Scratch the surface, and you’ll find there are dozens of unusual and quirky things to do in London. We’ve got a whole bunch of out-there ideas to help you sidestep the tourist traps and experience London at its wackiest, from strolling underneath the Thames, to sleepovers with dinosaurs, a Moomin mecca, and dining in the dark. Including…
- Natural History Museum
- Horniman
- Postal Museum
- Dennis Severs’ House
- And more!
Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
Sure, you’ve heard of the Natural History Museum. But did you know you could stay over in its cavernous Hintze Hall? We can’t promise you sweet dreams as you doze off in the shadow of a suspended blue whale skeleton, but you’re certainly guaranteed a unique and unforgettable experience. There’s a sleepover for kids, with a dino t-shirt workshop and a chance to search the museum for prehistoric beasts by flashlight, and a separate one for adults that includes a pub quiz, an all-night monster movie marathon, and more.
Horniman
London’s smaller, quirkier museums are often its most interesting. Surrounded by beautiful ornamental gardens and woodland, the Horniman in south London specializes in anthropology and natural history with a collection of over 350,000 objects. Don’t miss the eye-popping permanent exhibition of taxidermied animals. It’s here you’ll meet the famously overstuffed walrus that is the museum’s emblem. He’s been around as long as the museum itself – since 1901.
Postal Museum
Postal Museum
Take a ride on Mail Rail at the Postal Museum in Farringdon. This quirky little place is great for kids, with an interactive exhibition and fun playroom. But the undisputed highlight here is a ride into the original underground tunnels on the same miniature train used to transport mail 100 years ago.
Dennis Severs’ House
To step into Dennis Severs’ House in Spitalfields is to enter a bygone era. But nothing here is quite as it seems. Severs lived in this Georgian townhouse from 1979 until his death in 1999, during which time he painstakingly transformed the interior to represent the imagined 18th-century lives of a fictional Huguenot family. It is, in effect, a highly authentic theatre set, alive with grand period décor and furnishings, and particularly evocative in December when rooms are decked out with festive candles, trees, and decorations.
Postman’s Park
Postman’s Park
Postman’s Park is an oasis of calm amid the bustling streets of the City. At its heart is a late-Victorian era monument to everyday heroes who died saving the lives of others. Set against a red-brick wall, beautiful ceramic tiles of the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice commemorate the lives lost, vividly (sometimes even graphically) detailing their courageous deaths. It’s a lovely spot for quiet reflection.
Crystal Palace Park
Venture south to Crystal Palace Park, a Victorian pleasure garden that retains many of its original features. Dinosaur sculptures that date back to the 1850s bask in and around the lake. Though not considered entirely anatomically accurate by modern standards, what they lack in realism they more than make up for in charm. Look out for the megalosaurus and iguanadons in particular. The park also contains six huge sphinxes that flank the staircases along the Italian terraces, as well as a fun maze and a number of interesting statues, many of which are headless (some are even said to be cursed)!
Greenwich
Greenwich
There are many attractions to tempt visitors to Greenwich, not least the Cutty Sark and Maritime Museum, but no trip to the home of time would be complete without a stroll through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. A feat of turn-of-the-century engineering, the tunnel spans the Thames at a depth of 15 metres, emerging on the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs, from where you’ll be rewarded with splendid views back across the river to the Royal Observatory.
James Smith & Sons
Looking for a quirky souvenir of your trip to London? Then look no further than Bloomsbury’s James Smith & Sons, the candy store of the umbrella world, where well-to-do gentlemen (and ladies) have been furnishing themselves with high-quality handmade umbrellas, parasols, walking sticks, and more for over 150 years
Treadwell’s
Treadwell’s
Just over the road, and a stone’s throw from the British Museum, Treadwell's is a quirky esoteric bookstore specializing in witchcraft, tarot, spiritualism, and the occult. Wander downstairs to see the amazing fireplace that once belonged to occultist and celebrated tarot illustrator Pamela Colman Smith, and now forms something of a shrine to her memory.
Moomin Shop
Lighten the mood with a pilgrimage to The Moomin Shop in Covent Garden Market. Wall-to-wall Moomin memorabilia is what it’s all about here, with author Tove Jansson’s lovable trolls available to buy in almost every format you can think of: Moomin books, Moomin mugs, Moomin socks, Moomin purses, Moomin cuddly toys, and, yes, even Moomin tea.
Dans le Noir
Dans le Noir
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, it’s time for dinner – with a difference. Farringdon’s Dans le Noir is a sensory dining experience like no other, where visually impaired waiters serve up surprise courses in pitch darkness. Simply choose the meat, fish, or vegetarian menu and let the waiters – and your taste buds – do the rest. You might be surprised by how tricky it is to identify food you can’t see. Those who suffer from nyctophobia need not apply.
WC
London’s knack for reinventing its public spaces also now extends to public conveniences. Officially, the initials of the WC bar in Clapham stand for the wine and charcuterie served inside, but this hip hangout was, in fact, also a lavatory in a former life. Don’t let that put you off, though: this century-old subterranean space is beautifully restored and very atmospheric, with exposed brick, reclaimed pipework, and still-gleaming original tiles. Grab a booth and dive into delicious sharing boards, tasty tapas, and ace cocktails that include, naturally, a WC Fields Martini. The sister bar over in Bloomsbury is an equally charming place to spend your pennies.
And those were our picks of the best quirky things to do in London! If you liked the above and want even more London goodness, why not discover yet more reasons to visit London in October and get the lowdown on cool things to do in Covent Garden?
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