The London Museum is set to reopen on November 28 in a new location that aims to redefine the institution as a dynamic social hub rather than a traditional repository of historical artefacts. Formerly known as the Museum of London, the institution has been closed since 2022 while its collections were relocated from the Barbican complex to a pair of restored Victorian market halls in Smithfield, in the City of London.

The extensive £437 million redevelopment transformed the former General Market site into a space designed to encourage spontaneous interaction among visitors. The two expansive market halls are connected by a glazed former London street that serves as a welcoming thoroughfare, with entrances at both ends to invite foot traffic. The museum will combine its historical displays with cultural programming that includes afternoon teas, dinner clubs, and late-night DJ sets, all aimed at attracting a broad and diverse audience.

Sharon Ament, the museum’s director, described the new venue as a “democratic” space that seeks to engage Londoners from all walks of life. She emphasized the goal of integrating the museum into the everyday rhythms of city life, envisioning commuters passing through on their way to and from work as well as visitors staying late for social events. “Maybe they’ll stay for an hour, maybe they’ll stay right until we close, maybe they’ll do a club night,” Ament said, highlighting plans to extend opening hours to align with contemporary lifestyles.

The museum’s collection, comprising roughly seven million artefacts, includes a range of significant historical objects such as the Cheapside Hoard of 17th-century jewels, the vest worn by King Charles I at his execution in 1649, and a portion of the notorious Whitechapel fatberg recovered from London’s sewers in 2017. Recent acquisitions since the closure include a police sentry box decorated by street artist Banksy in 2024 and the Bloomberg Collection—14,000 Roman artefacts uncovered during construction of the Bloomberg London headquarters between 2012 and 2014.

Paul Williams, principal director of Stanton Williams, the lead architectural firm on the project, noted that the market setting inspired new ways of thinking about museum design and visitor engagement. “It’s not just about a container for objects, but it’s a space where people are going to interact with each other,” he said. The opening cultural program will commence with London Tastes, an event celebrating the capital’s diverse culinary scene, signaling the institution’s intention to blend historical storytelling with contemporary cultural expressions.

Ament acknowledged that this approach to museum curation—moving away from niche academic focuses towards more inclusive public engagement—is becoming increasingly prevalent. She remarked that while other museums may struggle due to historic buildings or traditional institutional cultures, the new London Museum aims to lead by example in creating a social space rooted in the spirit of the market. “Gone are the days where museums are led by [obsessions] of academics whose deep interest in Etruscan vases means that there is a very niche story to be told and a niche audience out there,” she said. “We could all do it a bit more.”