The museum was designed to present the story of London’s river, port, industry, trade and commerce, and the associated communities.

The museum is made up of main galleries, temporary exhibitions, external displays, a children’s gallery, auditorium, library and archive, a shop, and a restaurant. The project also involved the restoration and refurbishment of the Grade I museum building – Warehouse No.1.

The museum building was originally built for the storage and handling of coffee, rum, molasses and sugar. The collections include the Port of London Authority Library and Archives, and the Object Collections held by the Museum of London’s Department of Port and River History. The vast collection includes paintings, prints, drawings, films, books and engineering drawings that tell the story of the formation and development of what was the world’s greatest port.