Ice weekend 20th and 21st July 2024. For some years we have offered a one-day opportunity to visit the underground ice wells during the Festival of Archaeology each July. This year we also have activities on the Saturday (no ice well visits). There will be a showing of rare film of ice harvesting, ice cream making demonstrations, and talks about the ice trade.
Short boat trips to/from St. Pancras, lasting 20-25 minutes. Book in advance on our boat trips page.
On both days take an ice trail around the museum, a quiz helping you discover more about the way Victorian London was supplied with ice. Collect a trail sheet at reception and get exploring
Our building has many interesting features that may not be noticed at a glance. In the brickwork you can identify signs of the changes that have taken place over the years, and see clues about the past uses of the building. Your guide Malcolm has studied the building for many years and is an expert on its features. 1200 on Saturday and on Sunday. Duration: 1 hour.
You can see an original in a display case but we use a replica of Mrs Agnes Bertha Marshall's patented ice-cream maker for our demonstrations of how the Victorians made ice cream. A mixture of ice and salt falls below zero degrees celcius, and this freezing mixture surrounds a container in which the cream mixture is stirred to keep it smooth and evenly frozen. Operating the rotating handle for several minutes can be a tiring job. The Victorians made ice-cream in flavours that are rare today and ice-cream had to be eaten quickly because storage was almost impossible before freezers were invented. Samples may sometimes be tasted. Lasts up to an hour. Seats provided.
On Saturday short boat trips will be available every half-hour. These don't go through a lock or tunnel and there is no guide or refreshments on board. On Sunday our usual Sunday programme of guided tunnel trips will operate with a guide on board and tea/coffee included on board. Boat trip seats are expected to sell out therefore please book in advance.
Tickets are limited and should be booked in advance
Prices are £11.50 for adults and £10 for concessions. Museum entry is included. Concessions are Seniors (aged 65 and over), Students (with ID), children 14-16, and unwaged (with evidence). This is not suitable for young children.Please book in advance.
There are tunnel boat trips available on 21st July. If you have ALREADY booked a tunnel boat trip you can use your ticket number as a discount code to get £6 off (£5 concessions) an ice well visit when you book your ice well visit. Note you MUST book the boat trip first. Points to remember are:
There are important restrictions regarding visits down into the ice well
These are: