London Transport Museum

London Transport Museum occupies the gorgeous Victorian iron and glass buildings of old Covent Garden market, displaying 200 years of the capital's transport evolution. You'll climb aboard original red buses, Victorian steam trains, and early electric Tube carriages, plus operate real signal boxes and design your own Underground station on interactive screens. The star attraction is the world's first underground steam locomotive from 1866, but honestly, sitting in the driver's seat of a 1960s Routemaster bus feels more magical.

The museum flows chronologically through three levels, starting with horse-drawn omnibuses and ending with modern transport planning. Kids dominate the interactive zones, but adults get genuinely absorbed in the signal simulators and the recreation of an Underground control room. The Victorian market setting adds serious atmosphere - those soaring glass ceilings and cast-iron columns make even a 1930s Tube carriage look elegant. The audio guide (included) is excellent, packed with stories about strikes, wartime damage, and engineering breakthroughs.

Adult tickets cost £23, which stings until you realize your ticket gives unlimited returns for a full year. Most visitors rush through in 90 minutes, but you'll miss the best bits - spend time in the London Today gallery upstairs where transport planners explain current projects. Skip the shop unless you're obsessed with Tube memorabilia. The cafe's overpriced and cramped, so eat elsewhere in Covent Garden.