The Postal Museum Admission Ticket
4.5
The Postal Museum Admission Ticket
By The Postal Museum
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About
Lowest price guarantee
Ages 3-99, max of 7 per group
Duration: 90–150 minutes
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Admission ticket
What's not included- Annual entry to the Museum's exhibitions.
- Sorted! The Postal Play Space (for children aged 0-8 years)
- Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 76154P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Wheelchair accessible (excluding Mail Rail Ride)
- Gender-neutral accessible toilets
- Changing Places facility
- Guests must be able to walk unaided for a minimum of 100 metres on uneven surfaces with minimal lighting, and up at least 70 steep steps.
- All spaces in The Postal Museum have step-free access. All spaces in the Mail Rail building have step-free access, except for the ride. Visit the museum website for full details of accessibility at the museum, including resources for autistic visitors and an audio described introduction the museum.
- Accredited family friendly café
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travellers
- All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 76154P2
From
£17.60
per adult
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Compass309010908000 contributionsWonderful DayWe visited as a family of seven, ages from 6 years to 73 years old, to celebrate our son's birthday and had a wonderful day. The train ride was enjoyed by all and our grandchildren liked all the activities especially the moving floor on the mail train. Our sons were very interested in the history of the mail and how it all started as we all were. The staff were all friendly and helpful. A lovely cafe was also enjoyed. A wonderful day was had by all, we shall be back. A hidden gem.Written 18 August 2024
- 571imranp0 contributionsLovely visit to the Postal MuseumI had no idea this museum existed until I had to take my daughter for an appointment at Great Ormond St. Hospital. I checked the map to see if there were any attractions near by and I realised The Charles Dickens museum and The Postal Museum were within walking distance. It really was a lovely visit. The children enjoyed wearing the uniforms and doing the interactive activities. The staff were very attentive to my autistic daughters needs especially during the ride on the Mail Rail. Thankyou for a wonderful visit, we hope to come again soon as the admission tickets give you free access to the museum again for 1 year.Written 5 August 2024
- lizpE3344II0 contributionsRead the description!Our own fault! Always read the blurb properly! This seems to have a target audience of children. The noise from legions of excited children everywhere (cafe, queue for train ride/museum) was off the scale. (There was a real danger of ear drum damage). Which is a shame as the museum is good and the train ride extremely interesting.Written 28 July 2024
- 0Pete_230 contributionsA must do for all agesThe first part of the visit is an approximately 15-minute ride on the postal train which is a narrated journey with videos through the history of the postal train with stops at, for example, the engineering area. Although you book a timed slot for you journey on mail rail it is not a guaranteed start time, arrive early and you may ride early. Once the train ride is over there is a small museum area about the train. You then cross the road to the actual postal museum which covers the history of the postal service from its creation to date. The museum is well laid out and very informative.Written 31 May 2024
- AdamBurt0 contributionsNice museumLovely rail ride and learning history of postal. See alot of Post Boxes and Red Telephone Box, both British Iconic. Bought a Post Cat plush. But still haven't got my own money with picture of me which I creat in museum and sent to my e-mail.Written 24 March 2024
- lepidoptera020 contributionsQuirksomeAll the team members were really friendly and the mail rail was a novel ride! The exhibition was educational and alluring (especially loved the uniforms through the ages); only wish the gift shop had more stamps, otherwise, their own unique ones were really fun.Written 30 December 2023
- richardhs20160 contributionsMail RailThe main part of the Postal Museum was interesting enough but the experience was enhanced by the trip on Mail Rail, the underground electric railway that used to carry post between 8 different London sorting offices. This was a fascinating insight into a little known engineering achievement dating back to the early years of the 20th century.Written 3 December 2023
- 188olofl0 contributionsPretty Ok but some basic flawsPretty interesting museum and train ride. Two aspects could however have been better: 1. It was rather chaotic when boarding the train even though there were not many passengers. I was asked to rush through to try to catch a train which was about to depart. When reaching the train I was rather told off and pushed back and asked to wait. This was a rather bad start to the visit. 2. It was rather annoying that the actual museum could not be visited before the train ride. I was unfortunately only able to secure a ticket late in the afternoon which led me to have to rush through the museum. I know I am entitled to revisit the museum again for free for a year, but that is not feasible for me. I fail to understand why I could not have been admitted to the museum before the train ride. I did not try but the instructions where pretty clear with "Head to Mail Rail first" and "You will be able to enjoy the museum (..) after your ride on Mail Rail".Written 5 November 2023
- Matt61250 contributionsHidden icon under London!The postal museum is well worth visiting, the mail rail is a gem hidden under London. The mail rail is interesting and very factual. However, the size of the seats may not fit all people. The postal museum has lots of interactive parts which are great for children. I would definitely recommend this hidden icon to all people as it lets you see how London was before the edition of technologyWritten 24 October 2023
- Cora_Visits_Places0 contributionsWorth the hype!I had heard about the postal museum from tiktok, where it was promoted by travel influencers aimed at 20-30 somethings. Me and my mother were a little worried we'd actually come to a children's museum when we arrived, but quickly saw that it was for all ages - provided you can get into the fun of it. To state the obvious, going on the mail train is really cool. It's a fascinating piece of history and a cool trip through the tunnels. The museum itself, which is across the road, surprised me with how good it was! Museums which are more about being informative than showcasing precious items can sometimes be a little boring if they are not laid out well or written well, but actually all the exhibits and information bits were varied, well presented, and told us just enough to be informative and interesting without boring us. I really admire the balance of fun bits, like turning yourself into a stamp with a selfie, with informational bits. It is well worth watching the old postal adverts that play from a projector, the shadow puppet one is especially cool. The staff were wonderful too, I can't remember ever finding a more welcoming and friendly staff at a museum before. Absolutely stellar. My only caution is that this is a museum for people and families who want to have fun and maybe have a laugh at yourselves in costumes. If you can't be silly this might not be the museum for you!Written 12 October 2023
- 206DavidP0 contributionsBrilliantMy Wife discovered the Postal Museum while looking for places to visit in London for our visit to the UK . It also includes the Mail Rail . It is open from Wednesday to Sunday. We had booked our tickets online and you must select a time for your visit as the Mail Rail rides have limited seats and it does get very busy . We had selected a 12:30 time slot. We arrived early and visited the Postal Museum first which was very interesting . We spent about an hour there and then walked the 100 yards along Phoenix Place to the Mail Rail . It was very busy but we were soon making our way down the steps to the Underground station of the Mail Rail . There was a bit of a Queue but it moved quite quickly . All bags must be deposited into Lockers before you can board the Train and we were allocated seats in a Carriage . The Carriages are quite small and the Perspex top when Closed prevents people from Standing . During the ride there is a commentary telling the story of the Mail Rail . The Train stops at various locations and Film is projected on the walls of the Tunnels . The whole system is a magnificent feat of Engineering and so innovative , especially as it was built during the very early part of the 20th Century and distributed the Mail across the City of London until the Early 2000s . This is a must visit for anyone .Written 9 October 2023
- rexbarker0 contributionsA train ride with a difference!!It really is worth spending the time to find The Postal Museum in Clerkenwell. The museum itself was much more interesting that I expected and that would probably have been enough. But the real highlight is "Mail Rail". I knew that the UK Post Office had build a 'private' underground railway years back, but I though it was now disused. Well ... It no longer shifts mail bags, but it does shift people! It has been re-opened with lovely little trains that take you under London and tell you lots about the railway and its history. FascinatingWritten 25 September 2023
- 946brianle0 contributionsMail Rail tunnel tourWent on the tunnel tour, which at the time, cost £60 a head, but was well worth it. Our guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The walk is about 1.2 km through the tunnels and takes in one of the stations.Written 23 September 2023
- tomw1560 contributionsGreat experienceWe only visited as we had a few hours to spare on our last day in London and it wasnt to far from our hotel. Of all the paid tourist attractions we did in london (Tower Bridge, St Pauls etc) we (two adults in 30s) enjoyed this place the most! The mail rail ride was only about 20 minutes, but it was really interesting to see how the mail use to get moved london on a tube like infrastructure. The museum then had some really interesting and interactive displays. There was also a small cafe offering drinks, cakes and light meals (sandwhiches etc) all very reasonably priced.Written 9 September 2023
- gpants10 contributionsA fantastic gem of a museum. Highly recommended includes a 15 minute underground mail train experience.This is an unexpected highlight of a visit to London. The Postal Museum is a delightful experience telling the history of the mail service in England and the hidden underground rail system that serviced London until 2003. It is fascinating and you get to ride on the underground miniature rail system for a great 15 minutes with commentary and displays on the way. A great thing to do for kids and adults alike.Written 17 May 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
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therichastill
Stevenage, UK3,400 contributions
Apr 2022
I have been hoping to visit this place to experience the Mail Rail for a while so with a day off I decided to take this opportunity.
You have to book a place in advance for £16 for an adult so they can manage the number of poeple who can get on the train. I arrived early and took a visit to the Postal Museum before going to the Mail Rail.
The museum is very interesting and there are all sorts of things to see. One disappointing this is that there are QR codes to scan to get more information however if you do not have a QR code reader on your phone you will miss out on this extra information.
I enjoyed the display on Poco and the opportunity to sort letters. I was not very fast (!)
There is a very good gift shop BUT they do not accept cash which sucks. Sometimes it's nice to have a choice.
Mail Rail was interesting however if you struggle with claustrophobia I would not recommend it as the trains are quite narrow and small but it was very interesting to see this side of London that for so many years was hidden from the public.
You have to book a place in advance for £16 for an adult so they can manage the number of poeple who can get on the train. I arrived early and took a visit to the Postal Museum before going to the Mail Rail.
The museum is very interesting and there are all sorts of things to see. One disappointing this is that there are QR codes to scan to get more information however if you do not have a QR code reader on your phone you will miss out on this extra information.
I enjoyed the display on Poco and the opportunity to sort letters. I was not very fast (!)
There is a very good gift shop BUT they do not accept cash which sucks. Sometimes it's nice to have a choice.
Mail Rail was interesting however if you struggle with claustrophobia I would not recommend it as the trains are quite narrow and small but it was very interesting to see this side of London that for so many years was hidden from the public.
Written 1 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sheepygold
london5,503 contributions
I had been wanting to come to this museum for some years and came upon it by accident. We booked tickets online on the day and decided to explore the small museum before using our Mail Rail tickets. We spent a good hour exploring the permanent exhibition before heading to the train. The ride on the train lasted a good 15 minutes. It is fun and interesting but very claustrophobic so be warned and would be a challenge for a tall person - I am 5 foot 10 and found it squashed. There is a very interesting exhibition to explore about Mail Rail once you leave the train itself. We then headed back to the main museum to finish the permanent exhibition and look at the temporary postcard exhibition. We also had a snack in the cafe consisting of a very tasty salad and a super expensive cup of tea - £3 which I thought was a bit steep for a teabag in a disposable cup. All in all we spent a good 3 hours at the museum including lunch. Our ticket gave us one ride on the train but is valid for a year in the museum. I am not sure we will want to return as although the permanent exhibition was interesting it probably won't attract me back and o probably won't make a special visit for the changing exhibition as the allotted space is very small. I enjoyed the visit but felt the entrance fee was relatively expensive compared to other museums in London.
Written 8 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
On_my_travels112
Cambridge, UK90 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We really enjoyed our visit with our young child. The train ride was very interesting and is worth noting that is within a separate building to the museum and cafe. We queued for the ride at the start of our hour slot and there was quite a wait, we did notice that after our ride the queue was much smaller , could be worth waiting a while if queuing is an issue.
The museum was very interesting with lots for our child to interact with. Not that far from Kings cross station and cost around £6-£7 each way for a taxi.
The museum was very interesting with lots for our child to interact with. Not that far from Kings cross station and cost around £6-£7 each way for a taxi.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Addy522015
Wednesbury, UK137 contributions
Nov 2019
Visited as part of an organised day trip with a local coach company as something different to visit . We visited mid week , outside of major holiday times and it was not very busy .We had a pre booked time slot for the mail train ride but as it was quiet went on an earlier timed ride . The ride takes around 15 minutes in total . We are both larger than average sized people and was able to sit in a compartment each as it was quiet . If had not been I fear having us both share a compartment would have been very cramped and uncomfortable as the compartments are very small . The building housing the train ride has interactive exhibits as does the museum building . Please note handbags , etc cannot be taken on the train ride and have to be left in a locker . The museum part is a short walk over the road from the train ride building and we did this after doing the train ride . Found the museum building quite small and cramped with exhibits and at busy times imagine it would be quite challenging to get around and make full use of the exhibits . There is a cafe there for drinks and snacks but we did not use . There were free lightweight folding portable chairs provided to carry around the museum building if you had need of one . We had around 2.5 hours in total at the Postal museum before we had to leave due to being on an organised trip . We found it ample time for ourselves however that may have depended on the fact it was not busy and individual level of interest . There was a small collection of expensive souvenirs that could be purchased at both buildings .
We enjoyed our visit overall especially the train ride however we would not consider returning as we have visited once and we do not have a particularly great interest enough to want to visit again .
We enjoyed our visit overall especially the train ride however we would not consider returning as we have visited once and we do not have a particularly great interest enough to want to visit again .
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lottie
Essex, UK83 contributions
Very much hidden at the moment (next to some building work) and had to use map to find as unlike the larger well known attractions, this is not signposted.
I think it was rather expensive for what you saw however I understand the running costs must be high - the highlight was the mail rail train. I wouldn't recommend if your claustrophobic as the carriages are rather small (originally only had letter and not people in) and your contained in their with pauses to watch the mail rail history at a couple of platforms but remain inside.
I have to say it was surprising how recently the railway ran until - a definate secret of London history!
I think it was rather expensive for what you saw however I understand the running costs must be high - the highlight was the mail rail train. I wouldn't recommend if your claustrophobic as the carriages are rather small (originally only had letter and not people in) and your contained in their with pauses to watch the mail rail history at a couple of platforms but remain inside.
I have to say it was surprising how recently the railway ran until - a definate secret of London history!
Written 28 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrThomas1981
Ipswich, UK956 contributions
Feb 2023
The postal museum is a nice little museum in London made excellent by the addition of MailRail! Its in two parts - the train ride in the still active sorting office building and the museum in the archive building. You book a ticket with an entry time and then go to Mail Rail first.After that you can either pay for additional trips around the MailRail or explore the main museum at your leisure. In terms of MailRail, the ride is relatively short going around a single loop of the Mount pleasant arrival and departure platforms which is padded out by multimedia presentations at each. Its pretty cool but manage your expectations and don't go thinking you're going urban exploring round miles of hidden tunnels under central london - you're not! The teaser is there - the tracks still exist but the ride is only on a carefully curated few hundred metres of it. The queue is well managed and orderly and afterwards you get to look at trains and rail cars in the depot which is nice and the workers stories are on the right side of cheesy/cringe and informative and insightful for all ages rather than being full of distractingly fake old east end accents. There's plenty of interest in the main exhibition too although this side is rather more chaotic if you go in school holidays. Its lovely to see so many kids engaging but if you want a calm education experience with older ones, probably best to check the local term dates first! Staff were friendly and helpful and its a thoroughly nice way to spend a few hours. Plus you can come back anytime and only pay for your next mail rail ride!
Written 20 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BradfordLadBradford
Bradford, UK84 contributions
Jan 2020
I was looking forward to the mail train ride and arrived an hour early for the booked time of 11:00 and was told that I would need to go to the train ride at 11:00 which was in a separate building. I looked round the (pretty uninspiring) general exhibition in which I managed to eke out an hour by walking slowly! Went to the mail train building where there was a sign saying that customers with booked tickets did need not go to reception but go straight to the train which I did. When I got there, I was told that the train was not running today. I was only in London for that day and was unlikely to come back within a year. I enquired about a ticket refund and was told that I would need to contact the box office and 'they should be able to sort me out'. I contacted the box office and was told in no uncertain terms - there are no refunds - read the terms and conditions.
I have raised an official complaint with the Charities Commission.
There are LOTS of great free Museums and Exhibitions in London that have professional and helpful staff so.. suggest you go to those instead and avoid this like the plague.
I have raised an official complaint with the Charities Commission.
There are LOTS of great free Museums and Exhibitions in London that have professional and helpful staff so.. suggest you go to those instead and avoid this like the plague.
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
golouis99
Jerusalem, Israel608 contributions
Feb 2020
Visited here two years ago with four grandchildren who had lots of fun. This time we took two 13 year old grandsons and they were not so impressed with the Museum. It seems to me more suitable for 6 to 11 year olds. The second part of the visit - the ride on the underground mail train was much more fun for our grandsons this time.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wkdpink44
London, UK951 contributions
As a Londoner, there are very few museums/tourist sights that I haven’t visited yet. The Postal Museum/Mail Rail was one of those that had been on my ‘to do’ list since it opened a few years ago.
We pre booked our tickets online and visited on a weekday, which wasn’t too busy. Headed straight to the Mail Rail building where we experienced the 15 minute train ride, which recounts, via voice recorded commentary and video projection, the history of the Mail Rail throughout the years. I found this interesting. There was a small section of interactive displays and several artefacts after the train ride which we looked at for about before making our way over the road to the Postal Museum.
The Museum is relatively small but has a varied selection of items to look at, including some great vehicles. The interactive features are fun and engaging. The staff were friendly and the facilities (toilets) clean and modern.
Overall, it was worth a visit to discover the history.
I’ve deducted a star for the following reason: The entry fee is £16, for an annual ticket (which means you can visit as many times as you like within the year), however, this does not include a ride on the Mail Rail train on your return visits, which is the best bit, you have to pay an extra £6 if you want to do this again. You also have to pay extra for a digital audio guide (to use via your own mobile phone), I feel this should be included with the entry fee.
We pre booked our tickets online and visited on a weekday, which wasn’t too busy. Headed straight to the Mail Rail building where we experienced the 15 minute train ride, which recounts, via voice recorded commentary and video projection, the history of the Mail Rail throughout the years. I found this interesting. There was a small section of interactive displays and several artefacts after the train ride which we looked at for about before making our way over the road to the Postal Museum.
The Museum is relatively small but has a varied selection of items to look at, including some great vehicles. The interactive features are fun and engaging. The staff were friendly and the facilities (toilets) clean and modern.
Overall, it was worth a visit to discover the history.
I’ve deducted a star for the following reason: The entry fee is £16, for an annual ticket (which means you can visit as many times as you like within the year), however, this does not include a ride on the Mail Rail train on your return visits, which is the best bit, you have to pay an extra £6 if you want to do this again. You also have to pay extra for a digital audio guide (to use via your own mobile phone), I feel this should be included with the entry fee.
Written 28 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark H
St. Andrews, UK11 contributions
Oct 2022
Ever since I heard about Mail Rail many years ago, I wanted to see it. I never imagined that one day I'd be able to ride it! Not fussed at all that it is a relatively short ride, this is a unique railway experience and slice of history, fully worth the price of admission alone. There are museum exhibits at Mail Rail and at the main museum across the road, I hadn't planned any time for looking through them but was pleasantly surprised/intrigued and ended up spending over an hour looking through them all.
Written 7 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is it just geared for kids? Interested in post office but it would be myself and hubby going
Written 15 August 2021
It definitely has a Kid look to it, but all the literature and exhibitions will suite any adult to a T.
Look for the Archive Room ''
Written 8 September 2021
when visiting is it best to do the mail train first or the postal museum?
Written 3 July 2019
Train first as previous. They will ask you when you want to ride and thats whats really special. Its so you don't wait hours in line and thats a good time to view rest of exhibits at cafe location.No bags on train. You can leave in tiny locker up top or take down and leave on platform which is watched by attendants. The train is the star. Also there are some interactive displays that may be fun for kids. Bear in mind train is tiny and single seats and short. A large family would easily occupy the whole train.
Written 4 July 2019
Yes, we visited on a Sunday last week.
Written 24 June 2019
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