London Museum has finally confirmed when visitors will be able to step inside its long-awaited new home in Smithfield.
The museum will open its free, permanent galleries in the historic General Market building on November 28, 2026.
This marks the completion of a decade-long project to transform the Victorian market into a major new cultural destination in the heart of the City.
Sharon Ament, director of London Museum, said: "This has been a long undertaking – not without its challenges but mostly filled with immense joy and hyper-creativity – and now we are counting down the days to welcome our first visitors.
"At the beginning, we asked ourselves how to be the best museum for London, the answer is, to be London itself, in all its grit and glitter.
"We’ve done it with the very best; designers, historians, curators, builders, architects, artists, poets, writers, creators to name a few, all are shapers of London.
"And the very best includes over one hundred thousand people who have contributed along the way.
"I hope our museum is a place where people can come together, feel at home, and find themselves grounded in the lives, treasures, challenges, and innovations of this city’s vast history.
"Above all, I hope we make Londoners proud."
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The £437 million project has been delivered through a partnership between the City of London Corporation and the Mayor of London, with additional support from philanthropic donors including Bloomberg Philanthropies and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Designed by architects Stanton Williams and Asif Khan, with conservation led by Julian Harrap, the museum occupies the Victorian General Market building, which has been closed to the public for more than 30 years.
It will reopen in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary, bringing thousands of years of London’s history to life through immersive displays and a new social space for the city.
Christopher Hayward, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, said: "This is a landmark moment for the Square Mile and the City of London Corporation is proud to have been a major partner in making this happen and funding it.
"London Museum at Smithfield is a flagship investment that brings new life to one of our most historic buildings, opening it up for the public to enjoy for the first time in a generation.
"This sits at the heart of our Destination City vision, a Square Mile that is alive seven days a week, where world-class culture, history and ambition exist side by side.
"By combining world-class heritage with a dynamic programme of events and experiences, the museum will not only tell London’s story in all its richness, but play a vital role in shaping its future, strengthening the City's appeal as a place to work, visit and invest."
The museum will feature three main areas.
Real Time, located on Heritage Fund Street, will serve as the museum’s main entrance and capture London in the present moment through data and live displays.
Our Time, in the Linbury Hall, will be a central hub for events and activities, anchored by 13 large installations representing London in living memory.
Below ground, the Past Time galleries will offer a chronological and thematic journey through London’s history, set at Roman street level.
Among the objects selected for display are Banksy’s Piranhas artwork, Charles I’s execution vest, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger strike medal, the Lord Mayor’s Coach, and Anna Pavlova’s 'Dying Swan' dress.
The galleries will also feature Roman writing tablets from The Bloomberg Collection and the Cheapside Hoard, one of the world’s most significant collections of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "The opening of the new London Museum will be a hugely significant moment both for London and internationally.
"Backed by one of the largest ever cultural investments in our capital, London Museum will attract millions of visitors and Londoners and reinforce our status as the culture capital of the world.
"London Museum celebrates the past, creates opportunities in the present, and will inspire future generations, as we continue to build a better London for everyone."
The opening of London Museum also marks the beginning of a wider development.
In 2028, the neighbouring Poultry Market will reopen to house temporary exhibition spaces, a dedicated learning centre, and a collections store.
The museum’s inaugural guest-edited programme, London Tastes, will be co-curated by food writers Ruby Tandoh and Jonathan Nunn and sponsored by Sainsbury’s.
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