The Strange Museums of London

Whether you are a Londoner or a tourist, you are likely familiar with the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and while you should definitely pay them a visit because they feature amazing exhibitions detailing the history of humankind, we thought that you should also visit some lesser-known museums in the English capital.

This article aims to find more obscure and often strange museums that appear to be hidden from the average tourist.

Here are the museums to be covered in the article and their addresses:

The Cinema Museum – 2 Dugard Way, Renfrew Rd, London SE11 4TH The Vagina Museum – 18 Victoria Park Square, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PF The Freud Museum – 20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SX The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret – 9a St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY The Sherlock Holmes Museum – 221b Baker St, London NW1 6XE Leighton House Museum – 12 Holland Park Rd, London W14 8LZ The Magic Circle – Centre for the Magic Arts, 12 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD

Enjoy learning about and exploring these hidden gems of London!

The Cinema Museum

The Cinema Museum details the history of cinema, and more specifically, British cinema and it features film memorabilia such as authentic posters, 5 million metres of film and much more. You can only visit this museum through a scheduled appointment, so make sure you check the availability before you make any plans.

The Vagina Museum

The Vagina Museum is a first-of-its-kind museum that is dedicated to female reproductive health. There, people can learn everything about the female reproductive system and the long battle for equal rights. It’s the perfect place to find accurate information, presented in an interesting manner. The museum also holds temporary thought-provoking exhibits.

Did we also mention it’s free?

The Freud Museum

To the fans of psychoanalysis and its father, Sigmund Freud, the Freud Museum is there to cater for your needs. The Freud Museum is housed in the last residence of the Austrian psychiatrist. After Hitler’s rise to power, Freud moved to London for safety. The home was later a residence of his daughter Anna Freud, a prominent child psychoanalyst.

Visitors can see the personal residence of Freud and his possessions; there are also temporary and permanent exhibitions dedicated to his life and work.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

If you are in the medical career or you’re simply interested in the history of medicine, visit the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, which tracks the history of medicine from medieval times to the modern age.

The museum is housed in an old operating theatre, as the name suggests, so you would also be able to see where 19th century surgeons operated on their patients. The museum also tells the story of traditional herbal medicine.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is a must-go for every fan of the witty detective from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels. The museum is located on the streets mentioned in the detective series and it’s one of the most famous addresses in pop culture.

The residence is of typical Victorian style and it features many of Holmes’ most prized possessions. It also retells the story of his most notable cases.

Leighton House Museum

The Leighton House Museum was previously the home of British painter Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton (1830–1896). Leighton was a famous and wealthy painter in his lifetime, choosing to mainly depict classical, biblical and historical events in the academic style of painting.

Leighton was also an avid traveller and collector of antiques, so he commissioned architect George Aitchison to build him a combined residence and studio where he could both create new paintings and store his prized antiques that came mainly from the Middle East. The result was a fascinating building in an Orientalist style that captures the opulence of his era.

You can visit his former home and enjoy the vast collection of his paintings and collected valuable items.

The Magic Circle

Everyone needs a little magic in their life, so don’t hesitate to visit the Magic Circle in London. This peculiar museum is dedicated to the history and practice of magic. It’s home to the British magic society and it features numerous fun and interesting events that you can go to.

It also exhibits important works of the magic arts, such as Harry Houdini’s handcuffs and possessions that belonged to other famous magicians. The Magic Circle, however, requires you to book a visit in advance. You can also book a ticket for one of the magic shows that they often put on.