Monument Micro Museum Opens in London to Tell Great Fire History

London’s smallest museum has opened beside The Monument in the City of London, offering a free public exhibition dedicated entirely to the history of the Great Fire of London. Commissioned by Eastern City BID, the Monument Micro Museum measures just 4 square metres internally and occupies in part a mothballed former public toilet.

Inside the 4-Square-Metre Exhibition Space

Located directly beside The Monument in Monument Square, the micro museum features a bespoke 3D map of the City brought to life through lighting and audio. Visitors can experience a looping five-minute audiovisual presentation inside the tiny structure, while new displays mounted along the building’s external walls extend the exhibition space beyond the interior threshold. The curation was provided free of charge by Winkle Picker Ltd and Sugar HK, with historic images supplied in collaboration with the London Archives.

The site was originally slated for eventual demolition under emerging redevelopment plans, with no prior initiatives to reactivate the space. Eastern City BID identified the location’s potential and funded its transformation into a permanent public attraction. William Austin, Cultural Partnerships Manager at Eastern City BID, noted the challenges involved in bringing empty spaces back to life. “At only 4 square metres, I believe it is the smallest museum in the world, but that was part of the challenge,” Austin told cityam.com.

Monument Micro Museum Opens to the Public

The attraction is the City of London’s first new museum in almost a decade and opens ahead of the 350th anniversary of the completion of The Monument next year. Because the Great Fire forms part of the National Curriculum, organizers designed the site to accommodate school groups alongside the millions of annual visitors to the financial district. Project planners project the free attraction will draw up to 200,000 visitors annually.

The official launch took place on 20th October 2026. The Monument Micro Museum is open daily to the public from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.