Top Twelve Strangest Museums in London - A Guided Tour

I'm Jessica the museum guide and today I'm taking you on a tour of London's strangest museums. Today we are going to explore 12 of the strangest museums in the capital. There are hundreds of museums in London and there are definitely more that belong on this list so leave a comment below and let me know which ones I missed for a part two in the future. At number 12 on our list we have God's Own Junkyard and to be honest I could have ranked this warehouse even higher on our list but I wanted to start off with a pop of color. This is one of the most delightful places in London and like many entries on our list it's certainly not a typical museum. This is a psychedelic paradise housed in a warehouse in Walthamstow, northeast London. The late owner Chris Bracey aka The Neon Man was a Soho neon vendor making signs for strip clubs and bars in the 80s and 90s. Hollywood location scouts and set decorators saw his work and he was soon hired to make neon props for big directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan. He founded this warehouse space and filled it with an eclectic mix of salvaged signs, reclaimed neon, old movie props and retro displays. You'll also find neon art made of old pieces and found objects, circus props and so much more and a lot of it is for sale. Sadly Bracey passed away in 2014 but his legacy lives on. In the grey London winter or summer let's be honest come and get a dose of neon sunshine. There are a lot of great breweries nearby as well as a cafe on site and best of all admission is free. Number 11 is the Anesthesia Heritage Centre. No list of strange museums is complete without medical museums and we have three on our tour today but the Anesthesia Heritage Centre is by far the most niche medical museum in London and that's saying a lot in this city. Following a recent refurbishment the museum is very visitor friendly and it's often frequented by traveling anesthesiologists and medical students. That said it's an interesting place for anyone who has more than just a passing interest in medical history. The displays which can get quite grisly include the history of chloroform used for pain relief in childbirth including Queen Victoria's own births. On my tours of medical history in London I often say that for modern medicine to exist we needed anatomical knowledge, germ theory and effective anesthetic. This museum chronicles the history of the latter through its rare books, medical objects and interactive displays. The museum is free to visit. Number 10 on our list is Kirkhaldy's Testing Works. It's easy to walk past this unassuming building on Southwark Road without suspecting the magic and chaos that lies within. This is a purpose-built building designed to house this monster, the Kirkhaldy machine. David Kirkhaldy designed this single acting hydraulic machine with a load capacity of a in 1874. It was used for testing torsion, shear and crushing capacity. Kirkhaldy, who was born in Dundee, Scotland, was troubled by the horrors of bridge collapses and industrial accidents that were increasingly becoming common in the mid-19th century. He was inspired to create a solution that could test the new materials that were flooding the market during the late industrial revolution. Here you can see his famous motto, facts not opinions, over the door. Kirkhaldy tested material for Joseph Bazalgette's 1887 Hammersmith Bridge across the Thames and he achieved international acclaim in 1880 after the Tay Bridge collapse which killed 59 passengers. He tested samples from the collapsed bridge and conclusively showed exactly how its wrought iron tie bars failed. Depending on the day that you visit, you can see the different machines in action and even try your own hand testing materials like I did with this parachute cord. You can also visit Kirkhaldy's office, also used by his son and grandson, which is complete with its original furnishings and patent license. Admission fees vary depending on the special event but do check the website to see the next time that they're open to the public. Number nine on our top 12 strangest museums list is the Bethlehem Museum of the Mind. This is by far the most difficult museum to get to on our tour today. Bethlehem Hospital was originally called Bethlehem and it was founded where Liverpool Street Station is today, back in 1247. It moved to a few other places in the city before settling in at this site in 1930. The Bethlehem Hospital gives us the word bedlam because this was a terrifying and dark place throughout history. Until rather recently, the mentally ill were treated like animals when in care, with places like Bedlam simply places for them to while away their days until they died. One inspector in 1814 said that the place had the appearance of a dog kennel. In the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, it was thought the mental illness could be cured by balancing the humors, so doctors advised recurring bouts of vomiting and diarrhea and bleeding from the veins. Patients would have their skin blistered with caustic substances or be placed in cold baths for extended periods of time and this was before the electroshock therapies of the 20th century. The 18th century was no better. The doctors at Bethlehem charged paying customers tens of thousands of them a year to gawk at the patients. This was a top tourist attraction for Londoners, second only to St. Paul's Cathedral in popularity. For as little as a penny, people could enter Bethlehem's ward to gawk at patients and hurl abuse at them. The museum, located in this Art Deco hospital building, includes an internationally renowned collection of archives, art and historic objects. Some, like straitjackets or a rubber room, remind us of the indignities of a place like this, while artwork and writing by former patients provides insight into the real human experience of a place with as much grim history as Bedlam. Some highlights of the museum include the iconic statues of melancholy and raving madness that used to grace the front gates of the hospital and the whimsical cat paintings done by former patient Louis Wayne. Admission is free but remember it is a long trek. Number eight on our list is the Grant Museum of Zoology. When I was a grad student here at UCL, I used to volunteer here and I loved being in the museum after hours when all of the creatures seemed to come to life. Home to more than 67,000 specimens, it's London's last university zoological museum. The Grant Museum, named for the 19th century zoologist Robert Edmund Grant, is home to remarkable examples of extinct animals, such as the bones of a dodo and the bones and skins of a quagga and Tasmanian tiger. In addition to skeletal remains and taxidermy, the museum is packed full of jarred specimens, including manatee fetuses, bisected chimpanzee heads and pickled shrews. You can also see some lovely glass models by the Blaschka family, a father-son duo who I spoke about in my video on the Natural History Museum. In 2013, the Grant Museum opened the Micrarium. It's a tiny museum within a museum, featuring microscopic and lantern slides of the tiniest creatures in the world. Most famous of all though, for all you weird museum lovers, is the Jar of Moles. It even has its own Twitter account. And believe it or not, this is not the last Jar of Moles we'll visit on our tour today. Museums are wild. Admission to the Grant Museum is free. Make sure you leave me a and let me know the strangest museum you've ever been to. You know I want to know. Number seven on our list is the Museum of Freemasonry in Covent Garden. For an ancient sacred society shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories, the Freemasons Hall in London is remarkably open about their rituals, artifacts and memorabilia. Or at least, they want us to think they are. Freemasons are avid archivists, like the anesthesiologists who have a passion for chronicling their own history. The museum features a lot of well-curated displays, including the Royal Grandmaster's Throne. It was made in 1791 for the Prince of Wales, who later became King George IV. Personally, I think this Oddfellows mask is one of the strangest items on the tour and it's definitely one of the creepiest. So let me know in the comments section below if you were interested in seeing a video just about the strangest objects in London's different museums. In addition to this fantastic free museum, the Freemasons Hall also offers regular free guided tours throughout this Art Deco building, answering all of your burning questions you've ever had about Freemasonry. They won't teach you the secret handshake though. Like it or not, Freemasonry is woven into the fabric of modern British society, and this is a fascinating place to learn more. From one secretive society to another, number six on our list is the Magic Circle Museum. Of all the experiences I had filming this tour, visiting the Magic Circle Museum was the most fun. That's because the museum isn't regularly open to the You must visit for a scheduled event that includes two magic shows, and it was a blast. The museum contains a lot of fun artifacts, including the shoes that Dynamo wore when he walked across the Thames, the first book written in English about magic over 400 years ago, and lots of Sooty memorabilia. By the way, Sooty is the first stuffed toy to join the Magic Circle. He is officially a member, and so is King Charles III. He was inaugurated in 1975 after performing a cup and ball trick for the prestigious committee. In addition to the museum, which is housed in the basement, there are also a lot of cool artifacts displayed throughout the entire building. As a former curatorial assistant, I really appreciate how they are all presented. Admission to the museum is included when you book certain events and magic shows, so check their website for upcoming events. Number five on our list is the House of Dreams. Museums can evoke strong emotions, anger, glee, even boredom, but somewhere like the House of Dreams can also evoke nostalgia and self-reflection. This museum, which you are meant to explore and experience without the distraction of your phone and does not allow filming or photos, becomes a deeply personal and moving experience. This museum-slash-art project was started back in 1998 by late artists Donald Jones and Stephen Wright, who continues the magic today, along with his new husband, Michael. They carry on the work of the House of Dreams Museum, which is part home, part gallery, and most importantly, a personal record. The topics on display range from the silly to the philosophical. Death, sickness, and the absurdity of life paired with wonder and beauty, all in a technicolor explosion. Every inch of the house is decorated with a mosaic of global influences that chronicles Wright's life and passions, with special influence from Mexico and India, places where he feels a special affinity. This really is an example of the expression, feast your eyes. Every single inch you look at is covered with dolls, false teeth, used wigs, old toys, wills, letters, and photographs, collected from all over the world. Thankfully, this magical place has been bestowed to the National Trust, so when Wright and Michael pass away, their House of Dreams will live on. The House of Dreams is usually only open once per month, about eight months of the year, and the cost is £12 per adult. Pre-booking is necessary. Pushing the limits on the definition of museum, we have number four on our list, Novelty Automation. Part art gallery and part museum, part arcade, and 100% fun and bizarre, this small museum is tucked away in the back streets of Hoburn. But this offbeat museum is actually more of an amusement arcade. It's filled with satirical game machines, all constructed by cartoonist and engineer Tim Hunkin. He makes a lot of them by hand, including an interactive divorce machine, the my nuke personal nuclear reactor, a housing ladder slot machine, and a quote small hadron collider. Here's my husband testing his nerve against a vicious snarling dog, and then taking a holiday without ever leaving the comfort of the sofa. I'm getting my foot checked out by a stern chiropodist. Entry is free, though it's a few pounds to play each of the games. You can play every game for £26, a good value in my opinion to play around with some of the most bizarre one-of-a-kind art that you'll find in London. At number three, we have the Old Operating Theatre, which is the third and final medical museum on our list. And it's one of the most beloved in the country, if not the world. The quaint Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garrett is located near the southeast corner of London Bridge. This little museum is housed in the attic of the early 18th century church of the old St. Thomas's Hospital. Starting in 1822, the attic was used for early surgery, mostly amputations, and they installed great glass skylights here for the best lighting. The original timber-framed Herb Garrett is a wonderful place to poke around. It was once used to dry and store herbs for patients' medicines. Don't rush into the Operating Theatre. Make sure you take some time here to admire the tinctures, herbs, and medicines, not to mention the leeches for bloodletting. Now this is the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe, and this setup predates the use of anesthetics and antiseptics. Here you can see me, back during my master's degree, volunteering to be the patient for a demonstration of amputation on the wooden operating table. I'd love to do a longer video about the grim and terrifying world of Victorian surgery, so let me know if you were interested in the comment section below. See, in the photo I'm in pretty good spirits, but I wouldn't have been if I was actually having a surgery here. That's because the patient on the operating table would have been fully awake, maybe given some leather or a bit of wood to bite down on, and often held down by strong assistance. As we already learned, anesthetics weren't yet in use. Here, hanging on this hook, we can see a relatively clean surgeon's frock coat. However, this is not historically accurate. According to a contemporary here at the operating theatre, the actual jackets were, quote, stiff and stinking with pus and blood. In fact, the filthier the coat, the more respected the surgeon. I could say so much more about this wonderful museum, so let me know if you're interested in a video just on the old operating theatre and the history of surgery. Admission is £7.50 per adult, and it's worth every penny. The penultimate museum on our list, coming in at number two, is Dennis Seaver's House. Like the House of Dreams, Dennis Seaver's House does not allow photography or videos. Again, this is to help you fully immerse yourself into the experience and not be distracted by trying to get the best selfie or take the best photo. The museum was started by Dennis Seavers in 1979. He was an American artist who bought a derelict house that had been saved by the Spitalfields Trust. This area had fallen into steep decline after World War II, and the Spitalfields Trust were a grassroots organization that worked tirelessly to save these houses, sometimes even squatting inside to prevent the demolition vehicles from raising them. An eccentric and flamboyant artist, Seavers decided to reconfigure this house to tell the story of an imaginary Huguenot family who had lived here since the house was built in 1724. Huguenots were French Protestants forced to leave Catholic France in 1685, and many who came to Protestant England became savvy business people. In Spitalfields, they were skilled silk weavers who prospered until their industry was decimated by imported silks and calicos when England colonized India in the 19th century. This house tells the fictionalized story of the Jervis family as they rise from refugees to wealthy silk weavers and eventually plunge back into poverty. Rags to riches to rags indeed. That sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, it's not. Seavers was a delightful weirdo, and he envisioned much more than a stately house museum. According to the official museum website, quote, the material things he collected became a cast of characters, the house destined to be their stage. In each room, you encounter crackling fires, lit candles, half-eaten meals, and echoing laughter just out of earshot. There are mysteries to be solved and strange instances to witness, and maybe even a cat to stroke. Trust me, you need to look, listen, and as Seavers admonishes us over and over again, pay attention. Much of the house is authentic to the different areas it represents. He loved to collect antiques from the local markets, and when he couldn't find what he wanted, he would come up with his own solutions. For instance, the four-poster bed he used to sleep in was constructed from pallets and polystyrene. The ornate plasterwork on the ceilings? Some of it is plastic fruit he bought at Tesco and spray-painted white. Tennis Seavers' house is open most weekends and costs 15 pounds. You can also visit Friday nights for a fully candlelit visit for 20 pounds. At number one on our list, the strangest museum in London, and likely the strangest museum in the world, the Victor Wynne Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art, and Unnatural History. In almost any city in the world, Dennis Seavers would certainly win the moniker of strangest museum, but we're in London, and so we've got to visit the wild Victor Wynne. His museum is not for the faint of heart. It's loaded with occult objects, taxidermy, and bizarre celebrity memorabilia, including Russell Brand's pubic hair, the Rolling Stones used condoms, and even Kylie Minogue's poo. Yes, you heard me correctly about each of these things. Tucked amongst shrunken heads, old Happy Meal toys, pulp erotica, Fiji mermaids, and two-headed kittens, you'll find objects to horrify and delight you. Even better, you can swig a strong cocktail at the Absinthe Parlor and Cocktail Bar upstairs on the ground level. Described as, quote, the world in a hackney basement, eccentric founder Wynne has said that his cabinet of curiosities has no overreaching aim beyond the theft of its visitors' time. This is a true gentleman's wunderkammer that harkens back to the earliest days of collecting. It's a place of strange horror and excitement. If you're after even more madness, make sure to check out the events put on by the Last Tuesday Society, the group that runs the museum. They organize collecting trips to Papua New Guinea, spooky seances here on a glass coffin that contains a human skeleton, and talks and lectures with some of the world's preeminent weirdos. Of all the museums on this list, this one really deserves more time, so let me know if you'd like a video just about Victor Wynne and his mesmerizing museum. Thanks so much for watching this video, and please remember to like, comment, and subscribe. Leave me a comment below and tell me about the strangest museum that you've ever visited. I really want to know. I'll probably visit there myself in the future. I hope you enjoyed watching this video as much as I enjoyed visiting all of these truly strange museums, and I'll see you the next time I'm in the museum.