Weird & Unusual Museums to Visit in London

Those interested in the arts, science and history will be richly rewarded due to the amount of museums to see, most of which are also completely free.

There are also a number of unique, lesser known destinations that are definitely worth seeking out.

Of course if you have never been to London before you should start off with the most famous and well know places such as the British Museum, Science Museum and Natural History Museum. But you should also venture to some of the other lesser known museums which are very highly rated too.

If you are looking to see something quirky and unique, here are our top recommendations for alternative London museums.

1. The Cinema Museum

The Cinema Museum, in Kennington, south London, is a wonderful destination for film fans that offers a detailed account of the silver screen. There are many photographs, movie posters as well as antique cinema fixtures and even uniforms. The museum has guided tours that are helpful in telling the story of the progression of film, and how it was projected onto the big screen.

Address: 2 Dugard Way, Lambeth, London SE11 4TH

2. Sherlock Holmes Museum

The Sherlock Holmes Museum, in Baker Street, is an amazing place to visit even if tourists are not huge fans of the films or shows. This interesting museum is found in a terraced house that’s written about in the books created by the wonderful author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Address: 221b Baker St, Marylebone, London NW1 6XE

3. Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum found in South Kensington is another example of a truly fascinating place to visit, and it offers a superb things to see and do. This is probably one of the most well known museums on our list but it is somestimes overlooked in favor of other museums in the area like the Natural History Museum.

Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL

4. Museum of Childhood

The Museum of Childhood located in Bethnal Green that offers a range of toys and other childhood-related paraphernalia. There are also many activities and daily events that are designed to engage the minds of young ones.

Address: Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA

5. Garden Museum

A very unique destination is the brilliant Garden Museum, which is found in a church in Lambeth offering a beautiful green space. This venue also contains permanent displays about gardening including information about tools as well as art work.

Address: 5 Lambeth Palace Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 7LB

6. Magic Circle Museum

One of the most captivating places to visit has to be the Magic Circle Museum, in Euston, which is actually a private club where magicians meet. Tourists can head there on a guided tour of the museum where they will see props that belonged to some of the world’s best illusionists such as Harry Houdini.

Address: Centre for the Magic Arts, 12 Stephenson Way, Kings Cross, London NW1 2HD

7. Cartoon Museum

The Cartoon Museum, in Holborn, is a wonderful place to visit that has preserved great British cartoon and comic art. This dates back to the 18th century and includes pieces right up until the present day. There are classic comic strips featured there including Dennis the Menace, Billy the Whizz and The Bash Street Kids.

Address: 63 Wells St, Fitzrovia, London W1A 3AE

8. The Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is one of the real hidden gems in London located in Forest Hill.

This museum has a huge collection of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium, a Butterfly House and natural history collection.

You can see collections up-close and face-to-face. You can even pick up, try on and play with some of the objects. There are lots of activities and an amazing 16-acre garden.

Address: 100 London Rd, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ