Skip to content
Huddlepin
Free entry

Hunterian Museum

LondonAges 5+
Courtesy of Hunterian Museum

BEST FOR

Ages 5+

ENTRY

Free

WHERE

London

What it’s like

Free anatomy museum with real specimens from John Hunter's collection, better suited to older kids than toddlers.

This one is jars and bones rather than buttons to press. The Hunterian holds John Hunter's collection of anatomical specimens, and the displays are the real thing, not replicas, which is fascinating for a curious ten-year-old and probably too much for a squeamish one. There are human remains on show, and the museum asks that you don't post close-up photos of them, which tells you the sort of place this is before you even walk in.

Free entry helps a lot for a London museum, though they'd rather you pre-booked to skip the queue, and that booking window opens about two months out. During school holidays there are family activities pitched at a wider range of ages than the permanent displays alone, and a free digital guide covers the highlights plus a British Sign Language tour if that's useful for your family. If you can time it for a Wednesday, there's a Curator Highlights Tour at 2:15pm, thirty minutes long, no booking needed, but only twelve spots going and you have to grab a ticket from reception when you arrive, so get there early if you want one.

Saturday afternoons are the busiest slot, so a morning visit is the calmer option if you've got a choice. It's step-free throughout with ramps and a lift, there's an accessible toilet and baby change on the ground floor, and a wheelchair is available first-come-first-served if you need one on the day. Assistance dogs are welcome but other animals aren't.

There's no parking on site, so you're looking at metered bays nearby or the NCP at Bloomsbury Square, and Blue Badge holders get bays close by on Lincoln's Inn Fields and Portugal Street. Given the age guidance starts at five and the subject matter is genuinely anatomical, this suits a school-age child with a bit of curiosity about how bodies work rather than a toddler in a buggy looking for something to touch.

What’s on here

Facilities

Accessible toilet
Baby change
Blue badge parking
Dog friendly
Step-free access
Toilets
Wheelchair accessible

Need to know

Best for
Age 5 and up, especially kids curious about how bodies work
Last entry
4pm
Booking
Pre-booking recommended to avoid queues, opens approximately two months prior
Parking
No on-site parking. Metered public parking in surrounding area
Wheelchairs
Wheelchair-accessible building
Dogs
Assistance dogs welcome. Other animals not permitted
  • Human remains are on display; the museum asks visitors not to post close-up photos of them
  • Saturday afternoons get busiest, mornings are calmer
  • There's no coach parking at Lincoln's Inn Field if you're planning a group trip
  • The nearest Changing Places toilet isn't on site, it's at Great Ormond Hospital or the Wellcome Collection

Plan your visit

How much does it cost?

Nothing, it's free to everyone.

Do we need to book?

Not strictly, but pre-booking is recommended so you avoid queuing at busy times. The booking window opens about two months before your visit.

What age is it suitable for?

Five and up is the guidance, and given the anatomical specimens on display that feels about right.

Is there parking?

No on-site parking. There's metered parking nearby and an NCP at Bloomsbury Square, plus Blue Badge bays on Lincoln's Inn Fields and Portugal Street.

Is it accessible for wheelchairs and buggies?

Step-free access throughout with ramps and a lift, and a wheelchair is available on a first-come-first-served basis if you need one.

What time should we arrive?

Last entry is 4pm, and it's open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays and bank holidays.

What's the Curator Highlights Tour?

A free 30-minute tour every Wednesday at 2:15pm. No booking, but only twelve places are given out at reception on the day, first come first served.

Can we bring the dog?

Assistance dogs only, other animals aren't allowed in.

Featured in 3 Huddlepin lists

68HUDDLEPIN LISTFree days outBrilliant days out that don't cost a penny to get in.68HUDDLEPIN LISTMuseums & heritageCastles, caves, windmills and museums that don't feel like homework.162HUDDLEPIN LISTRainy-day savioursIndoors, warm and dry, for the days the weather lets you down.

See all Museums in London · Things to do in London

MAKE A DAY OF IT

While you’re there

Peacock Theatre

Peacock Theatre

0.1 mi

A person's hand holding a paintbrush while painting still-life artwork on canvas featuring fruit and flowers.

Sunny Art Centre

0.2 mi

Symmetrical Art Deco interior with golden walls, ornate stained-glass doors, black pillars, and wall-mounted lighting fixtures.

Freemasons Hall, London

0.2 mi