Brunel Museum, London

Brunel Museum is a museum in Rotherhithe, in the London Borough of Southwark. Formerly known as the Brunel Engine House, the museum is part of the Thames Tunnel built by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Burnel Museum is housed in Brunel's engine house, which was used to extract water from the tunnel. Brunel's Thames Tunnel was built between 1825 and 1843 by Brunel and Admiral Thomas Cochrane. It was the first tunnel ever built under a navigable river. The tunnel measures 1,300 feet (396 m) in length. It is 35 feet (11 m) wide, 20 feet (6 m) high, and runs 75 feet (23 m) below the surface of the River Thames. The construction was not without mishaps, and one in 1828 claimed the lives of six men, with 22-year-old Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself narrowly escaped drowning.

The Thames Tunnel was intended for horse-drawn carriages to cross the river, but this was never realised. Although an engineering marvel, it ran at a loss, having overblown its initial cost estimates. In 1865, it was bought over by the East London Railway Company, which was later absorbed into the London Underground, and became the East London Line. During its use, it was the oldest piece of infrastructure of the London Underground. In 2007 it became part of the London Overground.

Thames Tunnel, as seen during the Thames Tunnel Walk in 2010
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thames_Tunnel_walk.jpg
Author: Lars Ploughmann


The Brunel Museum opened in 1961 to provide information about the tunnel. On display are models of other Brunel projects such as the famous Brunel bridges.

How to reach Brunel Museum

The nearest station to Brunel Museum is the Rotherhithe Station served by the London Overground. The nearest London Underground station is the Canada Water Tube Station served by the Jubilee Line.

Brunel Museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission fee is £2 for visitors aged 16 and above. Walking tours are conducted every Thuesday between the Bermondsey Tube Station to Brunel Museum on Tuesdays at 6:15 pm.

List of Museums in London