The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
About This Museum
Tucked away in the attic of an old church, this is perhaps the only place where you'll find a collection of sinister-looking surgical saws sharing a roof with bunches of drying lavender. You climb a narrow, winding staircase to enter a peculiar wooden amphitheater, where 19th-century medical students once gathered to watch operations. The air is thick with the scent of history and dried herbs, a reminder that this space was originally a herb garret for St Thomas's Hospital. It’s a wonderfully strange and intimate glimpse into the world of pre-anesthetic medicine.
Collection Highlights
The star exhibit is the restored operating table itself, surrounded by the original stands. You'll also find terrifyingly elegant amputation kits, glass leech jars, and fascinating displays of medicinal herbs used by the apothecaries.
Visitor Information
Be prepared for a steep climb up a 52-step spiral staircase—it's not suitable for everyone. It's a small museum, so you don't need more than an hour, but it packs a powerful punch.
Architecture & Building
Housed in the timber-beamed garret of the early 18th-century church of St Thomas, which now forms part of the larger priory building.
Contact & Location
Address: Old Operating Theatre Museum, 9a, St. Thomas Street, Borough Market, The Borough, London Borough of Southwark, London, Greater London, England, SE1 9RY, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7188 2679
Website: Visit Website
