Welcome to CultureLine

CultureLine is a group of 11 museums and galleries which can be found along the length of the London Overground East London extension, which opened on Sunday 23 May 2010. The new line runs from Highbury and Islington in North London to West Croydon in the South-East.

Amongst the myriad treasures waiting to be discovered at CultureLine museums are George Washington’s false teeth, a marine iguana from Darwin’s expedition to the Galapagos Islands, the purse of the suffragette who threw herself under King George V’s horse and the oldest tunnel in the London metro system.

CultureLine attractions, which are all within walking distance of stations along the line, range from the family-friendly exhibitions and gardens of the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill and the elegant English domestic interiors at the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch, to a celebration of local people at the Museum of Croydon and an international programme of contemporary and 20th century art at the Whitechapel Gallery. Housed in beautiful historic buildings, many with impressive gardens, these museums offer an exciting alternative to central London hotspots and a chance to discover a different side of the capital.

CultureLine is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council through the Renaissance programme.

David Dewing, Director of the Geffrye Museum, comments: “The new Overground line is here at last! After years in the planning and talking phases it was wonderful to watch it being built, and now it’s open and operating smoothly it seems like a miracle!  Hoxton station is right outside the Geffrye Museum and we are already noticing visitors using the new service.  We anticipate a significant increase in numbers coming to the museum as a result of the new line and we have no doubt it will have a massive impact on the economy of this part of east London.”

Janet Vitmayer, Chief Executive of the Horniman Museum, adds: “We’re delighted that the CultureLine has linked us to so many of our fellow cultural venues such as the Geffrye Museum and the Whitechapel Gallery.  The CultureLine has created a corridor of exciting destinations that will be a real draw for visitors and which offers huge scope for many diverse itineraries that will appeal to a wide range of people.  It will now be very easy to spend the morning at the Whitechapel followed by an afternoon at the Horniman.   The line has opened up 11 fantastic venues to new communities and we look forward to welcoming many new visitors as Londoners and tourists take the opportunity to hop on and off the CultureLine.”