Earls Court Police Box Tours and Activities

In the 1960s, the popular science fiction series, Doctor Who, decided to use a police box as the time machine that features heavily in the show. Police boxes were introduced in Britain during the late 1800s as a way for police officers to communicate back to the police station. They functioned as a mini police station with a direct phone line and allowed officers a place to handle paperwork and temporarily hold prisoners until transport arrived.

Known as a TARDIS, which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space, the police box time machine is one of the most iconic symbols from the show. The TARDIS is larger on the inside than it is on the outside, and it has chameleon-like qualities that allow it to change to blend in better when it lands in another time and place. However, it often malfunctions and still looks like the old police box. In real life, due to more modern forms of communication, most boxes have been removed or are in a state of disrepair. However, one remaining police box, located on Earl's Court Road, attracts fans of Doctor Who from around the world.