After being forced to postpone opening last Autumn, following project delays and a lack of funds, the Museum in Docklands will finally welcome visitors on 24 May.

In a free day of family celebrations, characters from Docklands' past will entertain visitors with tales of distant lands and exotic cargoes and of ships and smuggling, to reveal the secret world that lay behind the high dock walls. Children are invited to dress as pirates and take part in the world's largest treasure trail.

The museum tells the story of the river, port and its people, from the arrival of the Romans to the rise of Canary Wharf. Many of the objects on show have been rescued during the 1970s and 1980s after containerisation and competition forced London's port to move downstream. Interactives, videos, models and recreations explore the lives of those who built and shaped the port's long riverfront.

Historic photographs and printed materials from the Port of London Authority Archive show the vast scale of the docks at the turn of the 20th century when everything from snakeskin's to cinnamon, cars to live elephants were brought in to the 'Warehouse of the World'. Film from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and captured Nazi footage in Docklands at War documents the impact of the Blitz on the area during 1940.

After being planned for 20 years, the May opening has been made possible following a recent merger with the Museum of London.

The Museum in Docklands is now part of the Museum of London Group and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Corporation of London and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, with support from Canary Wharf Group and the Port of London Authority. Details: +44 (0)870 444 3857