Hunterian Museum, Holborn, London

The Hunterian is fascinating, awe-inspiring and truly gruesome. Spread over two floors are medical curiosities, stories about early surgical procedures and countless specimens of animal, bird and fish. Babies, foetuses and human body parts are also categorised and shown in healthy and unhealthy states. The museum is arranged so that even those unfamiliar with surgery – like me! - are able to engage and it is absolutely captivating. Some of the portraits at the bottom of the ground floor describe the lives of “freaks” and along with the “Irish Giant” who’s 8ft body, on display, was snatched by Hunter against his dying wish cause you to pause for thought, but despite it being a little hard to stomach at times, it really makes your heart race and your mind whirr!

The Hunterian Museum is an absolutely brilliant collection of 1000s of specimans - ranging from whole animal fetuses to organs with tumors, insects, birds, dissected brains, etcetc. It fascinating for both the scientist and the layman. There are examples of what a hernia looks like, cancer, genetic mutations, heart disease, tuberculosis - you name it. Arranged as a sort-of tribute to medical history (there are exhibits about plastic surgery in the 1800s and surgical instruments from the past), most of the specimans were collected over 100-200 years ago, making the collection even more remarkable. It’s a brilliant place for kids, adults, tourists and locals. I can’t believe I’d never been before now! Set out over two floors and with thousands of jars, bones, skeletons and signs to look at, the Hunterian Museum provides both an educational and entertaining afternoon.

Wandering round the vast public space that is Lincoln’s Inn fields, you would not suspect that this place exists. John Hunter was one of those mad guys who just decide off their own bats to change the way things are done, and basically created modern medicine and biology with his comprehensive dissections and compulsive collecting.
This collection has to be seen to be believed, and should appeal to all the goth kids out there. There are dead people, dead babies, brains, skulls, heads, jaws, teeth eyes, every animal you’ve ever heard of cut into pieces, baby animals, foetuses, all pleasantly pickled in lethal solutions that would probably kill you if you so much as sniffed them.
I don’t think this is going to appeal to everyone, but if you’ve ever wondered through a freak show at a waxworks, or you like gruesome horror movies, or you’re thinking of becoming a serial killer, and you don’t quite know what to expect, then this is for you.

Absolutely not for the faint hearted, this museum is part of the Royal College of Surgeons and reveals a grisly past of body-snatching and slicing. Initially I found the collection of dissected creatures fascinating. But when I saw the series of reptiles killed as they were hatching from their eggs, showing each stage with a dead baby reptile, I got a bit upset. The skeleton of a man with gigantism accompanied by the story of how his body was taken for exhibit against his dying wishes was a bit much. Then I saw something so horrific and upsetting that I started shaking and had to sit in the recovery position in shock for some time.
People who liked Bodyworks might be able to cope. However, there are dead babies and bits of children in here, so it can be very distressing. Admission is free and there are talks and tours too.