London Museum & Cafe - Overton, Texas

deb sugi

We came here to check on a volunteer and were AMAZED at what they have here! The museum is very interesting and we were given a personal tour by a volunteer. There are artifacts and a short movie that came from 1937 that help personalize the events that happened here.
Beyond that- the food is FABULOUS!!! Wow. My husband got the lasagna and I took a bite of it and it was excellent! I got the chicken salad that was full of chicken and tasty. We both got pie and that was very good also. The director said that she makes the lasagna herself. It is worth the trip! We will be back with the grandkids to experience the soda fountain!!!

Michael Scarlett

This is an East Texas hidden gem! The museum is amazing, capturing the horror of that terrible day of Thursday afternoon, 18 March 1937. It wonderfully presents the school, the event, and life in the late 1930s. They have a great deal of high school memorabilia and items that reflect on early-mid 20th Century Americana.

The greatest highlight to this place for me is the soda fountain! Yes--an actual, honest-to-goodness, working, operational soda fountain! For decades I've been looking to find a functioning soda fountain that served Coca-Cola. Our family visited a "soda fountain" in Galveston and what they meant was that the building/restaurant used to be a soda fountain--they had a regular machine found at most fast food restaurants, which was very disappointing.

We were in New London picking up a package and was a little lost since Google and Apple Maps sometimes have difficulty with addresses. I pulled off the road right into their parking lot to make contact when I looked at the building and saw the words, "museum and soda fountain." I instantly looked for their hours and saw that they were opening soon. We made our pick up and headed back to the museum.

A very friendly and hospitable volunteer greeted us and welcomed us in, showing us around the place. After going through the museum, we made our way back to the soda fountain counter. My boys were more interested in *this* part of the museum more than the museum itself. We sat down and all ordered Cokes. I didn't know exactly what I was going to get, but it was so much fun watching him pump the syrup into the classic-shaped Coca-cola green-tinted glass. I was so delighted and filled with joy as I took my first sip.

They have Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Barqs Root Beer, and Dr. Pepper. They have cherry, strawberry flavors to tweak your drink. A drink includes one free refill. They sell Blue Bell ice cream and make floats, milkshakes/malts, and sundaes. They have meals for lunch with daily specials.

If you're interested in history and nostalgia, you will thoroughly enjoy the London Museum & Cafe. At the time of this review admission to the museum is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Leigh-Anne Voigt

Thoughtfully laid-out exhibits and a knowledgeable tour guide tell the somber story of the day a generation died in this small town in East Texas. Both my father and my step father lived through this tragedy as school children, we attended the reunions for several years, it is part of our family lore. I appreciated this museum's attention to detail in recreating what happened that awful day.

Tiger McGrath

So many people know that natural gas has scent added, but don't know the story of why. I think it's important to understand the *cost* behind that. And also the cost of Silence in the face of loss. Thanks so much for this little museum!!!

Ashleigh Smith

Growing up in this town an learning the history of the tragedy that took place I grew to love and respect the community and this museum has the best people to give tours of the museum and to get refreshments from. They are so sweet and their hospitality is above and beyond any service I’d ever received so far!! Thank you so much for a wonderful, and sincere experience!!

Ellen Candia

What a wonderful museum! This tragic event is made so heart rendering with the children’s
personal belongings and stories. Mr J.M. Jones ,our guide , was fantastic. Lunch at the cafe was quite good and very reasonably priced. My thanks to all the volunteers

Kevin Terry

Visited this wonderful and informative museum on my way to see the Cardinals-Rangers series. I hope more people visit to learn that the deaths of these many children and adults were not in vain. Every time we smell that pungent odor of a gas leak, we have them to thank for it.

Wayne Haskins

This is a must see! East Texas history. A Museum dedicated to the victims and survivors of the New London School explosion in the early thirties. The guide was very knowledgeable. I would love to go again.