Monthly art and poster store tour

The London Transport Museum is running its monthly art and poster store tours at the Acton Depot, with the next one on Saturday 23 January. It's a guided walk through the museum's poster collection, led by volunteer guides who talk through the history of London Underground's commissioning, from its start in 1908 through to later collaborations with a wide range of artists.

The tour is held inside the Acton Depot itself, a giant warehouse that houses the museum's main storage. It's usually closed to the public, only opening for occasional open weekends and these semi-regular tours. Alongside rows of old trains, buses and trams, there's a huge collection of transport-heritage 'scraps' displayed informally rather than as a formal museum exhibit, so you'll be walking past the actual vehicles while you look at the posters.

Depending on the day, the guides might cover the development of transport branding, the influence of Frank Pick, how poster design changed during the world wars, the 'Golden Age' of the 1920s and 1930s, and post-war and modern design. Because it's a working depot, objects and vehicles can move at short notice, so not every topic is guaranteed on every tour.

It's a monthly thing on Saturdays at 11:00am, and 23 January is one of several dates: 24 October, 28 November and 5 December 2026, then 23 January, 27 February and 20 March 2027. Tickets are £20 and booking is required. The depot is at 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, London W3 9BQ.