In the heart of a lush London square, surrounded by impressive Georgian architecture, stands the 200-year-old Royal College of Surgeons building. Concealed behind its historic facade is one of Britain’s most eerie museums, the Hunterian Museum.
This museum showcases a diverse collection of anatomical specimens, both animal and human, guaranteed to intrigue, educate, and astonish visitors. It also pays tribute to medical pioneers through artworks and sculptures depicting the individuals who transformed modern surgery.
Numerous galleries within this free-to-enter attraction display towering shelves filled with jars containing captivating and extraordinary specimens. Most of these specimens are from the animal realm, offering a glimpse into dissected beings preserved for scientific exploration.
However, controversially, the museum also houses human remains, including foetuses, which may create a disconcerting experience for those with delicate sensibilities. A cautionary message on their website advises visitors about the emotional impact of viewing human remains and encourages them to consider their comfort level before visiting.
The museum prohibits photography of human remains and emphasizes the historical context of the specimens, acknowledging the contribution of individuals who, both in life and death, advanced medical knowledge.
One of the museum’s longstanding controversies revolved around the display of Charles Byrne’s skeleton, a man renowned for his exceptional height. Despite Byrne’s explicit wish for burial at sea to avoid body snatching, his skeleton was acquired by the museum and exhibited for over two centuries before being removed in 2023 following public outcry.
Other intriguing exhibits include teeth extracted from soldiers who fought at Waterloo, Winston Churchill’s former false teeth, and a macabre artifact from Britain’s first mummy dissection in 1763 – a preserved severed foot.
Among the museum’s eerie displays are the Evelyn Tables, ancient anatomical preparations that resemble modern art pieces on the wall. These wooden slabs, showcasing various parts of the human body like arteries and nerves, were dissected, assembled, and varnished for educational purposes, ensuring their preservation over time.
Perhaps the most chilling exhibits are the surgical tools from the pre-anesthesia era, highlighting the gruesome and bloody nature of surgeries at that time. Seeing 18th-century amputation kits and dental sets underscores the horrors patients endured before modern medical advancements.
The Hunterian Museum welcomes visitors from Tuesday to Saturday, between 10am and 5pm, with free entry. Booking a slot online is recommended to avoid crowds during peak hours.
