The Best Quirky and Unusual Museums in London

London is one of the greatest locations in the whole UK to visit for a museum. Yes, you can wander through the vast collections of the V&A, the British Museum, and the Museum of London without spending a single penny. But in my opinion, the quirky museums are the best museums when it comes to London town. If you’re willing to part with a small entry fee, London is host to some of the most unusual

Jewish Museum

Just off Camden High Street in North London is the Jewish Museum, the only collection solely dedicated to the history of Jews in the whole city.

There you’ll find holy objects on display, but more interestingly (for me, anyway) an insight into the lives of Jews in London. One exhibition focuses on a timeline of Jewish history, from early Jewish settlers in London, to The Edict of Expulsion in 1290 when King Edward I expelled all Jews from England, to the European escape from Pogroms in the late 1800s, to the Jewish experience in the First World War.

On the top floor of the museum, there is a library and study space, where there are hundreds of books available to use for research.

Novelty Automation

Still in the north of London, but a little closer to the action is Novelty Automation, a free entry collection of coin operated machines. It’s a small museum, located on Princeton Street, and can be easily enjoyed during a free hour in the city.

The machines vary from two player games, to tickly surprises. A few that stand out are Divorce, a game that Dan and I quite enjoyed playing and Pet or Meat, where a spin on a wheel determines whether a cute little lamb will become your pet or your dinner.

There’s also The Small Hadron Collider, an interactive game where you have the chance to win a prize from the desk! I did win a prize, but I won’t ruin it for you.

Charles Dickens Museum

Just around the block is Doughty Street, once home to Charles Dickens and now the site of the Charles Dickens Museum.

For around £13 per adult, you can see Dickens’ writing desk, a creepy attic, and a copper designed for washing clothes or steaming a Cratchit Christmas pud. There are a couple of interactive elements to the museum, a small café, and the Curiosity Shop, which sells a collection of Dickens themed gifts.

In my opinion, there’s no better a place for a literary lover.

The Golden Hinde

There are an array of equally unusual museums in the south of London too. If you ever fancied life as a 16th Century explorer, The Golden Hinde is a reproduction of the famous Elizabethan galleon which circumnavigated the world.

It is open for visitors for just £6 an adult. On board you’ll find period actors filling you in on the experience of a sailor, and on weekends, there are special history sessions too.

The Clink

Along the South Bank is The Clink Prison, the scariest of the museums on this list. Located in the old prison of the now ruined Winchester Palace, The Clink Prison shares the horrific experience of prisoners from the 12th to the 18th century.

It’s dark, dank, and smelly. It’s packed with unnerving statues, torture equipment, and the moans and groans of suffering criminals. Again, it’s a small museum, easily explored in around an hour, but it’s an hour that might set you on edge for fun!

Old Operating Theatre

The Old Operating Theatre, just a few hundred yards from The Clink, is a collection kept in the attic of the church of the old St Thomas’ Hospital. The building was used as a herb garret (to store and dry herbs for medicine) and was later used as an operating theatre, complete with seats surrounding the operating table for the education – or amusement – of onlookers.

The museum is packed with creepy medical paraphernalia from the 1800s, genuine human skeletons, and bits and bobs from bodies. It’s not for the fainthearted!

Jack the Ripper Museum

In the east of the city, where the notorious Jack the Ripper committed his heinous crimes, the Jack the Ripper Museum exists, sharing the facts and the speculations on the most famous serial killer in history.

The museum spans five floors, including a morgue and a diorama of the discovery of one of the bodies. What really stands out is the information on the experience of the Victorian underclass, which is presented throughout the staircase.

I’m not sure whether it truly counts as one of the more quirky or unusual museums in London, but it’s something a bit niche, and well worth a visit.

Related: Things to do near Tower Bridge

Cutty Sark

The museum on this list in probably the most gorgeous location is the Cutty Sark. She is part of the Royal Museums Greenwich, and is based on the south east bank of the Thames, offering amazing views of the river itself.

Larger and grander than the Golden Hinde, Cutty Sark is a Victorian clipper, and famous for the speed at which it was able to travel at the time. She was the main ship which was used to bring wool from Australia to England! On board, visitors will find the worlds largest collection of figureheads – a strange sight, but one that is interesting nonetheless.

Vagina Museum

Not sure whether you’d call it quirky or unusual but the Vagina Museum, a semi-mobile collection dedicated to, you guessed it, all things vaginal, is one of them! Gaze in wonder at giant sculptures, excellent diagrams, and even historic artefacts. There are also exhibitions that you can access online through their website.

At the moment, the exhibits are in storage, as the charity is looking for a new home, but as soon as they find a new base, I’ll let you know!

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