You probably know the great classics of London, namely the museum Madame Tussauds, British Museum or National Gallery. If you want to visit unusual or even incongruous museums that you will only see in the British capital; here is a selection!
Jack the Ripper Museum
Opened in July 2015 in the district of Whitechapel, the Jack the Ripper museum traces the story of the most famous serial killer in history and profiles the five victims, young women living in poverty. The museum presents various reconstructions such as a police station, a bedroom of one of the victims or a mortuary where a bloody examination table and original autopsy photos are displayed.
In addition, if you want to discover or support your knowledge of the history of the serial murderer, I advise you to do a guided tour in French and more particularly that provided by Maxime. This young Frenchman, living in London since 2012, organizes small group tours every evening. During 2h30, you will follow in the footsteps of Jack the Ripper by visiting the districts of Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Brick Lane and by visiting certain crime scenes.
Address : 12 Cable Street, Tower Hill, Whitechapel, London E1 8JG
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The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Oh my God ! Only the English can devote an entire museum to a person who never existed: the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.
This quirky museum can be found at 221 Baker Street, on the same street where the most famous of all private detectives is said to have lived here. Inside, there are rooms with Victorian charm with period furniture, wax statues and cult objects such as the famous cap, magnifying glass and pipe.
Finally at the entrance of the museum, a Bobby stands guard in front of the museum making the decor more real than life.
Address : 221b Baker Street, Marylebone, London NW1 6XE
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The most unusual museum: the vagina museum in Camden
In the heart of the tourist district of Camden, this unusual museum is the first free permanent museum entirely devoted to this part of female anatomy.
Part of the exhibition is devoted to hygiene, showing products sold commercially and adorned with a thousand virtues such as "virginity soaps" or creams supposed to firm the vagina.
Address : Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AH
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The London Dungeon: a museum of horrors in the heart of South Bank
In the neighborhood of South bank, the heart of London's cultural scene, this famous museum of horrors retraces the dark and macabre hours of London over the centuries. This attraction recounts several historical events such as the Great Fire of London, the execution of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England or the story of the most famous serial killer of the Victorian era: Jack l’Eventreur.
London Dungeon is for free for children under 3 years old.
Included in the London Explorer Pass.
Address : The Queen’s Walk, Bishop’s, London SE1 7PB
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Postal Museum: the British Postal Museum
Postal museum presents the rich British postal heritage through a collection of more than 60 objects. But the originality of the museum is the Mail Rail attraction, a miniature train that takes the public through underground tunnels invaded by stalactites. After getting into the train, the public sets off for a 000-minute ride guided by commentary recounting the history of Mail Rail.
A fun, educational and interactive experience!
Address : 15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA
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London Transport Museum
Located at Covent Garden, the London Transport Museum presents the evolution of London transport, from the first horse-drawn omnibuses to the modern underground. During the tour, you can climb aboard the most representative vehicles of the United Kingdom, namely the legendary routemasters, black-cabs and old London Underground cars.
Address : Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 7BB
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London Film Museum: James Bond racing cars
Through the “Bond in Motion” exhibition, the museum presents the most important collection of original vehicles used in the James Bond films, from the Rolls Royce Phantom III by Goldfinger to the scale model of the AgustaWestland helicopter in Skyfall. by the famous Aston Martin DB5.
Address : 45 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BN
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The fan museum
Located in a beautiful building of Greenwich in London, this unusual museum is the first in the world entirely devoted to all aspects of the fan, in particular its manufacture and its history. The collection includes more than 3500 fans from all over the world and dating mainly from the 18th and 19th century.
Temporary exhibitions are also organized and demonstrations (manufacturing, conservation and restoration) are held in the shop. The garden is decorated with a fan-shaped terrace, a pond, Japanese-style plantings and a reconstruction of Georgian orangery.
Address : 12 Crooms Hill, SE10 8ER London
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Museum of Trademarks and Advertising
The Trademark and Advertising Museum, located in a charming alley in Notting Hill, tells the story of brands and product packaging, from the Victorian era to the present day.
There are 12 household items, objects from global brands, toys, sweets, fashion clothes, posters and magazines from the collection of consumer historian Robert Opie.
Address : 111-117 Lancaster Road, London W11 1QT
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The Museum of Happiness
This museum presents the essence of happiness and well-being through workshops and interactive events. Fun activities such as a ball pool are offered to create and share happiness.
Address : Trafalgar Square, St. James’s, London WC2N 5DX
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Sir John Soane Museum
Located in the heart of London, very close to Holborn station, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, the Soane Museum is a house-museum, one of the most original in London. Architect John Soane, a big fan of antiques, bequeathed his home and all of his collection to the nation.
Among the treasures are the sarcophagus of St. I, one of the most beautiful Egyptian sculptures outside of Egypt, three paintings by Canaletto as well as a collection of watches, clocks and a very fine assortment of precious stones.
Address : 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, London WC2A 3BP
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The Hunterian Museum: museum of anatomical specimens
The Hunterian Museum is a museum of anatomical specimens, located in the building of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (or Royal College of Surgery in England).
This unusual museum exhibits thousands of anatomical specimens, and one of the most remarkable curiosities of the Hunter collection is the skeleton of Charles Byrne, an Irish giant who was 2m30 tall and caused a sensation across Ireland at fairs and funfairs. .
The museum also exhibits surgical equipment, paintings, sculptures as well as an odontological collection consisting in particular of teeth extracted from soldiers during the Battle of Waterloo, a necklace of human teeth brought to England by the explorer Henry Morton Stanley and dental dentures belonging to Winston Churchill.
Address : Royal College of Surgeons of 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE
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The Old Operating Theater Museum: The History of Medicine and Surgery
Installed in the attic of the church on the site of the former Saint-Thomas hospital, this unusual museum traces the history of medicine and surgery. The museum has the oldest operating theater in Europe (1st half of the XNUMXth century) demonstrating the Spartan conditions in which surgical procedures took place before the invention of anesthesia and antiseptics.
Access to the museum is via a spiral staircase that is difficult to access for people with reduced mobility.
Address : 9a Street Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
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British Dental Museum
This small museum located in the Marylebone district at the headquarters of the British Dental Association has more than 15 objects like ivory dentures, ceramic false gums, descaling instruments, strawberries ... but the scariest showcase is undoubtedly the one which contains the dental extraction instruments, used to pull out the teeth.
Address : 64 Wimpole St, Marylebone, London W1G 8YS
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British Optical Association Museum
British Optical Association Museum is an unusual museum dedicated to the vision professions and is recognized as the oldest optical museum in the world. The museum's collection is rich in more than 28 pieces, including 000 pairs of glasses, from rudimentary 3000th century applied technology to high-fashion designer glasses from the XNUMXst century, as well as historical examples of other optical devices and vision aids. vision.
Address : 42 Craven Street, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5NG
