LT Museum, Covent Garden

[Buzby]

I thought I might drop in as I’ve not been for some 20 years - however, the only tickets I can find are annual passes, am I looking in the wrong place? I really don’t need (or want) 12 months of access as at this rate I won’t be back until 2044 or so….

 

[dgl]

As I understand an annual pass is all they sell, the day ticket is one that allows you to come back for a whole year, the Tank Museum down here is the same.

 

[Roger1973]

As I understand an annual pass is all they sell, the day ticket is one that allows you to come back for a whole year, the Tank Museum down here is the same.

Yes, that's my understanding. It must be a few years since I went there, but I think they ask for a signature, as the ticket isn't transferrable.

 

[gazthomas]

The museum participates in the "Days Out Guide" 2 for 1 entry if you hold valid rail tickets and are planning to visit with someone else of course

London Transport Museum Tickets 2FOR1 Offers | National Rail

London Transport Museum 2FOR1 tickets when you travel by train to London. Enjoy London Transport Museum in the heart of Covent Garden. Its galleries and lively exhibitions explore over 200 years of history and reveal compelling stories about the influence transport has had on London's society...

www.daysoutguide.co.uk

 

[Buzby]

I did come by train…. But as I’m on my own a 2 for 1 isn’t approptiate, and as it’ll be an 800 mile trip to come back again (assuming I wanted to) this lack of a day visit does smack of desperation on their part. I’ll just go somewhere else instead. Tks all!

 

[Belperpete]

I did come by train…. But as I’m on my own a 2 for 1 isn’t approptiate, and as it’ll be an 800 mile trip to come back again (assuming I wanted to) this lack of a day visit does smack of desperation on their part. I’ll just go somewhere else instead. Tks all!

The annual pass is only £24, hardly extortionate even if you are only making one visit. By comparison, Mailrail charge £16, Tower Bridge £12, and you are certainly going to spend far longer in the LT museum than you would in those two.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

The annual pass is likely to be pitched at pretty much the going rate for a single visit, in line with admission prices for comparable visitor attractions likely to appeal to a typical tourist or family (see Belperpete's comment), as opposed to us enthusiasts. Allowing repeat visits for a year will probably lose them relatively little revenue given that most visitors won't come back within that time (and those that do may well the spend money in the cafe or gift shop), while allowing them to comply with the somewhat arcane Gift Aid rules that let them claim back tax from those eligible who sign up for it.

 

[bluegoblin7]

There is a one-off ticket available ‘on the door’ that excludes a Gift Aid donation.

The reality however is that you are getting a one day ticket that just happens to be honoured on every other day for a year if you fill out the Gift Aid ticket. This is pretty standard practice at most charitable organisations nowadays.

 

[Davester50]

Many museums are annual pass rather than one time. This is nothing new, nor is it restricted to the big museums, and not London only.
I'm surprised at the surprise.

 

[Mountain Man]

I did come by train…. But as I’m on my own a 2 for 1 isn’t approptiate, and as it’ll be an 800 mile trip to come back again (assuming I wanted to) this lack of a day visit does smack of desperation on their part. I’ll just go somewhere else instead. Tks all!

It's been like that for years and I don't see anything desperate in it.

Its comparable in price in a lot of major London tourist attractions for a single visit.

The annual part is simply a bonus as far I judge it.

 

[Titfield]

It's been like that for years and I don't see anything desperate in it.

Its comparable in price in a lot of major London tourist attractions for a single visit.

The annual part is simply a bonus as far I judge it.

Yes the logic is that you are unlikely to come back within the year if you have to pay the admission fee, but if you can come back for free there is a good chance you will and then spend money in the shop and / or refreshment facility.

 

[Mountain Man]

Yes the logic is that you are unlikely to come back within the year if you have to pay the admission fee, but if you can come back for free there is a good chance you will and then spend money in the shop and / or refreshment facility.

Yep.

I'd understand it if it was clearly priced higher than a normal London tourist attraction, but it's not. It's similar to a lot of similar tourist places.

 

[Buzby]

But what is a ‘normal’ tourist attraction? Instead of the museum I first went to the Wellcome Foundation who had two interesting exhibitions, and The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate as the sun was shining and the views of the 50th floor quite breathtaking. I’d previously gone to the Postal Museum which was £14.50 (and incidentally, annual) but the first 2 were free.

Of course there was a queue like an execution at Toussauds, but then I stopped looking at their pricing when I couldn’t get a joint ticket for the Planetarium! So it’s what you feel it’a worth - Glasgow’s Transport Museum is free to all visitors But certainly worth a contribution - Covent Garden to my mind isn’t - especially as the NRM also don’t charge. Their loss, I’m afraid.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Of course there was a queue like an execution at Tussaud's, but then I stopped looking at their pricing when I couldn’t get a joint ticket for the Planetarium!

The planetarium hasn't been there for almost 20 years; they closed it to fit in more waxworks.

There is a planetarium at Greenwich since then, but it's run by a completely different organisation - hence no joint tickets.

 

[AlbertBeale]

I understood that annual tickets (priced close to the previous day tickets) were to make the value seem better for "locals" - ie Brits - who might be around again in the next 12 months; that doesn't normally apply to overseas visitors. So it's a way of giving locals a better deal.

 

[davews]

I did have one of the annual pass things a few years ago and did use it for a second trip. But having seen it the first time I found very little new to see on my second one. It is not really the sort of place where you need to go very often. Unlike places like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle which have different displays on at various times. Worth saying that all these places are far more expensive to visit than they were not that many years ago, you really do have to ask 'can I really afford this'.

 

[Buzby]

Worth saying that all these places are far more expensive to visit than they were not that many years ago, you really do have to ask 'can I really afford this'.

Agreed. I read somewhere that these ‘annual’ tickets are nominally costed at 2.2 of a standard admission, so that gives rise to the ‘better value’ debate. I’d happily pay LT £15 for access, but £26+ is pushing it. Even the swald Museum is trying it both ways - an annual ticket, BUT if you want to ride on the Mail Rail again, it’s an additional £4 per trip. Having done both, I’m not inclined to return as I have an excellent memory and need to return!

make the value seem better for "locals" - ie Brits

As a ‘Brit’ I’m excluded from the admission discount offered to some London-based Brits, adding in the cost of travel and overnight stays makes this work as a one-off, but not for multiple trips. Genuine locals benefit, nobody else!

 

[Davester50]

As a ‘Brit’ I’m excluded from the admission discount offered to some London-based Brits, adding in the cost of travel and overnight stays makes this work as a one-off, but not for multiple trips. Genuine locals benefit, nobody else!

No, you are self-excluding. The offer is still there, you just don't want to spend the cash.
I suppose you should complain to Glasgow Science Centre for hitting you with a hefty £42 ticket for the year, compared with a £14 single entry.

 

[Buzby]

I suppose you should complain to Glasgow Science Centre for hitting you with a hefty £42 ticket for the year, compared with a £14 single entry.

A rather perverse argument. I don’t want to waste cash, certainly. A visit to the GSC and investment of £14 will quickly acquaint the visitor that this is an expensive children’s play park and there’s no need to come back (or indeed pay additionally for the LieMax, Digital Planetarium, or the Glasgow Tower if they ever got it working again). Fat better to save your money and visit Kelvingrove or Riverside where they welcome contributions and don’t insist on a high entry price. Heck, even the London Science Museum and V&A are free entry For all, not just locals.

 

[Mountain Man]

But what is a ‘normal’ tourist attraction? Instead of the museum I first went to the Wellcome Foundation who had two interesting exhibitions, and The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate as the sun was shining and the views of the 50th floor quite breathtaking. I’d previously gone to the Postal Museum which was £14.50 (and incidentally, annual) but the first 2 were free.

Of course there was a queue like an execution at Toussauds, but then I stopped looking at their pricing when I couldn’t get a joint ticket for the Planetarium! So it’s what you feel it’a worth - Glasgow’s Transport Museum is free to all visitors But certainly worth a contribution - Covent Garden to my mind isn’t - especially as the NRM also don’t charge. Their loss, I’m afraid.

Any tourist attraction of similar time consuming length and visitor level.

It's the same price as a League 2 football game.

This really seems like a case of cutting your nose to spite your face

As a ‘Brit’ I’m excluded from the admission discount offered to some London-based Brits, adding in the cost of travel and overnight stays makes this work as a one-off, but not for multiple trips. Genuine locals benefit, nobody else!

Incorrect. I live over 200 miles away and used the benefit. I'm not local.

You are excluding yourself. And unless you got accommodation and travel free. The cost of the London transport museum would have been a small percentage of the cost.

It's your loss at the end of the day

 

[Belperpete]

Heck, even the London Science Museum and V&A are free entry For all, not just locals.

That is because they are state funded. It is a bit unfair to compare their free entry with other museums that don't receive the same support.

I have to agree with Mountain Main that it does seem to be cutting off your nose to refuse to visit the LT museum because they only appeared to be offering an annual ticket.

 

[Davester50]

A rather perverse argument.

Far from it. I compared a similar museum in your own city which charges far far more for an annual ticket than the LTM does.
Along the road from me, the RRS Discovery only offers an annual ticket at £17 - and if you really wanted to save cash, in January, you could have entry with a lottery ticket, so a couple of quid max.

Your "cutting off your nose" because they sell an annual ticket is frankly bizarre.
Then to claim that you're exuded when that's a personal choice is the one that's a bit odd.

That is because they are state funded. It is a bit unfair to compare their free entry with other museums that don't receive the same support.

Precisely. There's an optional fee in some of these places for additional exhibits too.
One of the best moves the then Labour government made, opening up a huge range of museums to everyone regardless of income.

 

[Buzby]

If you wish to be brainwashed that 365 days access is ‘better value’ than paying for 1, you have to ask why has this developed into an increase in cost and removal of choice? If the ‘deal’ was that good why not offer annual access in addition to a daily rate as an option rather than remove the choice?

As for the comment that TFL isn’t ’state funded is simply breathtaking in its naivety. It always has been and I imagine always will as it most certainly doesn’t pay its way without such support. I’ll vote with my wallet and I have no doubt many others are doing the same.

 

[Mountain Man]

If you wish to be brainwashed that 365 days access is ‘better value’ than paying for 1, you have to ask why has this developed into an increase in cost and removal of choice? If the ‘deal’ was that good why not offer annual access in addition to a daily rate as an option rather than remove the choice?

As for the comment that TFL isn’t ’state funded is simply breathtaking in its naivety. It always has been and I imagine always will as it most certainly doesn’t pay its way without such support. I’ll vote with my wallet and I have no doubt many others are doing the same.

There has been no removal of choice. You can visit once, you can visit many times.

The price as been pointed out is similar to single visits at comparable tourist attractions.

If the same price was for a single visit, and not an annual ticket would you have gone?

At the end of day, the only person who has lost out is you. Maybe next time be a little less stubborn and you'll get to experience a great museum

 

[DDB]

TFL are not state funded to run a museum they are state funded to run a transport service.

The national railway museum is part of the science museum and state funded as a national museum. The transport museum isn't.

I doubt you will find many other people voting with their wallet over this. Have you noticed noone in this thread agrees with you. Does that tell you anything?

 

[Mountain Man]

If you showed people the entry fee, and said it was for a major London tourist attraction. Then asked whether they thought it was the price for 1 visit or an annual ticket. The vast vast majority would say 1 visit.

Your argument would have an ounze of credibility if it was priced as to look like an annual price. It doesn't.

This simply looks like someone regretting their decision not to go, and seeking reassurance which unfortunately hasn't been forthcoming, hence the reaction to people's replies

 

[Buzby]

Does that tell you anything?

Indeed it does: (1) Not many are interested in Railtours and Preservation as a topic to peruse (2) This is a Transport Forum and the likelihood that many would pay any amount to see something without appreciating that they’ve been conned into paying for 12 months access whether they want to or not! If the deal is so good, why remove the single entry option?

This simply looks like someone regretting their decision not to go, and seeking reassurance

Far from it - I went 10-15 years ago so that box is ticked. Since I’m fortunate in not needing to visit London for any reason, buying into anything that offers 12 months of access when I have no need for it is simply wasteful. You’d be better with an FOI enquiring how many of these ‘annual’ tickets are used more than once. If it’s less than 50% (and I bet it is) the bulk of visitors are being manipulated to buy an option they don’t need. As a way of concealing a price increase, it’s a good one. Why not visit Glasgow Riverside museum - you’ll save a fortune.

 

[Davester50]

At the end of day, the only person who has lost out is you.

Exactly.
Moaning about London museum prices when London has some of the greatest free museums in the world is a bit weird.
Some folk don't just have a chip on their shoulder, they carry a whole supper and a bottle of ginger.

 

[357]

I went 10-15 years ago

If it was after 20 October 2010 then the ticket you got last time was also valid for a year.

It was combined with a planned price increase from £10 to £13.50 that was going to happen anyway.

 

[Mountain Man]

You’d be better with an FOI enquiring how many of these ‘annual’ tickets are used more than once........Why not visit Glasgow Riverside museum - you’ll save a fortune.

Why would I put a FOI in? You're the one interested in it. I think it's a good value museum and the price well justified a single visit. Nevermind multiple. You should go, you might enjoy it ....

I went to the Glasgow Riverside museum. It was very disappointing. The London transport museum was much better.