The group comprises the Museum of London at London Wall in the City of London and the Museum in Docklands on West India Quay, near Canary Wharf, just to the east of the City.  Also included are the Museum's Archaeological and Specialist Service (MoLAS) and the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, (LAARC)located in Mortimer Wheeler House in Hackney.

The Museum of London was established in 1975, by the merger of the London Museum and the Guildhall Museum. The Museum is a Non-Departmental Public Body, funded jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Corporation of London. It is governed by the Museum of London Acts, 1965 and 1986.