The London Model, Building Centre
all of london, shrunk to a room
A vast interactive scale model of central London, free to walk around, hidden inside an architecture centre in Bloomsbury.
Free to visit · Bloomsbury · Goodge Street · WC1E 7BT
Opening: Mon–Sat · check the centre's hours
Tucked inside the Building Centre on Store Street is a free wonder for anyone who loves cities, an enormous, intricately detailed scale model of central London laid out across the floor. Spanning the streets and landmarks from the West End to the City, it lets you stand god-like over the capital and pick out every tower, park and river bend.
Run as part of the centre's free exhibitions on architecture and the future of the city, the model is often lit and animated to show new developments. It is free to walk around, a brilliant rainy-day stop and a genuinely fresh way to get your bearings on how London fits together.
Getting there: At the Building Centre on Store Street in Bloomsbury, a couple of minutes from Goodge Street.
Best time to go: A weekday when the architecture exhibitions are open and it is quiet.
Insider tip: It sits among the free architecture exhibitions, so allow time to look at those too. Find your favourite landmarks in miniature, it is a great way to plan a walk and see how close together the big sights really are.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide