Much of the museum's collection is from the museum and archives of the
Port of London Authority, which became part of the port and river collections of the
Museum of London in the 1970s. These were put into storage by the Museum of London in 1985. The museum includes videos presented by
Tony Robinson, and it houses a large collection of historical artefacts, models, and pictures in 12 galleries and a children's gallery (Mudlarks), arranged over two floors. Visitors are directed through the displays in chronological order. The museum has acquired several historic vessels for preservation over its existence. Among these were the
tugboats
Knocker White and
Varlet, both acquired in 1986. By the 2010s the museum had decided to rationalise its collection of vessels; one was transferred to a local group, and another, the
Wey barge Perseverance IV, to the
National Trust. The last two vessels,
Knocker White and
Varlet, were transferred to
Trinity Buoy Wharf in November 2016. In 2007, the museum marked the bicentenary of the
Slave Trade Act 1807, which abolished British involvement in the
Atlantic slave trade by opening a £14 million exhibition funded by the
National Lottery Heritage Fund entitled
London, Sugar, Slavery. In March 2016, the museum opened an exhibit relating to the building itself. The building was originally called No. 1 Warehouse, and was built in 1802 during the expansion of
West India Docks. In September of that year, the museum displayed
Dick Moore's
George Cross medal for bravery during the
London Blitz. In 2017, the museum opened an exhibit displaying archaeological findings discovered during work on
Crossrail. In September 2020, the museum put on display the
Havering hoard in an exhibition that ran until 18 April 2021. ==Transport connections==