Open House Festival

King's College London: Museum of Life Sciences

museum

Unknown, 1826

Hodgkin Building, Guy' Campus, King's College London, SE1 1UL

Constructed in 1902 as the Will's Library, part of Guy's Hospital Medical School. Building of red brick with additional stonework and partially covered in creeper. Internally are carved oak cabinets and ornate columns.

Getting there

Tube

London Bridge

Train

London Bridge

Bus

21, 35, 133, 343

Additional travel info

Turn South out of London Bridge stations to St Thomas' Street. Cross to Great Maze Pond and enter King's College campus opposite entrance to Guy's Hospital, the Museum of Life Sciences is diagonally opposite this entrance and will be sign posted.

Access

About

History

This rarely open 'small gem in the heart of London' was created in 2009 in part of the Will's Library of Guy's Hospital Medical School built in 1826. It was partitioned off in 2007 but retains the original oak book cases with carved ends and carved oak pillars supporting the roof.

The specimens in the Museum date from 1806 to the present and come from around the world. They were collected for research and teaching and are still used for those purposes. They represent much of the present college's scientific heritage and include specimens of scientific and historical importance.

Contents

The Museum consists of a number of collections including Botanical, Pharmaceutical, Zoological. Specimens include whole organisms, dried specimens, fluid preserved material, skeletal material, taxidermy, microscope slides, herbarium specimens and artefacts. These are used for teaching inhouse, in workshops for schools and other groups of young people as well as in outreach to the wider public through Open Days for the wider public.

Many people past and present have been important in the Museum; in its inception, development and current state and use. In order for the maximum number of people to learn about the history and ongoing work of the Museum, there will be exhibitions highlighting the work and contributions of those past and present who have been important in the development of the current Museum.

There will also be the opportunity to meet and talk to some of those who are currently involved in the work of the Museum.

Online presence

www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/centre-for-education/museums/museum-of-life-sciences

www.facebook.com/Museum-of-Life-Sciences

Nearby

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