(AD/ Gifted tickets for review) If you are looking for somewhere to go this year with a history lover then check out TIMEWALK in East London. I visited it recently with my 10 year olds and she really enjoyed it.

TIMEWALK is part of the Immerse LDN complex on the Excel London Waterfront, a short walk from Excel exhibition centre. In the same area you also currently have Euphoria at the Balloon Museum, House of Dreamers and Wundrful World of Christmas.

A review of TIMEWALK at Immerse LDN, East London

What is TIMEWALK Immersive Experience Museum?

TIMEWALK is currently booking to the end of December 2026 and is described as an “Immersive Experience Museum” taking you on a journey through 12,000 Years of history, but what does that actually mean?

So it’s a museum, but not one where you walk around in silence from one exhibition to the next. Instead there is very little to read and information is delivered through audio headsets and video projections. This is great for people who aren’t big fans of reading and it also means information can be delivered in a wide range of languages. In the main part of the museum the audio is accompanied by music and projections covering all the walls (and floors) of the rooms taking you right back to the time periods they are talking about. 

The focus of the museum is the civilisations of Göbeklitepe, Babylon, Egypt, Maya and Rapa Nui, but the first room has short recordings about a number of other civilisations as well as timelines and maps on the walls to help you understand where and when they lived.

What To Expect

Going In

If you prebook online you arrive at your chosen timeslot or just before, show your tickets electronically at at the door and you are in (walk in tickets may also be available). 

There are free lockers which I put my coat in, but it was a little chilly in there on the day we visited, so it’s up to you if you want to use the lockers or not. 

Next you are invited to have a photograph against a green screen. At the end of the experience you can scan your card and see your photo and choose one of several themed backdrops. Our photo was really nice, but the package options didn’t appeal to me so we didn’t buy one.

You then walk up a ramp next to a timeline of the different civilisations you will learn about and pick up your audio spatial guide. This guide is a little handset with over ear headphones. The headphone cushions have little bags over which I assume are replaced between users for hygiene reasons. 

The audio is available in 25 languages and there is also children’s version designed to be engaging and accessible for younger visitors. Once you have chosen your version you can not change it. We chose one adult version and one child version. Based on our experience I would recommend if your child is 10 plus and likes history then get them the adult version. When I asked what age the child one was suitable for they said up to 15, I guess it depends on the child.

There is then a stunning tunnel to walk through taking you back in time, which is like walking through space with stars surrounding you. 

Head through the tunnel to travel back in time and explore ancient civilisations

The Immersive Museum Experience

In the first room there are lots of pillars (maybe 15?) each focused on a different civilisation eg The Tiwanaku 300CE-1000CE and The Nazca 100BCE-800CE. Each pillar has a short recording telling you something about them. You activate these recordings by holding your handset next to the symbol on the pillar.

You can choose to listen to these in any order you want and you can listen to some, all or none. The projections on the walls can help you understand where the civilisations lived through a large map, as well as a timeline. 

My only criticism of the experience is that in this room the children’s audio recordings are each about 30 seconds long, whereas the adults recordings are about 2 minutes. I think for older children (including my 10 year old) the children’s narration doesn’t provide enough detail, but a bigger problem is that it is so much shorter than the adults. This inevitably means either children will be standing around bored or adults will have to miss out on much of the section. I swapped my audio with my daughters so she got the better experience and then put my head next to hers to listen to some of the recording.

There is a countdown on the wall to show you when the “show” starts, as the main part of the museum you go through as a group together. These were about every 15 minutes. It made me feel that this first section is really a waiting room with things to listen to while you wait, but my daughter wanted to listen to them all. You can’t come back to this area so make sure you are happily done before you move on. 

Each pillar shares a short piece of information about different civilisations

The audio recording is activated by placing the handset against a symbol

You wait at a barrier and are taken through into the first of halls by a member of staff. In each room the video is shown across all the walls and the floor. There are a few seats and a wire sculpture. Your audio starts automatically through your headset to coordinate with the projections, but there is also some music and sound played in the room (so you might want to turn your audio up). 

As the projection and audio in each room finishes, the door is opened and you walk through to the next room. 

The audio introduces you to the civilisations of Göbeklitepe, Babylon, Egypt, Maya and Rapa Nui. Telling you briefly about how they lived and what happened to them. I didn’t look at how long each one lasted, but I would guess about 6 or 7 minutes. 

All the walls around you (and the floor) are used to show a video to teach you about the civilisations

Using images, video, sound and words you learn about the lives and challenges of different people

You can sit, stand or walk during each recording before moving on to the next room

After the final projection you go into a corridor with a few short information boards and then into the final room. In this room you hand back your audio guide, get given a small gift (I received a plastic feather thing and my daughter got a passport and a badge). There are booths where you can look at and buy your photo if you had one taken at the beginning.

This room also has a few interactive activities for children:

• screens representing 4 of the time periods which copy your movements when you stand in front of them. 
• a sandpit with brushes you can use to excavate artefacts.
• small tables with colouring and other activities.

Children are encouraged to complete the information in their passport (including putting stickers on and choosing their favourite civilisation) and get a stamp before they leave.

Children get a passport to complete with stickers

There are interactive activities for children at the end

The Shop

You then leave and head into the shop. The shop has a wide range of items from pin badges and magnets to games. There is also a fridge with cold drinks and various snacks. 

What We Thought of It

My 10 year old loved it. She was fully engaged the whole way through and spent dinner telling her Dad about everything she learnt. I enjoyed it too, but my experience was let down slightly by having the children’s guide (I gave my daughter the adult one as I was going to enjoy myself more if she was engaged). Having different guides also meant that we got given different information and it was harder to discuss what we had heard afterwards.

I think a museum which shares information via audio guides is a great way to get people learning about history who don’t like traditional museums. These audio guides are really easy to understand and no section is very long. 

I take information in better when I read it than hear it so this isn’t the best way for me to learn (I’m rubbish with listening to podcasts and seminars too). I think it is brilliant than technology is making learning so accessible to different types of learners though.

Is It Suitable For Children

Yes absolutely, but not every child. 

It is free for under 3s and while they wouldn’t get anything out of the first section, the main immersive sections with the projections on the walls will appeal and fascinate most children. 

The audio guide makes it accessible for young children who aren’t confident readers as no reading is required, but it depends on their interest in history and learning new things on how engaged they will be. Other than the final section it is all about watching and listening so if your child needs physical interaction it’s probably not for them. My 7 year old chose not to come and I think that was the right choice for him.

We visited early on a Saturday and most of the other visitors were groups of adults. The other people with children moved through the first section much faster than us so we were in a different show and came out into the final interactive room with my daughter being the only child.

If you go with your family and people want to experience the first section at different speeds, younger children could go ahead with an adult as they can wait in the last room doing colouring or a puzzle (assuming you have another adult to accompany those that want to take more time).

Storytelling and images meet history at Timewalk

Helpful to Know When Visiting

Toilets

Go to the toilet before you get there as there are none in the museum and you can't leave and come back. There are some nearby next to the entrance of the Waterfront Street Kitchen & Bar.

How Long it Lasts

They advertise the experience as lasting about 60 minutes. The part of the experience where you are moving through the main halls is a fixed time, but the section before and after you can enjoy at your own pace. We were there for 90 minutes.

Getting Tickets

Head here to get tickets or buy via the Fever app. If you are in the area and want to go tickets can be bought from the venue, subject to availability (card payment only).

How To Find It

Address: Immerse LDN, ExCeL London Waterfront, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL

It was a short walk from Custom House for Excel DLR and Elizabeth Line station. Head towards the Excel exhibition entrance and you can see the path to the Waterfront area in front of you.