London Canal Museum

About the museum

London Canal Museum occupies a former ice warehouse beside Battlebridge Basin on the Regent's Canal, close to King's Cross. The building dates from the 1860s and was put up for the ice-cream maker Carlo Gatti, who stored natural ice shipped in from Norway in two deep ice wells. One of the preserved wells can still be seen from the ground floor.

The building has been a museum since 1992. Its galleries cover the history of London's canals, including the Regent's Canal, the Grand Junction Canal, the Lee Navigation and the lost Croydon Canal, together with the people and horses who worked the boats and the cargoes they carried. A second strand tells the story of the ice trade and the history of ice cream.

Visitors can step into the cramped cabin of the narrowboat Coronis, where canal families once lived, and see how a working family fitted a home into a few square metres. The collection also includes archive films, oral history recordings and the tug Bantam IV.

The museum is a regional museum specialising in the waterways of the London area, excluding the River Thames. It is run as a charitable trust, sells tickets on arrival without advance booking, and also offers boat trips on the canal at selected times.

Highlights

• Cabin of the narrowboat Coronis
• Preserved Victorian ice well
• Story of Carlo Gatti's ice trade and ice cream
• Canal cargoes, workers and towing horses
• Archive films and oral history recordings
• Boat trips on the Regent's Canal

Permanent exhibitions

• Narrowboat Coronis and canal life – Explore the cabin of a working narrowboat and learn about canal cargoes, boat families and the horses that pulled the boats.
• The ice trade and Carlo Gatti's ice wells – Look down into a preserved Victorian ice well and follow the story of natural ice imported for London and the history of ice cream.

Founded

1992

Operated by

London Canal Museum Trust

Visitors per year

approx. 16,000

Admission & discounts

Major credit cards and contactless payment are accepted.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All parts of the museum are described as accessible. Entry is level, floor surfaces are firm and lifts are provided as an alternative to every staircase: an open platform lift to the mezzanine and an enclosed platform lift to the first floor. Entrance doors are power operated. The narrowboat cabin cannot be entered in a wheelchair, so a virtual tour of the cabin is offered at the boat. Seats are provided on both floors, and there is an accessible toilet. A free audio tour can be downloaded, and the museum provides a British Sign Language introduction (PDF script) and transcripts for its audio exhibits. Blue Badge holders may park outside the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 6+

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

The museum recommends a visit for children aged six and over; younger children are welcome. Children under 14 must be with an adult. The Activity Zone on the ground floor is a small play area with books, colouring, a magnetic whiteboard and a pretend ice-cream parlour. Family fun days with a craft activity are held on selected dates in school holidays. Breastfeeding is welcome anywhere in the museum.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in New Wharf Road, beside Battlebridge Basin on the Regent's Canal, a few hundred yards from King's Cross station, with signed walking routes from King's Cross, St Pancras and the canal towpath. Visitors can also arrive by boat to the wharf outside.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is available in the exhibition galleries (network LCM-GUEST); the password is available from staff or on a poster near reception. There is a museum shop and an online shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 200 guests.

The two-floor Victorian building can host receptions and parties for up to 200, dinners for up to 120, conferences for up to 160 and weddings for up to 140 (licensed). While the museum is open to visitors only a meeting room for up to 20 people can be hired. Evening events finish by 23:00; guests may choose any caterer.

Plan your visit