Make a day out of 'Back to the Future: The Musical' in London

We can't promise time travel, but there's never a dull moment with all these exciting attractions in London!

Back to the Future has been a family favourite since the film starring Michael J Fox as Marty McFly came out in 1985 – and now there’s a musical version! With a rocking score plus all the beloved songs from the film, it’s a rollicking adventure with spectacular visual effects and lovable performances.

Read our guide to all the activities you can make time for that will make your day all the more thrilling. See you at the clock tower!

Book Back to the Future: The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Back to the Future Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is a quintessentially English tradition that’s known as quite a demure affair. The Back to the Future-themed afternoon tea at the Cumberland Hotel, however, puts an American spin on the ritual with a party vibe – but still with a tiered cake stand for your Instagram photos!

The menu includes savouries such as McFly’s slider burger and Mayor Goldie Wilson’s Hot Dog, the DeLorean pulled pork burrito, and the E=MC2 mac and cheese toastie. For dessert, there’s Doc’s brownies, Biff’s apple cobbler, and George’s fruit macarons. Wash these delicious bites down with Lorraine’s mini shake milkshakes, alongside Marvin’s berry iced tea. All perfectly themed!

Address: Cumberland Hotel, Great Cumberland Place, London W1H 7DL

Price: £££

Science Museum

London’s Science Museum has been enlightening visitors since 1857 and aspiring time travellers are sure to be fascinated by their array of clocks and timepieces. Formerly held at London’s Guildhall, the world’s oldest clock collection moved to the Science Museum in 2015. The extensive collection includes a 1500-year-old Byzantine sundial-calendar, the third oldest clock in the world, dating from 1392 (on loan from Wells Cathedral), and the wristwatch worn by Sir Edmund Hillary when he reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.

Other highlights at this leading museum include Robert Stephenson’s Rocket locomotive prototype (a must-see for train enthusiasts), and The Apollo 10 Command Module Charlie Brown, which orbited the Moon 31 times in 1969. Plus, the Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum are right nearby, and all have free admission.

Price: Free

Address: Exhibition Road, London SW7 4DD

Big Ben

We said we'd see you at the clock tower! Big Ben is probably the most famous timepiece in the world and a true London icon that’s graced millions of tourist photos and countless films – as well as being a symbol of political democracy. Its chimes have punctuated BBC News for over a century. But did you know that you can take a 90-minute tour inside? “Big Ben” was originally a nickname for the “Great Bell” that’s now applied to the clock, the tower, and the bell. The identity of the original “Ben” is disputed.

Tickets are strictly limited and advance booking is essential. Visitors must be aged 11 and over and be comfortable climbing a 334-step spiral staircase and experiencing high noise levels from the clock mechanism and bells – fortunately, earplugs are provided! And be sure to dress for the wind at the top of the tower.

Price: ££

Address: Palace of Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

Brooklands Museum

If you’re a car lover and the DeLorean is your favourite thing about Back to the Future, take a trip to Brooklands Museum in Surrey to indulge your passion for all things with motors. This car, bus, and aviation museum, which opened in 1991, is located on the former Brooklands Motor Course, the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation – there was no more fashionable hobby in the 1920s and 1930s.

The museum’s highlights include many beautiful vintage racing cars, the immersive Brooklands Aviation Factory, and the London Bush Museum's extensive collection. You can even board Concorde and take a virtual flight. Catch the train from Waterloo to Weybridge (about 30 minutes) and the museum is a 20-minute walk from Weybridge station.

Address: Brooklands Road, Weybridge KT13 0QS

Price: ££

Maxwell's Bar and Grill

All that motoring and flying has probably worked up quite an appetite! In the show, Marty is transported back to the 1950s, and the quintessential American diner with burgers and milkshakes and a jukebox has always seemed incredibly glamorous to us Britons. Maxwell’s Bar and Grill could be right out of Grease with its red booths and laid-back vibe.

The burgers, steaks, and fajitas are all great and don’t miss the Oreo Freakshake, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce – it’s a meal in itself! Located about five minutes away from the Adelphi Theatre, try the pre-theatre menu before the show.

Address: 34 King’s Street, London WC2E 9JE

Price: ££

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

The Netflix phenomenon’s stage prequel won Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play and Best Set Design – and deservedly so. Sharing a 1950s setting with Back to the Future, Hawkins, Indiana is a relatively ordinary town until an agent of chaos arrives, disrupting the status quo and bringing long-held secrets to the surface...

The production brilliantly melds intelligent, gripping storytelling and outstanding visuals. In a 5-star review, LondonTheatre.co.uk’s critic paid it the ultimate compliment: “This astounding show definitely feels like a new chapter in theatre. It’s out of this world.”

Book Stranger Things: The First Shadow tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Back to the Future: The Musical

It was all just a matter of time! Don’t be late! Take your seats as Marty McFly and Doc Brown achieve the impossible in this rollicking all-American adventure. In a time-travelling DeLorean, Marty finds himself caught in a high-speed chase that accidentally lands him back in 1955 where he meets his high-school-aged parents. Can he get back to the present before playing with time ruins everything?

According to London Theatre’s reviewer, “this toe-tapping retro-pastiche fun (Grease meets Footloose) slips down as easily as chocolate milk… And yes, the car is a star too: that iconic DeLorean roaring onto the stage and accelerating to 88 miles per hour to blast through time”. Who could ask for more?

Book Back to the Future: The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk