Medicine, biotech and science

Life Sciences in London - the big picture!

Ten places where medicine, biology and science become surprisingly accessible.

By Dave Hart

Vice President of Onyx

3 min read

London Skyline from Waterloo Bridge, London, UK - Diliff (opens in a new tab)

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London is one of the world’s great centres of medicine and life sciences. London Life Sciences Week 2026 is keen to prove that’s the case today although the city’s contribution to science and medical discovery stretches back centuries. Here are ten places where medicine, biology and science become surprisingly accessible.

1. The Science Museum, South Kensington

Start here. Its enormous Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries trace 3,000 years of medical history, from early treatments to modern surgery and genetics. And because the museum’s permanent galleries are free, you can drop in for an hour or spend the entire day.

2. Wellcome Collection, Euston

This is less conventional - and all the better for it. The free museum explores health and medicine through objects, art, books and personal stories. Its collections range from ancient medical objects to material relating to the human genome. It is particularly good at showing that medicine isn’t simply about science; it is also about how societies understand illness and the human body.

The Wellcome Building at 183 Euston Road, home of Wellcome Collection. — The Wellcome Building, 183 Euston Road - home of Wellcome Collection.

3. The Hunterian Museum, Lincoln’s Inn Fields

For anyone interested in surgery, this is difficult to beat. Named after the 18th-century surgeon and anatomist John Hunter, the museum contains an extraordinary collection illustrating the development of surgery and anatomy. Entry is free, although booking is recommended.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England building on the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields. — The Royal College of Surgeons of England on Lincoln's Inn Fields; The View is its top-floor events space.

4. The Old Operating Theatre, Southwark

Climb the stairs inside St Thomas’s Church and you find one of Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatres. Before anaesthesia and modern antisepsis, surgery was a very different business. It is a small museum, but an unforgettable glimpse into the history of medicine.

5. The Francis Crick Institute, King’s Cross

This is where you move firmly from medical history into the science of tomorrow. The Crick is one of Europe’s largest biomedical research centres, bringing together scientists investigating cancer, infection, immunity and many other areas of biology. It occasionally holds public exhibitions, talks and open events - worth checking before your visit.

The Francis Crick Institute facade on Midland Road, King's Cross. — The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, King's Cross.

6. The Royal Institution, Mayfair

Michael Faraday once demonstrated electricity here, and the famous Christmas Lectures have been introducing science to the public for nearly two centuries. Today there are public lectures and events covering everything from genetics and neuroscience to climate and technology.

Improvements in healthcare aren’t always made in laboratories.

7. The Florence Nightingale Museum

Inside St Thomas’ Hospital, this small museum tells the story of the woman who transformed nursing during the Crimean War. It is a reminder that improvements in healthcare aren’t always made in laboratories; sometimes they begin with organisation, observation and a determination to change the way patients are treated.

8. The Anaesthesia Heritage Centre, Portland Place

A wonderfully specialist little museum containing more than 4,500 objects charting the development of anaesthesia, pain relief and resuscitation. For anyone working in medicine, it is fascinating; for everyone else, it offers an extraordinary insight into how quickly surgery changed once patients could be kept unconscious and pain-free.

9. Barts Pathology Museum

If your interest runs towards the more unusual side of medicine, Barts is worth seeking out. Its historic collection contains thousands of pathological specimens illustrating diseases and medical conditions. Public access is limited, so check for open days and events before making the journey.

10. Follow the medical history of London on foot

This option costs nothing with the bonus of getting your steps up for the day! Walk from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, founded in 1123, through Smithfield towards St Paul’s, or explore the medical institutions around Bloomsbury and King’s Cross. London has been a centre of medical education for centuries, and the names of hospitals, colleges and researchers are woven into the streets.