I waited for a while to write this review as I wanted to parse this experience a little more in my…read moremind. In general, this place was reasonably well designed to tell the Jack the Ripper saga at a level for the casual observer. In other words, for those who want to learn the historical significance of the events on a basic level, it was perfect. I was afraid that it might be overly gimmicky and touristy. And there was some dramatic effect pervasive in the audio guide (extra cost), but it was not overdone. While the museum is housed in the Whitechapel neighborhood where the murders occurred, the structure itself has no documented connection to any of the homicides or murder suspects. The museum is well chosen, however, as it features five floors where they stage scenes relevant to the telling of the Ripper saga. The ground floor was informational, while the next level was set up as one of the first murder scenes where a victim was found. The second floor (third level) was staged as the apartment of one of the prime suspects Walter Sickert. There were actually a period overcoat and derby in that room to try on for a photo op. The third floor was set up to be a likeness of the police station with actual police artifacts from the investigator who was working the case. The top floor was constructed as a shanty apartment from one of the last victims. The basement (last in the tour on the recommended sequence) was a scene from the Ten Bells Tavern which seemed to be a seminal hunting location for the Ripper. The museum was well presented and the audio guide and displays presented the right amount of drama to tell the story without crossing the "hype" border. If you want to leave out most of the drama, you could forgo the audio guide. I thought it was a nice added dimension. But the artifacts and the signage by themselves give a very good basic history of the events associated with the Ripper. The backgrounds of the victims were quite interesting. Likewise fascinating were the identities and backgrounds of the lineup of suspects that had been pegged as possible culprits by various contemporaries as well as scholars and JtR buffs since that time. What particularly interested me was the status of Whitechapel within London's social environment at that time. It was clearly very different from the current standing of the community, which has really only changed in the past 20 or 30 years from what I could glean. This area was clearly rife to present opportunities for a psychopath like the Ripper to find his victims. These unfortunate women were victimized first by society and by their own poor choices before becoming ultimate victims for the Ripper. It was an intriguing dive into London's social history. Because of the iconic and enduring nature of the mystery behind these killings and its inextricable tie to the City of London, this museum is probably worth seeing if you have the time (and I emphasize the word "IF"). Given the number of worthwhile sights in London, I'd be hard pressed to urge most people to prioritize it. This was my fifth or sixth trip to London, and the third in which I've had my wife with me, so we were in a situation where we were on second tier sights, making this one easier to prioritize. We were also staying in Shoreditch. Hence, the proximity was working in our favor as the museum was walkable. On the other hand, if you are a crime buff or a mystery buff in addition to being interested in social and cultural history, you might elevate this sight to a must-see. It is done well enough to be both entertaining and informative.

I didn't take a lot of pictures of this great little museum because that would ruin it for those…read morewho like these types of places. Nice little souvenirs to take home. Museum takes you through the whole Jack the Ripper murders. Mind you it is a three story museum and more information in the basement. Lots to look at, and it brings you closer to what happened.

A great museum! We saw so much and barely scratched the surface! Huge...enormous. I am sure I could…read morespend a week in London only visiting the Tate and still not see everything. I am a lover of modern art, and the Tate did not disappoint. Great special exhibits, engaging and spectacular large scale pieces in the atria and transition spaces, really bright and fantastic stuff. This was high on my list of want-to-visit spots on my last London visit. And though I don't like to repeat experiences if there is more to do...I may pay it another visit on my coming trip back to the city later this year! Highly recommend. And if you know someone who is a member, a snack and a drink in the lounge/restaurant is a great sit-break.

Art, adaptive reuse and concrete forms…read more The Herzog & de Meuron adaptive reuse of the Bankside Power Station building had been on my architectural bucket list for quite some time. The building itself is an unapologetic mashup of industrial steel and brutalist concrete forms. The art plays really well against this backdrop. We saw a number of great pieces with the free admission. I thinks it's worth your while and I don't understand the poor reviews.

This was such a unique and fantastic "still-life drama" visit. If you are looking for an obscure,…read moreyet artsy experience, this is the place to see. Each room is pretty narrow and you'll be walking up about 6 flights of stairs so wear comfortable shoes. You'll use all of your senses when you walk through this house and, imagined how people lived during the early 18th century based on economic means. Costs 10 GBP per person for a general visit and they take cash only. I used an Uber to get here and decided to Google Maps my way through the town of Shoreditch afterward which, was also a fun adventure.

I really wanted to love this experience. I loved the idea of it all - a home frozen in time,…read morestripped of anything modern, oozing history and story and questions. I even loved the way I discovered it: I just zoomed into our hotel's location and moved the map on my screen to see what was nearby and intriguing. On the whole, it was an interesting experience. There were a few other people making their way through the floors of the residence, and some of them (one group in particular) clearly wanted to be anywhere but inside those walls. Still, we took our time with each room, trying to put ourselves in the time, forget the world outside, become immersed in the experience. There are four floors, and you're not supposed to talk, which made finding the right "next room" a bit of a challenge. I think I tried to enter rooms out of order on three of the four floors (and only got the fourth floor right because there was only room available). They have people working the space, but none of them pointed in the right direction or gave even the slightest hint that you were headed the wrong way until you'd already committed to walking into a room. Each room had a different "story" attached to it. You walk in, take a moment to gather your senses and get a feel of the place (no modern technology, so everything's candle and fireplace lit), then you're meant to understand everything that was going on right before you walked in. There are small cards scattered throughout the dioramas, which encourage you to ponder a certain piece, question the placement of a chair, or absorb a scent. They go out of their way to ensure accuracy and make the rooms feel authentic. Yes, that really IS a bedpan with something that looks suspiciously like wee floating in it (I couldn't bring myself to check on that one). Maybe I was just too tired to really appreciate what they did there. I am glad that we went - it was different and maybe a bit odd - but I don't know that I'd recommend it to anybody who doesn't have an appreciation for history or strange. They don't allow photos (follow their Instagram page if you're interested in getting a sneak peek of the space), so you're going to have to rely on your ever-fading memories and snapshots in your mind. Or maybe that's just me.

Very informative and great customer service. Several hundred year of history. It's free to visit…read more Very kids friendly.

A nice little museum to visit for free. I came because there was a 2 hour wait to exchange paper…read moremoney to the new notes due to the old paper notes not being in circulation anymore. So it's worth a visit while your friend is in line. However, not worth making a trip just to see the museum but a good excursion whilst in the area.

Nice gallery, friendly reception, close to the station, not too expensive, nice little gift shopread more

Staff closes the gallery 30m early every time I have visited on my way home from work.read more

Very interesting - see the old operating theatre, diseased lungs and brains in jars, crazy medical…read moreimplements. Definitely insightful. To get into the place you have to climb up a very steep, claustrophobic winding staircase which would be impossible for some people.

I love, and I mean LOVE, a medical history museum! Because…read morefolks...they aren't all well-known, but they aren't unusual to find. And you should definitely seek one out, if there is one in a city you are visiting. They tend to be small, but also the most interactive types of educational museums spaces. The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret is not open everyday (unlike what Yelp says), which makes sense for the size and type of place. Despite it's location near Borough Market and the large London Bridge metro station, it seems it is small enough...far enough off the main drag...and with the smallest little sign indicating it's location...that it has weekend-only hours. Sort of....long weekend....Thursday - Sunday 10:30am -5pm. These are the days and hours as they appear on google AND the museum's own website. So be aware. The actual museum is in the attic of the building that houses it, and requires an ability to go up several stories worth of a very narrow spiral staircase. It is not accessible, and there are no toilet facilities on site. So be aware. I appreciate the stair-traffic-control they do, with alternating red and green lights on the top and bottom so you know when you can go in whatever direction without a mid-spiral traffic jam. Upon paying for entrance, you get a scratch card with a person's illustration on it, and you scratch off a series of information bits as you go through the museum and see their icon. Love it! And there are different ones, so if you have a couple people in a group, you'll learn about different people! There is a children's area with coloring pages and interactive parts... It is all really just....so cool. You should go and experience it, if you have the physical capacity to get yourself to the entrance. I don't want to spill too much of what you will see there....but loads of history along with historical medical instruments, an operating theater, and other various medical-adjacent and old time-y pharmaceutical-y things...it's...fantastic. Well worth your time and money and some fun souvenirs, should you be in to that as well. Highly recommend!

The Charterhouse is an oasis in the Smithfields neighborhood just north of the busy City (square…read moremile) of London. And it is so historic! Since the 14th century It has been a monastery, a private mansion, a boys' home, and an almshouse which it still is today. There's a whole campus of buildings here and probably the largest green space in the nearby vicinity. Now what's best of all, this historic and interesting site is now after 400 years open to the public with a new museum as well as entry into the chapel. In addition one can book a tour. Visits to the museum and chapel of the Charterhouse are free. The staff are very friendly and eager to point out things. Put it on your London list!

We visited in August and thoroughly enjoyed the museum, the chapel, the friendly and helpful staff,…read moreand coffee next door at the Thackeray Cafe. The list of Old Boys is eye-opening. Do put this newly opened museum on your itinerary. It's small and off the beaten track, but absolutely worth a visit.

A tiny little museum in the Guildhall for "THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF CLOCKMAKERS OF…read moreLONDON." Lot's of pocket watches, old grandfather clocks, winding keys, fobs and chronographs. Beautiful workmanship and history. You may not be a horologist but it is a chromotastic delight!

Small and entirely delightful - this museum has examples of everything from teeny, tiny little…read moreladies' watches in jewelled cases, to the first marine clocks - which of course were an astonishing feat of engineering at the time, and changed the course of human history by enabling accurate navigation. Open from Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 4.45, it's well worth a lunchtime visit. Entry is free, but as with anything attached to the Guildhall, it's subject to short notice closures because of visiting dignitaries, so do check beforehand that they're open.

This is a bit of a strange little museum located down a popular alley between Shakespeare's Globe…read moreand the London Bridge. It's located at the former sight of The Clink, one of London's oldest prisons that operated for about 100 years. We did some research online ahead of time, and actually decided to skip it, but once we stumbled upon it we changed our minds. Admission is only £8 for adults, which felt pretty reasonable for what they have going here. They don't have many actual artifacts, but do teach a lot about torture tactics used during the medieval times. Overall, I probably wouldn't come here again, but it was worth the low cost of admission. I believe it took us about 45 minutes to get through.

The museum is interesting and good to kill a half hour to 45 minutes if you're into getting a…read moreglimpse of medieval torture and crime. The museum is very small, yet it's only about £8, so not a big expense. I bought my tickets in advance on their website for Dec. 26th. I went on Boxing Day, and their website says they open at 10am every other day except Christmas. So I arrived at 10:05am and the doors were closed. There were a few others waiting at their locked front doors as well who bought their tickets online. There were no signs outside nor on their website about differing operating hours for Dec. 26th. I emailed the museum while I was waiting outside and haven't heard anything yet. The others outside called them and it just rang and rang with no message. I'm writing this on Dec. 27th. I waited for about 30 minutes and left to sit at a cafe to do some online investigating. I found on their FACEBOOK page that they were going to open at 11am on Boxing Day. I was happy about this news and went back and was able to enjoy the museum. While it is small, it does have authentic artifacts from the medieval prison days as well as a handful of interactive exhibits. There's some creepy music as well as audio reenactment recordings of prisoners. I'd say it's not a must-do, but if you're in the area near Borough Market and have about an hour or less to spare, then check it out. I just wish they had more accurate hours on their website.

This new museum (2018) is tucked away beside the Guildhall in the City of London and a little bit…read moretricky to find. Admission is free. There are some interesting exhibits and good use has been made of audio units to enliven and enhance the visitor experience. There are some artifacts and uniforms on display and the stories of great crimes committed in the square mile are told. This is the only police museum in London. The much larger Metropolitan Police force does not have a museum. I enjoyed my visit here and it is well worth going if you can, although it is not very big. There are no staff other than security, and there is no museum shop.