The Postal MuseumVenue hire

Venue hire

Make your next event extraordinary.
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  • Our venues
  • Enhanced experiences
  • Event suppliers
  • FAQs

The Courtyard and Mail Rail at The Postal Museum are award winning venues in Clerkenwell, Central London.  Available for exclusive venue hire, our inspiring venues are suitable for all corporate, experiential and private events.

For more than 100 years, Mail Rail was hidden from view.  Now you have the chance to experience the secret space for yourself – the ambition, dedication and ingenuity that makes it truly unique.

Contact us to discuss your next event: [email protected]

Download venue hire brochure

Visitor, June 2023

A quick note of thanks and appreciation for the fantastic event at Mail Rail. I had some tremendous feedback regarding the venue, the food and the general organisation. Backed up by the ‘wow’ and uniqueness of the location itself – I don’t think it could have gone any better!’

Our venues

Located in Farringdon, Central London, our two unique event spaces are perfect for any corporate, experiential or private event.

Mail Rail

Unique, inspiring and versatile – our Mail Rail event venue is highly adaptable and is suitable for a wide range of evening events.

For more than 75 years, Mail Rail was a vital artery in Britain’s communication network. It kept information and conversations flowing while hidden from view. Now you have the chance to experience the secret space for yourself – the ambition, dedication and ingenuity that makes it truly unique.

An event table set up in the Mail Rail venue space with lighting and decor.

Mail Rail is a distinctive subterranean blank canvas event space which is ideal for dinners, drinks receptions and parties through to award ceremonies, product launches and presentations.

The impressive, industrial blank canvas space has countless inspiring architectural features including vaulted ceilings and exposed brickwork. Highly adaptable it can be hired for product launches, award ceremonies, corporate events and gala dinners.

The unique 275-capacity venue also provides guests with an exclusive opportunity to enhance their event experience with an underground miniature train ride through the secret 100-year-old Mail Rail tunnels.

Capacity & Access

  • Reception: 0 – 275
  • Dinner: 0 – 150
  • Dinner Dance: 0 – 120
  • Meeting/Conference: 0 – 275
  • Outside space: N/A
  • Wedding Reception: 100
  • Accessible Access: Yes
  • Exhibition Space (m2): 239.4

Experience the industrial decadence and the character of Mail Rail depot through this once-in-a-lifetime dining opportunity which takes you on a journey beneath the streets of London, and explore the once secret and abandoned underground tunnels.

Speak to our Venue Hire team: [email protected]

Download Mail Rail event floor plans (PDF)

Virtual tour

Explore Mail Rail’s unique venue space in 3D.

The Courtyard

The Postal Museum’s versatile and contemporary event spaces are the perfect venue for any networking events, receptions or even BBQ events.

In addition to the museum gallery and exhibition venue, our sunny courtyard features a beautiful thematic living plant wall that will be the perfect backdrop for any event!

This space also provides guests with the opportunity to enhance their event experience with a private tour of the museum galleries.

Capacity & Access

  • Reception: 0 – 120
  • Dinner: 0 – 60
  • Meeting/Conference: 0 – 100
  • Outside space (m2): 180.0
  • Exhibition Space (m2): 189.5
  • Accessible Access: Yes
The Postal Museum event floor plans (PDF)

Enhanced experiences

Leave a lasting impression by booking one of our exclusive extraordinary experiences.

A group of visitors riding Mail Rail at a private event
Visitors looking at collection items during a Private tour of the gallery
Take a private tour

Mail Rail train ride

When planning an event, you always want it to be the best it can be. Are you wondering how to make your event stand out? We have a perfect solution for that! Our Mail Rail train ride will surprise your guests and ultimately make your event unique and memorable.  Such an addition will be the key to your event’s success and will certainly exceed guests’ expectations!

Located deep beneath the streets of the capital is London’s secret 100-year-old Post Office railway. In mid-2017, the Mail Rail tunnels opened to the public for the first time, as an immersive ride through its narrow network of hidden tunnels. Once inside the specially-made passenger trains, your guests will embark on a thrilling and historical journey 70ft underneath the streets of London. Each train can accommodate up to 20 guests with a journey time lasting 15 minutes. The trains are available to hire exclusively on a 3-hr basis.

Take a private tour

Choose from our special highlights tour, spotlight tour or a more in-depth curator-led tour. We can also customise tours to suit your guests’ interests.

Find out more about our amazing collections.

 

Event suppliers

We have partnered with an experienced and creative team of events suppliers who offer a range of services including catering, production and event styling.

View our full list of suppliers (PDF) >

A member of catering staff arranging glasses
Event catering - plate of starters
Event catering
Event catering
Staff serving food at an event
Event catering

To discuss your catering requirement in further detail, please contact [email protected]

FAQs

We are a multi-site venue, with two unique events spaces and one meeting room:

  • Mail Rail is an underground blank canvas venue that has direct access to the Mail Rail train.
  • The Postal Museum is located in a building opposite our Mail Rail venue and offers a bright, modern event space with direct access to the outside courtyard and the museum galleries.
  • The Learning Space is a meeting room located on the 2nd floor of the museum.
  • Mail Rail
    • 275 standing reception;
    • 150 dinner,
    • 120 dinner/dance;
    • 250 theatre
  • The Postal Museum:
    • 120 standing reception;
    • 60 dinner;
    • 100 theatre
  • The Learning Space:
    • 60 theatre seating;
    • 30 U-shape seating

Our unique underground Mail Rail venue and contemporary Postal Museum event space is available for exclusive hire 7 days a week.

As we operate as a museum during the day, venue hire is available from 17.00 to 00.00. Extension until 01.00 finish (Friday and Saturday, Mail Rail only) is available for an additional fee.

Subject to approval and a minimum lead time of 3 months, the venue is available for daytime hire.  Please contact [email protected] for further information.

The Postal Museum and Mail Rail is located in Farringdon/Clerkenwell. Our address is 15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA.  The nearest underground stations are Chancery Lane and Farringdon (10 minute walk).

  • Event Manager
  • Duty Manager
  • Venue Hosts
  • Cleaning team
  • 2 x Professional SIA door security
  • 15x banqueting tables (5ft.6’’) seats 10.
  • 5x poseur tables
  • 6x trestle tables
  • 6x industrial bench seats
  • In-house AV + 2 projectors
  • Complimentary WiFi

We can offer a venue hire discount for UK Registered Charities, please contact [email protected] for further information.

We offer agents 10% commission on venue hire (excluding VAT).

The 100 year old Mail Rail tunnels opened to the public for the first time last year and offer a unique opportunity to take an immersive train ride through its narrow network of hidden tunnels.  Once inside the specially-made miniature passenger trains, guests embark on a thrilling and historical journey 70ft underneath the streets of London. Each train can accommodate up to 20 guests with a journey time lasting 15 minutes. The trains are available to hire exclusively on a 3-hr basis.

Underground tunnels tours are available for filming and photography opportunities. Get in touch: [email protected].

We also open them to the public with our ticketed Tunnel Walks events.

Bovingdons are the venue’s exclusive caterer.  We also have an approved suppliers list of professional event production companies and entertainment curators. Upon approval and a surcharge fee, clients can use their own suppliers.

Our venue spaces are highly adaptable to your requests, however, there are certain restrictions due to the heritage nature of the venues:

  • Mail Rail does not have a service lift. All equipment needs to be carried down a short flight of stairs to the main event space.
  • Live flames, helium balloons, glitter stations are not allowed.
  • Use of CO2 bursts are limited to restricted use.
  • No red wine or coloured drinks are permitted in the museum galleries.
  • The venue does not allow alcoholic shots as part of an events drink package.

Our venues offer many innovative and engaging branding opportunities. Clients can utilise numerous areas inside and outside the venues. There is also the opportunity to brand the Mail Rail train and personalise the train commentary with clients key messaging. All requests are subject to approval and may include fees.

The venue provides cloakroom facilities and lockers, however, staffing for the cloakroom is provided by Bovingdons – our exclusive caterers, and will be included in their quote.

There is a mobility lift to the lower level of Mail Rail and wheelchairs are permitted everywhere in Mail Rail except for the Mail Rail train ride. There is a ramp leading into the Postal Museum and Mail Rail venues.  There are numerous disabled toilets and a dedicated Changing Places room.

The venue has limited back of house space. If a green room is required for an event, we can screen off areas in the viewing gallery. We can also accommodate a private entrance if required. Please ask the events team for more details.

No, but there are various hotels in local area.

Smoking (includes E-cigarettes and vaping) is not permitted in Mail Rail. Any guests wishing to smoke must exit the building through the main entrance and use the designated smoking area advised by venue security.

We have a reliable and strong event WiFi connection available across both venues.

We have limited storage before and during an event.  Please discuss your requirements with the events team.

Small deliveries can be made between 09.00 – 17.00 if pre-arranged with a member of the events team.

There is limited parking on Phoenix Place. Resident parking applies from Mon – Fri (08.30 -18.30), free parking after 18.30 weekdays, Saturday free parking after 13.30, Sunday free parking all day.

The closest car park to The Postal Museum is the NCP by Farringdon Road.

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