When you think of London, you think of Royalty, Shakespeare, Pubs, but if you look again you will find London is home to some of the quirkiest museums and retro shops around. From toy stores to nurture your inner kid to old medicine rooms, London is home to a wide variety of attractions that are perfect for anyone who has a little geek in them. Discover the places mentioned to become intellectually stimulated and note that you don’t have to be a geek to visit but of course it may be so much cooler if you are!
Wellcome Collection
The web site’s tag line is “free destination for the incurably curious.” This small museum focuses on human condition exploration, making for a unique blend of art and science with a bizarre, ghoulish twist. The 1,500 exhibits cover six centuries of our continually changing relationship with our bodies. The exhibits include shrunken heads, royal hair, Picasso, a DNA sequencing robot and the most interesting to see is Francis Crick’s hand-drawn sketch of the genome DNA strand which was created in 1953 – it’s the first drawing of a piece that would connect humans together in years to come
183 Euston Road London
The Royal Institution of Great Britain
Head over to the Royal Institution for both the museum and the special events, such as a maths in the modern world lecture or a talk about codes and information, also known as devious dwarves and wicked wizards. The museum includes a wide range of exhibits about chemistry and physics experiments the led to discoveries and inventions, it’s also home to where 14 Nobel Prize winners were created.
Albemarle St, Greater London
Royal Observatory
Stand in two hemispheres at once at the Royal Observatory, home of both the Prime Meridian of the World and Greenwich Mean Time. Additionally, it houses London’s only planetarium, the largest refracting telescope in the UK (with a 28-inch lens), and the Harrison timekeepers. Finally, you don’t want to miss the Observatory courtyard’s camera obscura. Don’t forget to take in a planetarium show during your visit where they tell you about how the Milky Way really got its name!
Blackheath Avenue, Greenwich
Playlounge
This unique toy store features designs that you may think are intended just for children but really are for adults wanting to relive their childhood nostalgia, ok so kids will also find their new best friend here. It’s all about design in this quaint store, from small robots to illustrated books; if you want to get in touch with your inner geek then this is a place not to miss!
19 Beak Street, near Oxford Circus
Imperial War Museum
One of a set of five war museums in the UK, the Imperial museum in London features the following permanent galleries: Secret War, First World War Galleries, Crimes Against Humanity, and Conflict since 1945. They also host a variety of exhibits throughout the year. Upcoming exhibits include The People’s War: Second World War Portraits, Cecil Beaton: Theatre of War, A Family in Wartime, and Build the Truce.
Lambeth Road, London
Transport Museum
If you have an interest in old cars, London buses, and the Tube, this museum will definitely be on your list. While you are at the museum, it is well worth visiting both the gift shop and the Upper Deck cafe. The gift shop features a wide variety of Tube related items as well as upholstery service in case you need a chair or sofa with London Underground fabric. The cafe features train furniture and cocktails with Underground line names.
Covent Garden Piazza
Old Operating Theatre
When you’re ready for your next ‘geekspedition’, head over to the Old Operating Theatre. For a small entry fee of £6.00, you’ll be able to tour the 300 year theatre where you can view a demonstration of how in the old times surgery was performed with no anaesthesia. Revel in yesteryear medicine practices while thanking your lucky stars for modern medicine!
9a St. Thomas St, London
You can find cheap hotels in London near all the hotspots mentioned via Hostelbookers.com, who created their own Geek Travel Map with tips from Top Celebrity Geeks!