information and some of it was very moving. There are some interactive items that may also interest children. The visit was very thought provoking.

My second visit, previous time was many years ago. Great place for all ages, good mix of exhibits, artefacts, reading, videos, reconstructions. Spent just over two hours there, saw everything but could have taken longer reading & watching more videos. And entry was free when I visited (voluntary contributions).

It was a bitter sweet moment with great historical details on the old warehouses at the West India docks(and Canary Wharf), the Thames and the lost rivers of London, Sainsbury...and a lot of stuff on slavery. Great history and the most friendly staff from the moment you step into the museum.

Interesting museum covering the history of the area. Great location. Museum is free to enter. Child friendly with activities for children. There are lifts to take you to each floor for people with mobility issues. Staff are friendly. Plenty of toilets on site. Cafe and gift shop on site.

What a brilliant day out. Excellent for kids and adults alike! Lots of interesting history about the development of the docks from Roman Times through to the Middle Ages and up to the present day. Plus a very interesting Exhibition on Londons lost rivers!

I found this this museum in Canary Wharf by chance and I enjoyed it so much. Plus this museum is free to visit.Canary Wharf is most beautiful place from London to spend a weekend.

Amazing displays and interactive things for the kids. Very interesting and informative about the area and its links to British and world history.

A real local treasure. Great activities for families too. Theyve made good use of the space they have and exhibits reflect on the locale, showing the positive aspects of the areas history yet not shying away from the shameful history of the docks also; as well as providing interesting, insightful interactive elements.

Fascinating and informative. Very well laid out. Good mix of recreation of street scenes plus historical info. Lively friendly helpful staff.

Great lill museum - kids loved it. Covers the role of docklands and impact on them during the world wars, slavery and other historic events.

Very good museum, the slave trade display is extremely sad and informative. It is look into the past which will make some angry and some embarrassed on what actually went on. Schools need to have this museum in their trips rota if not already.

Excellent place to visit, a lot of history to uncover about the area. Entrance is free but please support the museum with a £5 donation

Such a compelling exhibition that details the phenomenal growth of the trading links of the City of London with the rest of the world, from around 1600 to the present day. It also presents the reality of the Slave Trade and how this horrific practice contributed to the vast profits of the trading companies. A thoroughly interactive museum with something for everyone. A great indoor play zone on the ground floor by the spacious cafe. Best of all - free admission. But they encourage a £5 donation. Use Westferry or West India Dock Station on the DLR, or walk through from Canary Wharf.

Love this museum. Packed with so many interesting information and its very well themed

This is an excellent museum. The general exhibition covers the trades and associated activities of the London Docklands. It looks at the origins and development of the Docklands and the communities that grew up around them. One gets a strong sense of how hard and dangerous were the lives of so many, against the riches and political power of the dock owners, bankers, plantation owners and industrialists.There are some wonderful walk-through installation exhibits - Sailor Town, for example; with its alleys, inns, shops and marine trades. The accompanying text descriptions are concise, informative and imaginatively presented; using a wide range of audio-visual media. Text and images are sometimes projected onto the museums walls.The Exhibition on Slavery on the 3rd floor is an essential view. This is a profoundly disturbing and powerfully moving exhibition, which graphically recounts the most dreadful cruelties inflicted on so many millions, for so long.The museum is free and relies entirely on voluntary donations.

Great museum for kids and families. First class exhibitions. Nice shop and cafe. All about the docks and surrounding issues like slavery.

This is one the best of London’s great museums. Really enjoyed it. Highly recommended

Mudlarks gallery is fantastic. Our 2 year old loved it!

Free to enter. Informative venue and child friendly. Good Cafe. Friendly staff. Lighting a little on the dark side. Start your tour on the top floor working your way down three floors of exhibitions. Free talks on different subjects throughout the day. These are free but you need to book on to help manage the size of the group. You should set aside 4-5 hours to do the museum justice. We split it up one floor a trip to avoid information overload. The reconstructed streets are a delight. Wheel chair friendly. Plenty of toilet facilities

Lots to see and do for children and adults alike - lovely museum. Highly recommend it.

Very interesting displays showing the history of Londons docklands through the ages and up to the present day.

Fascinating museum with well presented exhibits telling the story of the beginnings and developments of the London Docklands area.

A really lovely day! A wonderful, well thought out interactive museum. My 11 year old and 6 year old loved it and learnt so much. We were given a really excellent worksheets which helped us navigate round the museum and kept the childrens interest. What really impressed me, was when I had issues with my 11 year old Autistic child, who became distressed in the Mudlark area by a baby crying. One of the really helpful members of staff leant him some ear defenders and then informed us where we could find some quite areas if we needed them. Lovely café, with special seats for breastfeeding mothers. They really could not have been more accommodating! Kx

Loved this free museum, very interesting place which the kids will love. Nice cafe also there

Cracking museum. Provides a huge amount of insight about the commercial history of London and how it became the mercantile city that it is.Easily spend 3+ hours in here.

Really awesome place, immersive experience and there is a lot of important history preserved here. Very eye opening, and youll be sure to leave smarter on the way out, than the way in.

Interesting facts, stories and photos from the past. Great rum bar next door which made us forget about the special exhibition so guess I will have to go back.

We enjoyed our visit although we struggled to find it after getting off a bus near Westferry station, there were no signs. Once inside it was enjoyable, there was a lot to read and a few bits for the kids to interact with. The slavery bit was really well handled and also enjoyed the information on modern redevelopment of docklands. Afterwards we took a river taxi from canary wharf to waterloo, just a few pounds but a great way to see what we had just been reading about.

Really remarkable museum one could easily miss on a tour of London. Very well done with a great description of the history of the docks starting in the 1600s to present day. After a visit check out the high class restaurants next door.

It is good place to escape for talks and walks, take a cup of coffee, lunch breaks or meet beer lovers. West India Quay and London Dockland are preparing for summer season for more pubs to open and events to come. Something for children, too! So, take your family and friends, come and enjoy!

Excellent museum to add to the collection of visits for London Museum .Lots to do and see a lot of detail and makes the time in London fun.They have a great toddler area with playing. Facilities ranging from soft toys to bricks there are facilities there to have snacks and coffee so it’s with the travel.Recommend

Free museum about the docklands. There is also a large mall near by if you want to shop. We took the river taxi back to london center which was about £7 if you have an Oyster card or use the app. IDefinitely worth the trip if you are looking for something different and want to learn some London history.

So much fun! Went with my fiancé and learned a lot. Very family/child friendly but not overwhelmingly geared towards families so we were still able to enjoy it!

Very interesting museum, interactive and suitable for children (and the rest of the family!).Highly recommend it!