London Fire Brigade Museum

Built in 1820, Winchester House on Southwark Bridge Road was home and workplace to London's chief fire officers between 1878 and 1937.

This building now houses one of the most comprehensive collections of firefighting equipment and memorabilia in the country.

Exhibits range from early leather helmets to recently replaced breathing apparatus, illustrating the history of firefighting in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666 through to modern times.

Part of the collection is housed in the appliance room - once part of the original Southwark Fire Station dating back to 1870.

Guided tours are available Monday to Friday and special one-off activites planned throughout the year. Make sure you don't miss out by checking our calendar of events page.

School Visits

We cater for classes studying the early years curriculum through to sixth form students, and visits are tailored to the individual needs of each class.

• Morning and afternoon sessions are available, Monday to Friday
• The charge per class is £50 (excluding VAT) for curator-led sessions and £75 (excluding VAT) per class for storytelling sessions. Please note, the cost is non-refundable if cancelled within a month of your visit

We recommend booking visits a term in advance to avoid disappointment, especially for our most popular sessions:

• Great Fire of London workshop
• Fire! Fire! Storytelling
• World War Two workshop

Children are provided with their own explorer pack, which includes a guide and activities relevant to each section of the museum. This is followed by the opportunity for the children to try on uniforms ranging from those worn by the insurance brigades after the Great Fire of London, to the uniform worn by our firefighters today.

The museum has an indoor lunchroom on-site that can accommodate a maximum of 35 students; there is also a public park opposite the museum that is suitable for picnics, weather permitting. Please note that the lunchroom facility is unavailable for classes visiting the museum for a storytelling session.

The museum will be taking bookings for the academic year 2015/16 from 1 September 2015.

Contact the museum to discuss your school's requirements or download a Teachers' Pack for more information.

Victorian firefighters loan box

The loan box focuses on the experiences of two Victorian firefighters. Through primary documentation, the loan box allows primary school students to learn how the past can be represented and interpreted in different ways.

The sources range from newspaper extracts, service records, various images and a replica of a Victorian firefighter's uniform.

The themes that are discussed are uniform, developing technology of fire engines and station life, and illustrating the lifestyle of firefighters and their families during the Victorian era.

The loan box is lent for a two week period at a cost of £15. Please contact the museum for further information.