8 Museums in the Capital You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
You’ve probably heard of London's Science Museum or The Natural History Museum, but I bet you haven’t heard of God’s Own Junkyard or The Vagina Museum!
The deeper you dig, the more strange and wonderful things you’ll find in the quirky side of the capital.
Here is a list of weird and wonderful museums you’ve probably never heard of.
Young V&A: The Museum Of Childhood
A short walk from Bethnal Green Station you will find the Museum of Childhood, a place dedicated to the history of childhood and play. Get nostalgic and see if you can recognise a toy you once had or study the games, dolls, clothes and books that date from the 1800’s to the present day.
This museum is free and perfect for any age-group. Look on their website for extra-curricular activities and workshops.
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities
If you’re into really strange stuff, then why not go to “the country’s only curiosity museum” , The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities.
Take a trip into the wonderfully bizarre world of Viktor Wynd, where you will find celebrity stool samples, taxidermy, extinct bird feathers and some other rather unusual trinkets.
Don’t miss the hidden cocktail bar, The Last Tuesday Society, where each drink reflects the odd beauty of the museum.
The closest station is Bethnal Green.
Dennis Severs’ House
In Spitalfields, close to Liverpool Street Station you will find Dennis Severs’ House, which has been described as the “sensation of stepping into a painting”. It was designed “with the history of London inside it”.
Get lost in the sounds and smells of Victorian poverty in the poverty squalor room, admire the grand four-poster bed and enjoy the extraordinary décor that changes in every room. This museum will make you feel like you have stepped into a totally different time in history.
Be sure to book in advance.
The Cinema Museum
For film lovers, The Cinema Museum in Kennington focuses on immersing visitors into the historical era of cinema.
With an impressive collection of over 1 million vintage posters, projectors, books, popcorn machines and ashtrays, the site gives the impression of a cool, retro cinema. Volunteers dress in uniforms so you can really soak up the vibe of a different time.
The closest station is Elephant and Castle. Be sure to book in advance.
God’s Own Junkyard
Millennials seem to have an obsession with neon, who knows why? God’s Own Junkyard is a seriously cool display of elaborate neon signs that make you feel like you’ve wandered into a beautiful technicolour haven.
God’s Own Junkyard is a collection of glittering signs that have “appeared behind some of the greatest stars”. Expect to see neon lights that once featured in Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Eyes Wide Shut. Even the great magician, Dynamo has visited!
The museum is free with the closest station being Walthamstow Central.
The House of MinaLima
Every Harry Potter fan should visit the House of MinaLima in Covent Garden, “The design studio behind the graphic props of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films”.
Get stuck into the magic displays of prints, posters, books with gold foil and authentic props from the Harry Potter movies. You’ll find the original Hogwarts express ticket and the Maurader’s map.
Best of all, The House of MinaLima is free and is perfect for family visits. as this Harry Potter Museum is also a store, you can buy some of the amazing merchandise such as any of the gold-foil books, posters or magical prints.
The closest station is Covent Garden.
The Vagina Museum
The World’s first vagina museum found its home in the cool and hip Camden Market. It’s an important and educational museum that puts a spotlight on a part of the human body that has long been seen as insignificant.
The owner, Florence Schecter takes her visitors on an informative journey into the cultural, scientific, historical and all things in between. She believes in people understanding a far more rounded view of the vagina, as well as celebrating it.
The Vagina Museum offers free collections and exhibitions, as well as workshops, comedy nights and plays. They even do vagina cupcakes!
The closest station is Camden Town.
Freud Museum
If you’d like to know more about the famous and controversial psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, you can visit the house where he lived during the last year of his life.
Freud’s house is in the beautiful, picturesque Hampstead. Its most notable features are Freud’s study, where you will find “his collection of almost 2000 antiquities, including his psychoanalytical couch”.
The museum is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and must be booked in advance.
The closest station is Hampstead.
You’ll feel weird and wonderful after you’ve visited these hidden museums!
In these museums you’ll get a taste of London’s strangeness and beauty. It’ll make you feel that little bit cooler knowing you discovered the lesser-known spots most tourists have probably never heard of.
Which one will you visit first?