The disused London Underground station at Aldwych is to once again open its doors to let people down and see this most famous of abandoned tube stations.
Opened to the public in 1907, it was never as heavily used as originally intended and closed nearly 100 years later in 1994. Occasional public tours started in 2010, and following the pandemic, are resuming once more.
Aldwych station is still used for training exercises and filming, and it’s also never been modernised, so was used a lot for testing facilities that were later used in other stations, so expect to see an odd mix of Edwardian tiling, old posters, Piccadilly Circus testing tiles, and modern equipment.
The tours, organised by the London Transport Museum will take you to the ticket hall, the original lifts, abandoned platforms and tunnels, and inter-connecting walkways – including some that were very rarely seen by the public.
Be warned that there are 160 steps connecting the ground and platform level. There is no step-free access and no working lift on site.
Tickets are now on sale from here.
I have just booked one of these tours. However all dates in March appear to be full so book quickly. I am very much looking forward to it as these tours are always very interesting.
Is it possible to see anything of the British Museum station now?
No unfortunately not. The entire station was bulldozed many years ago and there is nothing left at all.
If anyone remembers the show Daytrippers from the long defunct London TV channel back in 2005 (think it was 144 on sky), on the episode I got to be the punter in, we went down to the platforms with Mike Ashworth (design and heritage director tfl (rtd)) and got to see the “working” platform and the sealed off platform that was used to house British Museum artifacts in ww2.
Most fascinating for me were the tube maps with stops like Praed Street and Post Office – oh and the last remaining stretch of 1907 (i think) rail on the tfl network
£41.50pp? Seriously? Is this for one visit or a weekly season ticket?
Hi I do a lot of charity and me and my wife would like to do this but we don’t have the money to can you please help with 2 tickets please we do a lot forcare homes and hospitals 💖
You state the station was closed in 1994 when in reality was already disused by the onset of ww11 and during the blitz was used as storage by the British museum as well as being used as a air raid shelter