Photo: londondrum.comUseful things to know before your visit
Address: London Dungeon, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, Waterloo SE1 7PB. Telephone: 0871 423 2240. Website: thedungeons.com
How much do the tickets cost?
You can book adult tickets online in advance from £30, and children (5-15 years) from £25. If you pay on the day then it’s more expensive: adults are from £35, and children are from £29.
What are the opening hours?
Opening times are 10am to 5pm (Mon-Fri, Jul and 2nd half Dec); 10am to 6pm (Sat, Jul and Oct); 10am to 4pm (Sun, Jul, Sep and 1st half Oct); 10am to 6pm (Mon-Sun, Aug); 11am to 4pm (Mon-Fri, Sep to 1st half Dec); 10am to 5pm (Sat, Sep, Nov and 1st half Dec); 10am to 5pm (Sun, 2nd half Oct and 2nd half Dec); 11am to 4pm (Sun, Nov and 1st half Dec). Last entry is 1½ hours before closing time.
How much time do you need?
A typical visit to the London Dungeon takes 15 to 45 minutes for the queue, and 1½ hours once inside.
Which buses go to the London Dungeon?
Bus routes 3, 11, 12, 76, 77, 148, 159, 381, 453 and C10 all stop close by.
Which is the closest train station?
The nearest station is Waterloo, which connects with the Bakerloo Jubilee Northern and Waterloo & City lines. It also serves National Rail trains. You can walk the ¼ mile to the London Dungeon in about 5 minutes.
Which other attractions are nearby?
These attractions are all within 15 minutes walk of the London Dungeon: London Eye, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Big Ben, Hayward Gallery, Banqueting House, Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Household Cavalry Museum, Cleopatra’s Needle, Horse Guards, Benjamin Franklin House, Jewel Tower, Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey.
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Email My review of the London Dungeon
I hate the London Dungeon. I actually hate it… in the same way that cats hate dogs. I know that’s a very strong word to use about something that’s supposed to be fun, but there you go – that’s the truth. The scariest thing about the London Dungeons, for me, is the thought of having to visit it. I went there a couple of years ago and the best bit was walking out of the exit, so when they announced that they were going to move it from Tooley Street and rebuild it at the County Hall, I knew that meant I was going to have to visit it again… aaargh! My worst nightmare!
While you’re queuing up at the start you can hear a soundtrack of moans and groans and blood curdling screams coming from deep inside the building. They are not actors doing that – that is the actual sound of tourists as they discover how much it costs to take a family inside. That is probably the scariest thing about the whole place for an adult: the price. You can see them walking around with pained expressions on their faces, as if they have just undergone some horrific form of torture. The first bit of terror for them is stumping up ninety-five quid for a family of four.
When I was taken to the Dungeons as a child (many moons ago) I remember it being more like a museum, where you could walk around at your own pace looking at all of the gruesome exhibits, but it’s not like that anymore. It’s more like a guided tour now, in which you get led from scene to scene in a big group of about twenty people. It begins in a dark warren of smelly cells where the prisoners clank and bang their chains behind the closed doors, then it’s all fiery red lanterns and dirty cobbled streets and actors in gruesome suits and costumes. A lot of it depends on how good the actors are, and to be fair to them they were pretty entertaining today. A couple of them really got into their characters and had the whole room smiling and laughing at their gags.
I should probably just warn you that it is extremely dark inside (even darker than dark) and some of the noises are incredibly loud. You will have invisible bangs and cracks and screams and squeals going off two feet from your face and there is no let up to the darkness for ninety-minutes – no bright scenes at all – it’s pretty relentless. They’ve even pumped in some foul smelling odours to assault your nostrils.
I was very thankful today that my group had a lot of children in it because they always seem to get picked on as the victims. Practically every scene involves the actor singling out a stranger to get shouted at, stabbed at, strung up, locked in a cage… you get the idea.
It is a very interactive show and the odds of you having to say something along the way are quite high. And because we were a British group we all just stood there hugging the walls hoping not to get picked, because it’s embarrassing having to scream whilst they’re pretending to spoon out your brains. I’m not exactly the life and soul of a party so this wasn’t much fun for me (that’s why I hate the place). But of course everybody is different, and I’m sure that lots of people will absolutely love being the centre of attention.
Let’s see if I can remember all of the scenes…
Henry VIII & Guy Fawkes
It starts off with a scary lift ride down to the docks, which shakes about a bit whilst it lurches left and right. Then you have a nice little boat ride through Traitor’s Gate where you meet Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. This bit will blow your eardrums out and spray you with water, but it’s quite a fun start if you don’t mind being deaf and drenched. Then you meet one of Guy Fawkes’ co-conspirators hiding in the tunnels under Parliament. I thought that this guy deserved an Oscar for his acting because he was brilliant.
Jack The Ripper & Sweeney Todd
Somebody will get picked on at this point, and ordered to carry a warning letter into the next scene where you’ll meet Guy Fawkes himself (well… just his head). Then you have to brave the plague, watch somebody getting sliced up by a doctor, and walk through the foggy streets of Whitechapel where Jack the Ripper pounced on his victims. Then it’s into Mrs Noggin’s pie shop and Sweeney Todd’s barber shop.
The Kangaroo Court
After that comes my least favourite scene of all: the Kangaroo Court. You’re either going to like this one or loathe it, because what they do is stick a few people in the dock and laugh at them. Every time I’ve seen it (which is a couple of times now) I’ve ended up feeling very sorry for the poor tourists who can’t speak decent English, can’t understand why they’re being laughed at, and clearly had no wish to be singled out.
After that you get led into Newgate Prison and the final ride, where you get strapped into a seat and drop ten metres to your death – and the exit… hooray!
On their website they recommend that your kids are over the age of eight, and I think that’s probably about right. Some of the scenes are definitely scary enough to make a little kid cry.
I’ve ranked the London Dungeon as ★6 in the best things to do with kids in London
It also appears in my one-day London itinerary for families and spending two days in London with the family itinerary
London Squire guidebook – Check out my guidebook available to buy at Amazon, Apple and Kobo. I’ve personally visited 210 London landmarks, attractions and hotels and collected all of my reviews, example itineraries, handy practical info, and advice about using the buses and trains into an eBook, along with 675 original photos
What do you think? (6)
Ask a question, or share your experience of the London Dungeon
DavidM Hated it, and couldn’t wait for it to end. If it wasn’t for our kids who were begging to go, we would never have gone. It turned out to be too scary for my daughter, who I had to hold after the first few scenes, and not scary enough for my son, who was just laughing. If you’re an adult then you won’t be scared at all, or even amused, as the acting is atrocious. I don’t know how they have the cheek to charge what they do. We could have booked a room in a 5-star hotel for the price we paid, it’s a rip-off! (reply)
Carol Slater Had great time here yesterday, came to London just for this from the staff to the shows, everything was brilliant, myself and granddaughter enjoyed it very much. Would say not suitable for younger children though. (reply)
Clare I have two children, a 12 year old boy (going on 18) and a 10 year old girl who says she wants to go, but i’m a bit worried it will be too much for her. You’ve seen it yourself, so what do you think – is it too scary for her? (reply)
Craig Hi Clare. According to the London Dungeon’s own advice there’s nothing stopping her going because they allow 10 year olds in, but they also recommend a minimum age of 12 – london-support.thedungeons.com/hc/en-us/articles/212537449-What-is-the-minimum-age-The-London-Dungeon-is-recommended-for – I would say that whilst the overall vibe of the place is ‘fun’, there are some parts that might scare a 10 year old. It is extremely dark inside (pitch black, so you cant see anything at all) and there are some very loud noises that are designed to make you jump. The scariest ride is the sudden drop at the end, but she’ll be allowed to bypass that if you go with her. (reply)
Alex Is it worth the money? (2 adults 1 child). (reply)
Craig Hi Alex. That’s always a difficult one to answer because we all like different things. Personally I would say no because I didn’t enjoy the worry of having to do some performing and public speaking, but you might love that side of it. But it’s going to cost you at least 70 quid for something that only lasts 90 minutes (even more if you buy them at the door) – so it’s quite pricey. (reply)
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