TfL celebrates the Central line’s 125th anniversary with treasure hunt open to all at this year’s Open House Festival

To mark the Central line’s 125th anniversary this month, Transport for London (TfL) is holding an anniversary treasure hunt on Saturday 20 September as part of London’s Open House Festival 2025 and encouraging customers to look out for the varied architectural details at many of the line’s historical stations.

The treasure hunt event, which starts at Shepherd’s Bush station and will run between from 10:30 and 15:30, is free and open for all to attend on a drop-in basis. The Central line opened in 1900 as a cross-London route from Shepherd’s Bush to Bank and this event is an opportunity to discover more about its history and heritage as well as design and hidden stories past and present. Participants will pick up a clue pack at Shepherd's Bush station, then follow it through several stations before finishing at Bank. At each station, they will be faced with several questions, the answers to which can be found by carefully observing the station and paying close attention to posters, plaques and artwork.

Other stations on newer parts of the Central line also reflect the evolution of architecture and customers are encouraged to look out for the varied styles of the buildings. These include Gants Hill, designed by Charles Holden and inspired by Moscow’s subway system, the modernist White City, designed by London Transport architects A.D. McGill and Kenneth Seymour and which won a Festival of Britain design award, and Grade II listed Perivale station, designed by Brian Lewis, Chief Architect of Great Western Railway (GWR) and marked by a large curved concave window set inside a red brick structure.

TfL is continuing to invest in and improve the London Underground with initiatives including the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP), which is seeing an investment of £500m to overhaul trains on the line. Customers are already starting to benefit from safer, more reliable and accessible trains that feature more reliable motors, wheelchair bays, improved customer information, a new moquette and CCTV cameras.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “This is a really special milestone, and I would encourage Londoners and visitors to join TfL’s Treasure Hunt and experience for themselves the Central line’s rich history and heritage. Ever since it opened as ‘the Twopenny Tube’ in 1900, the Central line has played an important role in connecting key landmarks right in the heart of our city and I’m proud that, through the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP), we’re investing more than £500 million to improve infrastructure and accessibility on the line as we build a better, fairer and safer London for all.”

Emma Strain, TfL’s Customer Director, said: “Over the last 125 years the Central line has evolved to be one of London’s busiest Underground lines, connecting so many parts of the capital, and the free treasure hunt will be a fantastic opportunity to find out more about how it all started and its architectural heritage. With the other Open House Festival events and London Design Festival happening this month it’s a great time to get out and about on the network, and appreciate the architectural details at our stations that we might miss on our usual commute.”

Manijeh Verghese, CEO of Open City, the charity which organises the Open House Festival, said: "The Central line has connected Londoners for 125 years, and we’re delighted to celebrate this important milestone with Transport for London through the 2025 London Open House Festival. TfL's treasure hunt and the various buildings, tours, and spaces that will open up along the iconic line invite people to discover the architecture, design and hidden stories that speak to the London of the present, and anchor the city in its long and storied past. TfL’s involvement in our expansive and diverse programme is a fantastic example of how transport and culture come together to open up the city for everyone to experience and enjoy."

Open House Festival 2025 is hosting hundreds more free events across London from until 21 September, many of which are drop-in and taking place close to Central line stations:

• IMPACT Community Arts Centre, a theatre company for performers and artists with learning disabilities in the West London area. Perivale station
• Culture House, the first permanent exhibition space for Somali artefacts curated by the Somali community. Shepherd’s Bush station
• London National Park City Visitors Centre, the entry point to hundreds of places to visit and things to do across a greener, healthier and wilder London. Oxford Circus station
• Alice Billing House, one of Newham’s most historic buildings, which has been converted into artist studios. Stratford station
• Four Corners, a unique facility to support artists, photographers and filmmakers in the East London Region. Bethnal Green station
• Leadenhall Market, the iconic Victorian covered market, with roots in Roman Londinium. Bank station among others

The London Design Festival is also taking place until 21 September, with several of its sites close to Central line stations, including:

• Material Matters, must-visit event for architects & designers exploring material innovation from bio-based alternatives and recycled composites to heritage crafts. Holborn station
• Diptyque(Bond St), the brand showcases the iconic Vase Médicis, an emblematic piece first created in 2017. Bond Street station
• Enduring Forms, Aesop, an exhibit offering a quiet exploration into its architectural ethos and design principles. St Paul’s station
• Bank of England Museum, the museum unveils a furniture installation made from over £2 million reclaimed, recycled and reconstructed British bank notes. Bank station
• Young V&A, a day of hands-on workshops centered around play with designers Max Lamb Studiomama and U-Build. Bethnal Green station