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Can you believe that the Piccadilly line has been around for 120 years? The dark blue line launched in 1906 and has served generations upon generations of Londoners. Today it’s the second-longest line in the city (after the Central) but back then, it was the longest underground railway in the entire world. Not only does the Picc link up some of London’s greatest sights: in its lifetime its stations have been used as war shelters, secret HQs and Hollywood movie sets.
Suffice to say, the Piccadilly line is worthy of big anniversary celebrations. And next month, the London Transport Museum is going to mark its 120th birthday with a week-long series of family-friendly activities.
The Piccadilly line takeover will happen over the upcoming half term (October 24 to November 1). There will be sensory storytelling sessions for kids five and under, taking them on a journey across the line’s most famous landmarks. Older kids can take part in ‘design a station’ arts and crafts workshops, as well as a ‘fly the tube’ tinkering activity, which invites families to create their own flying tube trains with various materials and test how long they can stay in the air.
For families with children with special educational needs or disabilities, there’ll be an ‘early explorer morning’ on October 28 to let them enjoy all the Transport Museum has to offer without the crowds.
If you have children over the age of 10 in your brood, you can take them on one of the Transport Museum’s Hidden London guided tours, included a tour of the disused Aldwych station. The museum will run special family editions of that tour during half term, with child-focused riddles, clues, quizzes and team activities that’ll help unlock the station’s different stories.
You can book advance tickets to the London Transport Museum online. Kids go free and adult tickets give you free daytime entry for the rest of the year.
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