London Canal Museum — Attraction in London

DO NOT MOOR HERE. We came here on their free anniversary museum day to moor overnight. What should have been a magical time for us ended with me fuming and in tears.

We are long time narrowboat enthusiasts and first time narrowboat drivers and were very excited to see the museum on their 30th anniversary day for our first time, but were greeted by staff that treated us terribly and all had conflicting information regarding mooring times and protocols.

We ended up missing out on seeing the museum entirely despite arriving promptly at 4pm. After mooring up (not an easy task in their space for first time boaters) we were shouted at by the driver of a narrowboat they hired for boat tours on the day to move our boat so he could unload passengers (after being told he would double up with us by four other members of staff).

When we went inside after mooring up for the second time and when we asked staff if we could just buy a postcard they said we couldn't because of the staff soiree they were having that evening. It was after closing time at this point but only by a few minutes.

I want to note that up until this moment, every single staff member we spoke to about mooring from the moment we arrived all had conflicting information and didn't seem to know what was going on.

When we asked for the code for the water and gate (per the booking email) a random member of staff shouted at us (who we hadn't spoken to before) "WHY DO YOU NEED THAT?" We explained for what felt like the 8th time that we paid for mooring and needed the information per the email which said to ask for the codes on the day. He reluctantly told us and we asked for the gate code he then shouted again asking why we would need that information ("to go buy groceries" was our response) and he reluctantly gave us the other code.

As we were walking back to our boat feeling incredibly unwelcome a young member of staff (the first person we spoke to) apologized for the confusion and told us to come back to visit the museum in the morning before we left the mooring spot and that we'd have no issues.

I wish that was the case. The soiree they had lasted until about midnight and the side of our boat seemed to be the smoking section with people talking loudly and smoking all night by our boat.

In the morning when we attempted to visit the museum, we were told we'd have to pay. After explaining to the member of staff (who also spoke to us the day before) that it was the staff's fault that we missed our opportunity to see the museum on the free day and we were told we would have no issues, he just looked at us confused and said "ahh yes but today is today and today the museum isn't free".

All I could say is "well shame we won't get to see the museum after all". I still bought my postcards (begrudgingly, but they are one of the only places I've found to buy postcards with narrowboats on them to send back to family abroad) but left incredibly disappointed.

The only upside was that a friendly cat came up to us to say hello before we left the...

Its such a shame that I am even having to write this review but I feel that something must be said (that I can see alot of other people have also said!) My wife and I had our wedding reception here in July. The venue itself is wonderful and I cant rate it highly enough but the Manager Martin was one of the most condescending and rude persons that I have ever met. All thru the booking process up until the day itself, his cold attitude made us a feel very unwelcome. He belittled my caterers (if those guys were to review it the swearing would be unbearable) and also my friends who acted as staff in the day. My guests complained about his demeanour which was usually some sort of stomping about with a grimace on his face the whole time. I chose to turn off to his bad attitude on the day as I obvs has another focus but seriously the man needs a shake by the shoulders and be told to grow up. Yes the rules etc are comprehensive but I can respect that being a publican myself but it frustrates me that someone who clearly has no customer service skills can be in such an important role. Approach with caution, its supposed to be the best day of your life after all. I can rattle on all day about my disappointment with the man, and I have a wealth of emails and witnesses to back it up but I will let the reviews speak...

I recently visited the London Canal Museum, and I must say it was an outstanding experience! From the moment I walked in, the staff made me feel incredibly welcome. Their warm and friendly demeanour instantly set the tone for an enjoyable visit.

The museum itself is a treasure trove of information about fascinating history of the canal, and the staff's knowledge and passion for the subject truly shone through. They were not only informative but also eager to answer any questions I had, making my visit both educational and engaging.

I was particularly interested in the history of the ice trade, and to my delight, the museum had an abundance of information on this fascinating subject. The highlight was being able to explore the ice cave, even though it's only accessible once a year. It was a unique and thrilling experience to step into the past and witness the history of ice preservation in person.

I can't recommend the London Canal Museum enough! Whether you're a history enthusiast or just looking for an enjoyable and informative outing with the kids, it a great place to visit.

Kudos to the staff for their exceptional hospitality and dedication to preserving this unique aspect of...