Unusual Things to Do in London
Beyond the standard sightseeing circuit, London has a genuinely deep well of strange, wonderful and overlooked experiences. Here's a curated selection worth seeking out.
Dennis Severs' House
A preserved Huguenot house in Spitalfields staged as if its fictional inhabitants just left — fires burning, food half-eaten, silence enforced throughout the visit. Unlike any museum experience in London.
The Hunterian Museum
A museum of anatomical specimens and surgical history at the Royal College of Surgeons — genuinely unusual, not for the squeamish, and free to visit.
Crossness Pumping Station
A Victorian sewage pumping station in southeast London with extraordinary ornamental cast ironwork — open on selected days only, and one of London's most unexpected architectural treasures.
God's Own Junkyard
A neon sign warehouse and gallery in Walthamstow — thousands of vintage and new neon signs in a genuinely photogenic, slightly overwhelming space. Has a small bar attached.
The Last Tuesday Society (Viktor Wynd Museum)
A cabinet-of-curiosities style museum in Hackney combining taxidermy, art and genuine oddity — small, strange, and completely unlike any conventional museum.
Tips
- Dennis Severs' House requires silence during the visit — check opening times as they're limited.
- Crossness Pumping Station only opens on selected days — check their events calendar before planning a visit.
- God's Own Junkyard in Walthamstow is a genuinely unusual afternoon out, especially for photography.