Visiting museums in the UK is a must tourism program. But if the traditional places have already been explored, then it’s time to treat yourself to a trip to the extraordinary establishments of London.
Say no to conservatism!
Historical, local history and other similar museums have been studied far and wide by tourists, so we offer you a list of ten alternative places that will definitely interest you.
- Museum of Childhood. Perhaps almost everyone would like to come here. After all, it is here that it is collected huge amount toys and games, the history of which begins several centuries ago and reaches today. Old railways, real tin soldiers, dolls Victorian era, looking at visitors with their empty eyes, as well as modern computer games and fancy toys. In such a place it will be interesting not only for children, but also for parents who would not mind returning to childhood at least for a minute.
- Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising. This exposition deservedly falls into the top interesting places capital of Britain. Modern man often does not even pay attention to what the products are packaged in, what is written on the leaflets handed out on the streets, and what is said in the advertising that suddenly interrupts the film. But once you visit this exhibition, you will have a unique opportunity to trace the entire history of the development of the era of consumption. You will be able to see very interesting exhibits: the first vacuum cleaner, which rather resembles a large accordion with a hose, the first cigarette packs, beverage cans, various household chemicals and much more.
- Grant Zoological Museum. This list will not be complete without a fascinating collection of the rarest animals. But perhaps one of the strangest exhibits in Grant's exhibition is a collection of moles placed in formaldehyde. But this is not the most surprising thing that can be seen in zoological museum– heads and brains of various animals preserved in alcohol and divided in half – this is real adrenaline.
- Barth Pathology Museum. The exhibition was founded in London back in 1879 and has not lost its relevance since then. But you should be prepared - the exhibits here are definitely not for the faint of heart or impressionable. By the way, you can see with your own eyes parts of the body of John Bellingham, the murderer of the British Prime Minister.
- Horniman Gardens and Museum. This is a truly fascinating world where you can look at natural beauty, fauna, and, together with your children, try to understand the basics of various crafts and art.
- Pollock Toy Museum. Tourists who want to relive their childhood do not come here. The atmosphere in this place is more suitable for horror films: long dark corridors, creaking floors and rather strange toys. You will be greeted by dolls with glass eyes, teddy bears and various puppets.
- Klink Prison Museum. Looking for a thrill? Then you are at the right place. Here you will learn about the everyday life of prisoners, you will be able to see and even try various instruments of torture. And for a fee, you will be happy to be placed in a cell for the night.
- Ripley's Museum of Extraordinary Things. A truly unusual place where literally everything surprises: dinosaur eggs, wax copies unusual people, animals with various mutations. In addition, you will always find something to have fun there, because the exhibition features laser shows and labyrinths.
- Harry Potter Museum. It is unlikely that any fan will be able to resist visiting this exhibition, since it is organized directly at the filming location. You will be surrounded by real scenery, as well as fascinating stories about the work of the team that made the film adaptation of the book possible.
- Royal London Hospital Museum. First of all, it is famous for the fact that Joseph Merrick lived here in the 19th century, who gained popularity thanks to the deformities of his body, for which he was nicknamed “the elephant man.” Also, having provided all possible assistance in the investigations into the case of the famous murderer Jack the Ripper, the exhibition acquired some very valuable exhibits.
You may not find these places in London guidebooks, but they are worth a visit if you want to get to know the history of the city and its mysteries.
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Offers its visitors a journey into the world of the extraordinary. As well as good cafes and bars, guests can also visit the UK's extraordinary museums. This - mysterious places visits that aren't usually featured in standard London tourist guides, but wow are worth a look.
This is the only one in the world in which the main object of interest is various types of tea and coffee. The exhibits take us back to the days of the British Empire and colonialism, showing the commercial interest in these two products in society at the time.
The museum was founded by Edward Brahma in 1992. Its exhibits trace the history of tea and coffee over the past four centuries: from the moment of their import to Europe from Africa and the Far East.
The museum has over 3,000 books of cartoons and drawings of every kind, with an emphasis on political cartooning. It was founded in 2006 and consists of more than 1,200 exhibitions. Exhibits trace the history of British caricatures, comics, drawings and animation back to the 18th century. The museum offers visitors the opportunity to see modern designs design, as well as unique, very rare examples of drawing art.
3. Museum of Surgery
For many, this museum will look like a scene from a horror movie, but this is exactly what the operation rooms looked like in the early 19th century.
The hall is equipped with benches for those wishing to attend the operation, which in those days took place without anesthesia or antiseptics.
In addition to the large operating room, furnished according to the original of the time, the museum offers visitors exhibitions on the development of surgery, early medical practice and instruments.
Another museum dedicated to medicine is located in the old English Church. It contains exhibits of medieval medical instruments, as well as numerous documents from which one can learn about strange medical cases, such as the case of the Elephant Man. Here you can also see celebrity exhibits: artificial teeth and kidney stones.
6. British Optical Association Museum
England. London museums for children: museums of science, natural history, history of London - games and experiments. Detailed story with photos.
The capital of England is famous for its democracy, so the main “adult” museums - the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum - can be visited completely free of charge. We'll tell you about free museums for young tourists and discoverers - those who are ready to bombard their parents with questions every second and dream of flying to the moon right in the morning.
Science Museum
Natural History Museum
Next door to the Science Museum is the Natural History Museum, which invites children and adults not only to wander through the majestic halls of the monumental Victorian building, but also to look into the tent in the courtyard, where colorful butterflies from all over the world flutter.
Museum of London History
Unusual excursions: famous London shops
In London you can go for free not only to museums: there are also beautiful shops that have existed for 100-200 years. No, of course, you can not only walk there, but also buy the most fashionable clothes or the most delicious food, but it will also be pleasant to simply admire the interiors and shop windows.
World-famous seven-story premium class store Harrod's founded in the 30s of the 19th century, and for the last 25 years belonged to Mohammed Al-Fayed, whose son Dodi died in a car accident along with Princess Diana. The store occupies an entire block in the luxurious Knightsbridge area, with numerous counters on the ground floor to grab a bite to eat.
Unearthly beauty cakes, the best tea from all over the world, kitchen utensils and dishes are sold in Fortnum & Mason. The famous store, opened on Piccadilly in 1707, has long become a symbol of English sophistication and taste. At The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, which is named after the diamond jubilee of the reign of Elizabeth II and which was opened by the “birthday girl” herself, you can partake in traditional afternoon tea - tea with sandwiches and scones.
The most designer store with the most fashionable brands of clothing and shoes Liberty's located in the famous building on Regent's Street, built from the timber of two ships and included in the "Government List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest".
Although, by and large, there are few buildings in the city center that do not have such interest... Just don’t forget about comfortable shoes - London will provide the rest for you.
Visiting such museum “giants” as British Museum or the National Gallery is the goal of almost all tourists coming to London. And in the capital of England there are still many small, sincere, highly specialized and simply original museums dedicated to outstanding personalities, hobbies or various oddities.
Pollocks' Toy Museum
The Pollock Toy Museum is a paradise for children and adults. The museum's two buildings house a variety of frightening and enchanting wax and porcelain dolls. You can also see a large collection here board games, soft toys, as well as puppet theater decorations and characters.
The Fan Museum
If someone is interested in what the most ancient fans looked like, then they have a direct route to the London Fan Museum. There are more than 3,500 fans from all over the world, made from ivory, silk and peacock feathers. The age of some specimens has already exceeded a thousand years.
Clockmakers' Museum
The Clock Museum in London consists of one ticking and ringing room. Here you can find everything from the pocket watches worn by Elizabethan Londoners to the latest chronometers.
Old Operating Theater Museum
The eerie Museum of the Old Operating Theater offers visitors a chance to admire the tools and methods of treating unfortunate patients that were in use before the dawn of science.
The Garden Museum
Those who have an agronomist somewhere deep in their souls will appreciate the Horticultural Museum's exhibition, which consists of ancient gardening tools and a beautifully recreated purely English “knot” garden.
The Freud Museum
You can lie on the same couch on which patients of the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, confided in the house-museum named after him. Also collected here large collection his books and various works art.
Charles Dickens Museum
A museum dedicated to one of the most significant figures of Victorian literature, Charles Dickens, who lived and worked in London in the 1830s. In the museum you can see what the writer created and was surrounded by: furniture, paintings and manuscripts.
Handel House Museum
House-Museum of Handel, the great composer German origin conceals the atmosphere of the 18th century. The entire interior is recreated so believably, as if the master himself had just worked here. By the way, Jimi Hendrix lived in the house next door, and now there is a museum office there.
Travel is best way relax and enjoy new sensations and impressions. Every city in the world contains a huge cultural heritage peoples who lived and are living in it. Millions of tourists from all over the world form a completely chaotic flow of people thirsting for novelty, and the service industry reacts to this. Now you can fly anywhere, but a real life hacker understands - all these travel agencies and excursion companies work with maximum convenience for themselves.
Everything is put on a conveyor belt: the next batch of guests is loaded onto buses, transported along a well-established route, something is sold along the way, and now you seem to have seen all the delights of the place you have arrived at. But anyone large city conceals many secrets and mysteries that will not be shown to you on a regular excursion. These places may not be in guidebooks, but they are definitely worth seeing. In our series of articles we will tell you about such places in various cities around the world, and London is first on the list.
1. Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising (Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising)
The entire history of consumer culture from 1800 to the present day in one place. This specialized museum houses more than 12 thousand original items from Robert Opie's unique collection. Here you can learn how today's favorite brands have achieved loyalty and recognition through creative packaging and advertising of their products.
Address: 2 Colville Mews, London, W11 2AR
Website: www.museumofbrands.com
2. Rolling Bridge (transformable bridge)
This is a real miracle of engineering. At first glance, it may seem that this is not a bridge at all, but some kind of huge animated mechanical caterpillar. Initially, the creators of the bridge solved a completely ordinary problem: they needed a pedestrian bridge that would allow boats to sail under it. Agree, the solution turned out to be at least unusual. Even on video, the transformation of this structure is mesmerizing. Imagine what it would be like to see this live. This is what a creative approach to solving quite trivial problems means. It is not for nothing that Thomas Heatherwick, the creator of this transforming bridge, received the prestigious British Structural Steel Design Award.
Address: Paddington Basin, west London
About the project: Rolling Bridge
Vicki: Rolling Bridge
3. Ripley's London Museum (Ripley's Museum of Incredible Things)
In fact, this is a whole network of museums scattered around the world, and one of its branches is located in London. What is interesting and unusual about it? Absolutely everything. The museum’s slogan is “Believe it or not,” and the exhibits fully justify it.
The most unusual things from all over the world are collected here - dinosaur eggs, wax figures-copies of “non-standard” people, stuffed animals with the most incredible shapes and mutations. Exhibitions are complemented by all kinds of entertainment activities: mirror maze, journey into a black hole, laser show tests.
Address: 1 Piccadilly Circus, London, W1J ODA
Website: www.ripleyslondon.com
4. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Sri Swaminarayan Temple)
The last thing you expect to see in London is a Hindu temple. However, it is there, and the size and appearance he is not just surprised. The domes and shikaras of this architectural masterpiece make people literally gasp in amazement. This is a fairly young building (the temple was built in 1995), but it is truly unique. Nowhere else in the world outside India does a Hindu temple of this size exist. Once inside the temple, you can completely immerse yourself in the atmosphere and philosophy of Hinduism.
Address: 105-119 Brentfield Road, London, NW10 8LD
Website: www.mandir.org
5. Apple Store (Apple Store on Regent Street)
We simply could not help but point out this shrine for all fans of the apple company. On at the moment It will not be possible to find an Apple Store in Russia - so far the company has limited itself to only the official online store. But in fact, each Apple store is unique and truly represents a masterpiece of architecture, as it is located inside very extraordinary buildings. The London Apple Store is no exception, but the most architecturally outstanding in our opinion is the store on Regent Street. Just look at the photos. This place is worth a visit.
Address: 235 Regent Street, London, W1B 2EL
Website: www.apple.com/uk/retail/regentstreet
6. Crystal Palace Park (Dinosaur Park)
It would seem, what interesting things could there be in a park, even a London one? Paths, trees, a wonderful zoo and, of course, dinosaurs. It was this place that gave birth to a trend that is still fashionable to this day - the passion for dinosaurs. More than 160 years ago, the sculptor and artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins recreated the giant and not so monsters that once lived here on earth in the form of statues, and they were built life-size, and the famous paleontologist Richard Owen advised the creator.
Address: London, SE20 8DT
Website: www.crystalpalacepark.org.uk
7. The Cartoon Museum
London has a huge selection of museums, but the Animation Museum is one of the most unusual. This is a small cozy exhibition, each visitor of which can feel like a child and touch amazing world cartoons. The museum displays more than 5,000 cartoon characters and 4000 comics. Moreover, the exhibition also reflects the history of quite serious animated films that touch on current public issues. The museum is also famous for its political satire– you can find not only an image in it Winnie the Pooh, but also, for example, a caricature of Elizabeth II.
Address: 35 Little Russell Street, London, WC1A 2HH
Website: www.cartoonmuseum.org
8. Thames Barrier
An ignorant person is unlikely to recognize a dam controlling the river in these futuristic structures. You might think that aliens have landed here, or that the military is testing some kind of weapon of the future. In fact, this structure is almost 30 years old and was built due to the threat of repeated floods that had previously occurred in areas adjacent to the river. This powerful defender is definitely worth a look.
Address: 1 Unity Way, Woolwich, London, SE18 5NJ
Website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
9. Wooden escalator at Greenford tube station
The London Underground is one of the oldest in the world. Its first branch opened in 1863. Structurally, the London Underground has some of the longest escalators compared to underground transport systems in other cities and countries. In the past, wood was used to make these moving staircases, and at Greenford station one such wooden escalator is still in operation.
10. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (Harry Potter Museum)
As you know, the cult film series about Harry Potter was filmed in England, and in in this case studio Warner Bros. She did probably the most pleasant thing she could do: the film studio where the film was filmed was converted into a museum. In it, visitors can look at the scenery used in the filming and learn a lot about the filming process, the enormous work of decorators, costume designers and artists, the development of special effects and stunts.
Address: Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, WD25 7LR
About the museum: