London Transport Museum is launching a brand-new behind-the-scenes tour of Holborn Tube station, with tickets available to book now.
Originally opened in 1906 as a complex of four platforms to serve the Piccadilly line, Holborn station has a lot more to explore than first meets the eye. On this new tour, due to start in the summer, ticket holders will be able to step behind concealed doors and explore the expansive disused areas that lay concealed, some not seen by the public in nearly 30 years.
Led by an expert tour guide, visitors will explore closed-off areas including the two closed platforms of the former Aldwych branch. They will also enjoy an unexpected view of the Piccadilly line, complete with vintage posters, original Leslie Green Edwardian design, and an original early 20th century signalling cabin.
Written using content drawn from London Transport Museum’s extensive archive and collection, the tour will reveal the twists and turns of the 20th century as visitors hear how the station’s disused spaces came to be used in surprising ways over the years, including as scientific laboratories, providing shelter for London Transport staff in wartime, and even housing a model rail club.
Also covered will be how staff members may have felt working there during the height of the Blitz, how the big modernisation project of the 1930s led to the closure of nearby British Museum station, and how the station is still playing a key role in the future of the London Underground today as part of a massive upgrading project of the signalling system.
London Transport Museum will be running its exclusive Hidden London tours at Holborn from 31 July 2024. Guided tours will take place on Wednesday to Sunday each week. Tickets cost £45 and can be purchased on London Transport Museum’s website. Concessions are available.
Profits generated from Hidden London tours help fund London Transport Museum’s charitable activities as an education and heritage charity. Activities include igniting children’s curiosity about the world of transport and STEM, delivering employability and skills programmes for young people, and heritage conservation work.
Click here to book your Hidden Tour tickets.
