London - something different

[Justwingingit2005]

Hey

U am taking my boys 13 and 15 to London on Friday.
They want to do something 'different'. Can anyone suggest anything?
Weve done the zoo and tower. The don't want to do the eye.
Thanks
😊

Yes. Also right next to the Olympic park. Lots to do round that way.

The OP asked for things to do in London.

Watford isn't in London.

No need for a chill pill, thank you.

I agree that Watford isn’t London. I’m sure if her DC are Harry Potter fans, the OP will have heard of Warner Bros Studio Tour anyway.

The current exhibition at the Imperial War Museum is great. We did an afternoon tea bus. The boat to Greenwich & a visit to the Observatory & Cutty Sark was also fun.

Do they like skateboarding? My son loved a session at the indoor skatepark at House of Vans by Waterloo at this age.

Vauxwall
Cat cafe.
The undercroft at Royal Festival Hall (skateboarding)

Oh, & Babylon Park Camden.

Following with interest!

Tower Bridge is really good - there’s a glass floor on the upper walk way that you can stand on and see the cars and
people going underneath you.

Also as people have said, Battersea Power Station. You can get an Uber boat there.

I think that the Cabinet War Rooms are really interesting depending on what your boys are into. They are presented really well.

There are also various different bus tours including one in the evening that is a ghost tour. Or treasure hunt tours like Moriarty’s Game or The Cheshire Cat where you get clues and to your phone.

They're way too old for Babylon Park!

Cabinet War Rooms are amazing

Postal museum has a restored underground train that you can travel on. Close to Camden so you can do the market there too.

Jack the Ripper tour?

https://www.viator.com/London-tourism/d737-r10622685371-s110205371?m=64813&supag=97138915616&supsc=kwd-471551839&supai=585404968730&supdv=m&supnt=g&suplp=1006826&supli=&supti=kwd-471551839&tsem=true&supci=kwd-471551839&supap1=&supap2=&gadsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-gbd7v3GHjyJNmrPLYRjilmWpqE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj6Sy48GMhQMVspZQBh3bHwndEAAYASAAEgKlAPDD_BwE

The royal observatory, Greenwich.

I'd say Old Bailey yes, St Paul's yes, Temple of Mithras for teenage boys - no, they'd find it boring, unless they're real history buffs, it's ok, rest of them definitely yes.

But you don't want to drag them around loads of history places which they might find boring. Same with art galleries, if they like art then do that. Imax is always a good choice. And unless they're really into cats then no to the cat cafes, I've been to 3 so far, Lady Dinah's is the best one.

Hackney is good, there's a really nice go karting place near Mile End, Victoria Park is amazing with lots to do, you could do some sort of tour through Shoreditch, stop at Bar Kick (table football), go to Hoxton, Dalston, do a Brick Lane walk when they have the market and for a curry, down to Whitechapel and their art gallery, I think they even have a cartoon gallery there, maybe Photographers Gallery too. Greenwich is pretty amazing if they like boats and ships and the market is nice, you can go to the Observatory and then to Blackheath. The foot tunnel and DLR might be nice.

The only thing I'd say about the O2, unless you plan your trip and work out what you want to do there it can be quite boring. I found this last time I was there and we ended up getting the Thames Clipper back into Greenwich.

My friend did this recently with her work and said it was good.

Battersea is so over-rated and awful. It’s basically a massive shopping centre. I wouldn’t take teenage boys there.

There's more than just shops there though @MsFaversham - plenty of places to eat, and there's also crazy golf which is great fun.

Borough market - across the River to the Wallis talkie building (amazing views and it's free) .. boat trip down to battersea power station

I agree. It's quite a cool place. You can go outside to the riverside. You can even get the Thames Clipper from the pier.

Battersea Park is nearby and if they want to get a bus they can go to Kings Road which is always good fun and up to Knightsbridge.

Marking place, brilliant ideas, I’m a Londoner and not heard of quite a few of these.

Anyone who’s been - Would a 9 year old be too young for the Imperial War Museum spies exhibition ? Or the War of the Worlds/Gunpowder plot?

I’ll add Gods Own Junkyard which we’ve never been to but it’s on my list (long way out though).

There’s free immersive digital art at the Serpentine and Outernet (nr Oxford Circus) if you happen to be going that way.

There’s also a VR Arcade at Battersea Power Station which the teenagers might like.

https://www.dnavr.co.uk/london/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=search-main-pk&utm_content=473788228789&utm_term=virtual%20reality%20battersea&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZyHht2PhQMVvpdQBh2_KwziEAAYASAAEgKfhPD_BwE

I forgot - there's a Funland Games Arcade in Brunswick Square/Place - Bloomsbury. And there's also a gaming area in MS Office shop/place in Oxford Circus, Nike Town is opposite it. They might even want to go to Hamleys, Carnaby Street, Covent Garden - all cheesy tourist places - Slam City Skates was in Covent Garden but now in Truman Brewery.

[[https://www.google.com/search?q=entertainment+arcade+london&rlz=1C1GCFD_enGB1083GB1085&oq=entertainment+arcade+london&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yDQgFEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgGEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgHEAAYhgMYgAQYigXSAQg0NDQwajBqOagCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&lqi=ChtlbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50IGFyY2FkZSBsb25kb25ItJaQ6f63gIAIWi0QABABGAEYAiIbZW50ZXJ0YWlubWVudCBhcmNhZGUgbG9uZG9uKgYIAxAAEAGSARBhbXVzZW1lbnRfY2VudGVymgEjQ2haRFNVaE5NRzluUzBWSlEwRm5TVU40Y2xwTGJsZFJFQUWqAWcKCC9tLzAyamp0EAEqGCIUZW50ZXJ0YWlubWVudCBhcmNhZGUoADIeEAEiGuIs53Y9BJbf9sIgs2ykLWkgWJtHR7_kgKRdMh8QAiIbZW50ZXJ0YWlubWVudCBhcmNhZGUgbG9uZG9u#rlimm=6907691583309545204

Actually - Gods Own Junkyard it says its in Walthamstow, you could do Lloyd Park and William Morris Gallery there and there's another one in the village.

I think both the Imperial War Museum spies exhibition and War of the Worlds and Gunpowder Plot would be fine for a 9 year old.

Imperial War Museum is in Kennington but you can easily bus down/tube or walk down Waterloo/South Bank for the skate park area/Imax etc. They have a good street market with food in The Cut in Waterloo.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

Weve gone with doing the Mystery Guide outdoor escape room round the St Paul's and Bank of England areas.

Sounds awesome! I’d quite enjoy that 😆

Unless the Clink has changed since I was younger when I saw this when I was 24 (about 25 years ago!) with my then French boyfriend, I was quite unimpressed by it!