Kew Bridge Steam Museum

Welcome to London's most spectacular and dramatic venues – the Kew Bridge Steam Museum. Kew Bridge Steam Museum, located in West London near the river Thames, was originally a Victorian Water Pumping Station. This London museum has retained the original steam-powered pumping engines, which are the largest collection of their type, including the world's largest working single-cylinder beam engine. Built in the 19th century to supply London with water, the museum is recognized as the most important historic site of the water supply industry in Britain. The Kew Bridge Steam Museum is located just on the north side of Kew Bridge, under the tall Victorian Stand Pipe Tower. It is a highly visited London tourist destination. The best way to see the sights and sounds of London are through the London guided tour or the coach tours London.
 
The museum collection was expanded by the donation of other steam engines, which have been restored to working order.The Kew Bridge Steam Museum conducts exhibitions of the 90 inch Engine, 100 inch Engine, Bull Engine, Maudslay Engine, Boulton and Watt Engine, the Easton and Amos Engine, Dancers End Engine, Water Wheel, Allen Diesel , Water for life gallery, Water works Railway and many more.Each engines have their own peculiarities which makes it different form the other engines.

For e.g. The Grand Junction 90 inch Engine is the largest working beam engine in the world it was the first engine built in Cornwall especially for waterworks duty. Similarly the Maudslay engine was the first beam engine built for the Kew Bridge works and began pumping in 1838. The Allen diesel engines were installed to meet extra demand during the summer months and, along with electrical pumps, to replace the steam engines when they retired during the 1940s.

In the Water for life gallery you can explore the fascinating history of water supply and usage in London, you can also learn about the battle against cholera and how the toshers made a living by scavenging in the sewers "down below". Inside a section of the Thames Water London ring main, donated by Thames Water, you can discover how and why this amazing water distribution system for London was built and how it is monitored, surveyed and controlled. They organize several activities for children also like the

Sieve for treasure like a sewer tosher
Hunt for wildlife with the radio controlled sewer robot
Make a floor rubbing
Be a young engineer at the Meccano play bench
Fill the bucket with the WaterAid pump

At the Waterworks Railway you can get to know about the Victorian waterworks. The Victorian waterworks had their own railway. At Kew Bridge this is demonstrated by a short line featuring the "Wren" class locomotive Thomas Wicksteed, which is typical of a waterworks engine. This locomotive was completed in 2009 and is currently the newest working steam locomotive in the United Kingdom. There is more to surprise you. London open top bus tours enable you to jump on and off the buses and visit London attractions at your leisure.

Kew Bridge Steam Museum hosts various special events throughout the year, ranging from our ever popular Live Steam Model Railway Show, to the exciting Historic Fire Engines Rally and the memory-invoking Waterworks at War weekend. Details of all our special events are available in our Special Events Calendar.

There are many things to do and see in your London visit. London sightseeing with children to the Kew Bridge Steam Museum will provides them a unique opportunity to know more about the various types of pumping engines, London's only operating steam railway etc.The Kew Bridge Steam Museum also conducts learning programmes. The museum accepts school and group visits from 10 am on Monday to Friday. The engines are normally in action for the public on weekends and Bank Holiday Mondays only; however, special operation of the engines can be arranged for your visit, for which an additional charge is made to cover the extra costs. Special weekday steamings of the engines can be arranged if you are unable to bring your group at a weekend.

Kew Bridge Steam Museum has an extensive archive covering steam pumping engines and the water supply industry, focusing largely on the history of London's water supply.
The Museum has tried to collect material directly relating to water supply and  it’s associated technologies, and in particular steam power. Much of the material in the archive is of a technical nature, documents which can give detailed insights into the engineering standards and practices of the times. However oral history interviews with former employees give more personal impressions of what life was like at the waterworks, and historic staff lists and staff magazines are increasingly accessed by researchers interested in local and family history. London Hop on Hop Off bus tours passes through most of the London museums and galleries and gives a chance to visit your favorite places at your leisure.

The Kew Bridge Steam Museum also provides you with an online shopping facility.
They stock a large variety of steam and water supply related books and souvenirs, including a wide range of steam, hot air and Meccano models. Not only this, you can even experience the excitement of driving the London’s only working steam railway and much more.

So what are you waiting for? Book your London attraction tickets with the London tour and visit all these London attractions.


Visitor Information:


Kew Bridge Steam Museum is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every Tuesday to Sunday.

We are closed on Mondays, except Bank Holidays.

Our steam pumping engines every Saturday, Sunday and Bank holiday Monday; our Rotative Engines run three weeks of the month, with our Cornish Engines running once a month on our Giants of Steam weekends.

Our waterworks railway runs every Sunday and Bank holiday Monday from Easter to

October and on selected Special Event weekends.

Children under the age of 16 are admitted to the museum for FREE,
but must be accompanied by a paying adult. Proof of age may be required.


The waterworks railway operates every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from
Easter to the end of October and on Special Events weekends

Ticket prices:

Group Visit:

Admission to the Museum ONLY (minimum 10 people):

£6 per adult.
Children under 16 enter free, when accompanied by a paying adult.

Admission to the Museum and Basic Tour (minimum 20 people):

£7.50 per adult
Children under 16 enter free, when accompanied by a paying adult.

Extras:

Extended tour: £50 + VAT (takes at least 2 hours, for groups of 30 - 50 people)

Weekday steaming of our engines:

Rotative Introduction: £100 + VAT (one rotative engine running)
Rotative Experience: £175 + VAT (two rotative engines running)
Cornish Experience: £300 + VAT (Boulton & Watt beam engine plus two rotative engines)

Joint offer with the Musical Museum (minimum 10 people):

Discounted : £14 per person (includes discoounted admission to both museums with tours of both museums and light refreshments)

Whole Day Experience: £20 per person (includes entrance to Kew Bridge Steam Museum with light refreshments followed by a tour, before moving on to the Musical Museum for lunch, followed by a tour and finishing with light refreshments whilst the famous Wurlitzer is played for your entertainment)