The London Museum has confirmed it will reopen at its new Farringdon home on November 28, 2026. Following the closure of its London Wall site in 2022, the museum is now preparing to begin a new chapter in the restored Victorian General Market building in West Smithfield. The opening brings to a close a decade-long restoration of the historic market hall, which has been out of public use for more than 30 years. Once a bustling trading hall, the building has been restored to house the museum's expanded galleries, breathing new life into one of the City's historic landmarks.
The £437 million project has been delivered through a partnership between the City of London Corporation, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and partners. Reopening in time to mark its 50th anniversary, the museum will offer a more spacious and contemporary home for London's story, set within a building that is itself part of that history. The adjacent 1960s Poultry Market will open in 2028, with two temporary exhibition spaces, a learning centre and a store for collections.
Sharon Ament, director of the London Museum, said it had been a 'long undertaking' with more than a few ups and downs along the way. But, she said the team is now counting down the days ahead of the museum's grand opening, which they hope will make London proud. 'At the beginning we asked ourselves how to be the best museum for London, the answer is, to be London itself, in all its grit and glitter,' she said.
'We've done it with the very best; designers, historians, curators, builders, architects, artists, poets, writers, creators to name a few, all are shapers of London. And the very best includes over one hundred thousand people who have contributed along the way. I hope our museum is a place where people can come together, feel at home, and find themselves grounded in the lives, treasures, challenges and innovations of this city's vast history. Above all, I hope we make Londoners proud.'
The museum will be arranged across three linked spaces for visitors to travel through. Real Time, which is the main entrance, features data capturing London as it is today. Our Time is the central hub for events and activities, anchored by 13 large installations and showcasing London in living memory. And Past Time is a series of underground galleries tracing the city's history through chronological and themed displays.
Across the spaces, visitors will encounter a wide range of highlights, from the Whitechapel Fatberg and Lord Mayor's Coach to works by Banksy and personal artefacts linked to figures such as Emmeline Pankhurst and Charles I. The collection also includes major archaeological treasures, including Roman writing tablets from the Bloomberg Collection and the Cheapside Hoard - one of the most significant hoards of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery ever discovered.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: 'The opening of the new London Museum will be a hugely significant moment both for London and internationally. Backed by one of the largest ever cultural investments in our capital, London Museum will attract millions of visitors and Londoners and reinforce our status as the culture capital of the world. London Museum celebrates the past, creates opportunities in the present and will inspire future generations, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.'
Before it opened in the early 1880s, the General Market was designed as a space for selling fruit and vegetables, complete with decorative touches like carved pineapples along its walls. But with meat proving more popular - and fresh produce conveniently available nearby in Covent Garden - it became a meat market instead. Designed by architect Sir Horace Jones, the building was also cleverly laid out around railway tracks, allowing goods to be delivered straight into the market. The General Market saw over a century of trade before being shuttered in the 1990s and falling into disrepair. When the museum opens later this year, commuters on the passing line will become part of the display, seen through a vast glass window as they travel through the city's history.
Christopher Hayward, Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation said: 'This is a landmark moment for the Square Mile and the City of London Corporation is proud to have been a major partner in making this happen and funding it. London Museum at Smithfield is a flagship investment that brings new life to one of our most historic buildings, opening it up for the public to enjoy for the first time in a generation. This sits at the heart of our Destination City vision, a Square Mile that is alive seven days a week, where world-class culture, history and ambition exist side by side. By combining world-class heritage with a dynamic programme of events and experiences, the museum will not only tell London's story in all its richness, but play a vital role in shaping its future, strengthening the City's appeal as a place to work, visit and invest.'
