The award-winning London Transport Museum has been housed in Covent Garden's old Victorian Flower Market since 1980.

The collection records the history of London's public transport system from the first buses of the 1820's to the present day.

The history of London's public transport reflects it's social history. At first the bus, tram and underground routes followed the growth of the city and but later they promoted its development. The northern and western suburbs did not start to grow until their underground connections were constructed.

As well as tracing the history of London's public transport, the museum also looks forward to the future.

The museum balances fun and education and is very popular with children and adults. Children are given a 'Kidzones' card which they can stamp at points along the way, an incentive for them to complete the tour.

There are plenty of interactive displays and children can clamber aboard an early tram and pretend to be a bus conductor, or put themselves in the driver's seat of a London bus or Underground train.

Also in the museum is a collection of 20th century commercial art. Throughout their history London's bus and train companies have been patrons of contemporary artists, and among the designs on display are works by the innovative Art Deco artist E. McKnight Kauffer, and the celebrated 1930's artists Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland.

The museum shop, also open to those not visiting the museum, has copies of some of the best posters in the collection, together with a selection of books for the transport enthusiast. Many of the items display the London Transport logo or the stylish London Underground font. Items such as mugs and stationery feature well-known slogans like: 'Mind the Gap', 'Not in service' or 'Penalty for improper use £50'.