Ice Heritage Weekend 2026 is a two-day event celebrating the museum's second theme of the ice import industry.
This is part of the annual Festival of Archaeology. On Saturday there will be a day of family activities.
On Sunday there will be a once-per-year opportunity to descend into the the Victorian commercial ice wells beneath the building,
and also ice-cream-making demonstrations and rare archive film showing. Boat trips will be available on both days.
Each year we take part in the Festival of Archaeology by running a weekend of ice-trade-heritage related
activities, including the annual one-day opportunity for visitors to descend into the historic ice wells
beneath the building, in carefully-managed groups with a guide. Commercial ice wells on the scale of ours
are mostly inaccessible and ours is unique in preservation with occasional access.
Ice well visits and boat trips have to be booked in advance online to avoid disappointment.
This year Ice Heritage Weekend is 25th and 26th July 2026.
Background colour yellow is for Saturday. Background colour green is for Sunday
Mobile users scroll down for Sunday information
There are boat trips available on both days that must be booked in advance on our boat trips page.
Saturday 25th July
A day of family activities
Step into a world of frozen fun, where history comes alive with a cool twist!
Perfect for families looking for a unique day out in London
Be whisked away by our magical storyteller, bringing to life fascinating tales of the ice trade and the Victorian
ice cream craze – the perfect blend of history and entertainment for all ages!
- Story telling sessions lasting approximately 30 minutes at 1100 1300 and 1500. These may be pre-booked to avoid disappointment. Adults £8 children £7 including museum admission.
- Explore with the Ice Trail: Pick up your Ice Trail questions from the front desk and go on a
frosty adventure through the museum! Can you solve the icy clues and complete the Ice Trail? A sticker prize awaits those who keep their cool!
- Picture This – The Ice Trade Challenge: Grab a set of mysterious old photos from the great ice trade and match them with the right captions.
Think you’ve got it? Take it one step further by putting them in the right order and uncover the incredible journey ice took – all the way from
the icy lakes of Norway to the heart of London and our museum.
- Norwegian Ice Tour of the ground floor. Suitable for adults and older children. Our building stored
ice for almost 50 years. Norwegian ice arrived here by barge along the Regent's Canal and was lowered into the two wells beneath your feet. Join a free guided
tour of the ground floor to follow the story, from frozen lakes in Norway to Carlo Gatti's delivery carts on the streets of Victorian London. Tours run at 1100,
1300, and 1500, and are approximately 45 mins long. No booking needed. Meet on the wharf. Included with admission.
Book story-telling here
If you wish to book both the boat trip and the story-telling on Saturday read this first
Both tickets include museum admission so, to avoid you paying twice for that, you can claim a discount on the boat trip
- FIRST book your story-telling on this page.
- Make a note of the ticket numbers for your boat trip.
- Book the boat trip on the boats trip page,(opens in new window).
- When booking your boat trip look for the box called "promotional discount". That's where you enter your story-telling ticket
numbers. You will receive a discount of £8 adult per ticket, £7 per child ticket.
The museum's usual exhibitions will of course be open.
Sunday 26th July
About the ice well visits
Climbing down into the ice wells involves climbing down and back up a two-stage ladder so it is essential that people who
wish to descend are fully fit to do this and able to use a ladder confidently. We will refuse access to anyone who in our opinion is not
fit enough to confidently go underground or who is not wearing suitable footwear. This is an adult event and the minimum age is 12 years.
Teenagers 12-15 must descend with an adult.
There are some important things to be aware of before booking this:
- Descent is at your own risk
- You must wear shoes that give your feet some propection and cannot fall off, so no sandals or loose-fitting shoes are permitted
- If you have any sort of medical condition that could incapacitate you unexpectedly, you must not go down
- You might get dirty. Do not wear your best clothes
- You will be required to wear a hard "bump" cap (provided) because there is a low ceiling on the way down and you may knock your head
- No bags or luggage can be taken down, but small things like cameras on a strap are acceptable. Both your hands must be free to hold on
to the ladder.Staff will look after your bag.
- If you also book a boat trip on the same day, please leave plenty of time between the two things. Boats can be delayed, and ice well
tours may not keep completely to the schedule although we will do our best. For example if on the 1420 ice well tour you should not be on the 1500 boat!!
- Needless to say, please arrive in good time. You have a whole museum to explore. If you miss your booked tour there is no guarantee that you will be
able to join a later tour.
There will also be
- A walking tour around the historic building at 1100 lasting around an hour. The guide will point out things that you may not notice about the
evidence in the walls and around the building of its former use. Meet on the ground floor or as directed by staff. No booking required. Included
in admission.
- Ice-cream making demonstrations at 1200 and 1500. Booking not required. Duration up to 40 minutes. See "Mrs Agness Marshall"
demonstrating how to make ice creal without a freezer, the way the Victorians did, using our replica ice cream churn.
- A seated gallery talk on the Victorian ice trade at 1400 and 1600 lasting around 45 minutes. Booking not required. Seats subject to space and availability.
- Boat trips that need to be booked in advance. See below.
Book your ice well visit here
If you wish to book both the boat trip and the ice well visit on Sunday read this first
Both tickets include museum admission so, to avoid you paying twice for that, you can claim a discount on the ice well visit
- First book your boat trip. Adult and concession tickets only. Child boat tickets cannot be used to claim a discount on the ice well descent. Book the boat trip on the boats trip page,(opens in new window).
- Make a note of the ticket numbers for your boat trip.
- Return to this page to book your ice well visit
- When booking your ice well visit look for the box called "promotional discount". That's where you enter your boat trip ticket numbers. You will receive a discount of £7.25 per ticket.
If you already have ticket numbers for the boat trip, or you are not making a boat trip booking, book here
Price is £12.50 for adults or £11 concessions. Concession tickets are available for those aged 12+ who are students, anyone aged 65 and over, and unwaged persons. Proof of entitlement may be requested on arrival. There is no child ticket - this is an adult heritage experience
