Online booking for our events is recommended

The big dig

London Museum Docklands — Activity

Part of a series
  • Two children in orange high vis jackets sit at a green sand pit and draw on clipboards

    Uncover objects from thousands of years ago.

  • Three children sit at a green sand pit, with one child using a small shovel with sand on, and the other two inspecting objects in their hands

    Get digging in your own trench.

  • Two children in orange high vis jackets sit on the floor, one examining an artefact and the other with a shovel

    Work with our team of archaeologists to discover more about the objects you find.

Various times

20 Jul – 31 Aug 2025

from £4.50

Book now

Join us this summer to get digging and experience what it’s like to be a real archaeologist.

Londinium. Lundenwic. Lundenburg. These are just some of the names given to London over the past two thousand years. But are these words all that’s left of London from centuries past? Or do these ancient cities still exist beneath our feet?

Join our team of ace archaeologists and help us uncover some of London’s oldest archaeology. Dig down through the centuries in your own trench and unearth real objects made and used centuries ago. Work together to discover what they are as well as what the site had once been.

What will you reveal? A Tudor townhouse? Roman ruins? Or even artefacts from a time before London ever existed at all?

Book your tickets online in advance for the lowest price

For:
Families
How to attend:
In-person only
Good to know:
Recommended age of 5+
Duration:
60 mins
Concessions:

Some concessions are available – read our policy

Booking guidance:
Advanced booking recommended
Part of a series:
Summer holidays

Need to know

In this hour-long session, families will:

  • learn what archaeology is and what archaeologists do
  • excavate specially-built trenches based on a real archaeological site in London
  • uncover and handle genuine artefacts from London’s past
  • discuss finds to learn what they were and how they were used

All equipment is provided – including your hard hat, high-vis vest, trowel, activity sheets and brushes.

Complete the dig and earn a special sticker to mark your archaeological adventure!

This activity takes place at London Museum Docklands. Visitors will be digging in reconstructed trenches based on a real archaeological site in Gresham Street.

The museum is open every day 10am – 5pm.

If you have time, why not also visit our free galleries and get more in-depth with Docklands history?

Our building is accessible and we have lifts on every floor. If you need any help, please ask our friendly Hosts at the Information Desk when you arrive.

You'll find everything you need to know on our access page.

Our family-friendly cafe is the perfect place to sit down and relax for a bite or tea break. We have lunch boxes for kids, sandwiches, pastries, snacks and a wide selection of hot and cold drinks.

You’ll also find our shop with a curated range of gifts and souvenirs, including posters, prints, toys, books and jewellery.

More about shopping, eating & drinking

Prams and buggies are welcome in the museum. However, due to our Secrets of the Thames exhibition, buggy parking is limited on the Ground Floor.

Tags

Activity London Museum Docklands Families

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