New exhibition 'Building Britain’s Canals', family fun days & canal narrowboat trips.
Building Britain’s Canals
A fantastic new exhibition telling the story of how the canals were built. The exhibition celebrates the work of the surveyors and engineers who designed the routes and structures of the canals, leading to the creation of the profession of civil engineering, and the thousands of unnamed labourers, the navvies, who worked in difficult and dangerous conditions with their picks, spades and wheelbarrows.
At its peak, the canal system in the UK was nearly 4,000 miles in length. Most of the system was built in the ‘Golden Age’ of canals, between 1770 and the 1830s, during which period a "canal mania" arose in the early 1790s when huge sums were invested in canal building.
The exhibition was opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 10th March 2025 and continues until the end of the year.
London Canal Museum: Boat Trips 2025
Discover a different side of London away from the crowds on the water by canal boat. The range of trips include an expert commentary from a museum guide, exploring points of interest, the history of the canals and more!
Glide along the Regent’s Canal aboard the Museum’s narrowboat ‘Long Tom’ from April-2nd to October-31st. Museum guides provide commentary on board about the history and the people of London’s canal network, places of interest, other stories and more! Passengers can choose between the 50 minute popular Islington Tunnel Trip or ‘Canal Cruise Friday’ long trips to Little Venice or Victoria Park (4-5 hours). There is also the Camden Lock Explorer every second Wednesday morning, with Historic Boat trips on “Tarporley” on the alternate Wednesdays. For details, schedule & prices click HERE.
Family Fun Days
Let your children explore, create, and discover the wonders of canal heritage and wildlife during the Family Fun Days.
Alongside a craft workshop, families can take a trip on a canal boat and be inspired by the wonderful wildlife and habitats spotted out on the water and the living heritage of the canal. Workshops are led by a museum facilitator and all materials are provided. Themes differ by date but this April its Easter crafts.
There's so much to see and do at London Canal Museum, learn about the history of London's canals, the people who lived and worked on the waterways and the horses that pulled their boats. Peer down into the unique heritage of a huge Victorian ice well used to store ice imported from Norway and brought by ship and canal boat to be stored. This unique waterways museum is housed in a former ice warehouse built in about 1862-3 for Carlo Gatti, the famous ice cream maker, and features the history of the ice trade and ice cream as well as the canals.
Opening Hours 10:00-16:30 Tuesdays to Sundays
Further Information: London Canal Museum Home Page