Quirky London Museums

You'll be knocked out by the 2,000 objects related to anaesthesia at London's unusual Anaesthesia Museum! Whether you're an anaesthetist or just curious, the collection dating from 1774 to the present day provides an absorbing story and historical account of advancements in medicine and pain relief. Free entry

On the site of the Thames Tunnel, The Brunel Museum showcases the work of famous engineers Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Among the objects on display in are drawings, watercolours and engravings of the pioneering tunnelling project as well as artefacts from the Fancy Fairs that took place there.

One of London's most unique museums, the Fan Museum is home to the world's finest collection of fans, dating from the 11th century to the present day. Housed in a pair of restored 18th-century houses, this surprising museum also features a Japanese garden and spectacular orangery with a gorgeous mural and fascinating gift shop.

Anyone who loves comics like The Beano, The Dandy and Topper is sure to enjoy Bloomsbury's Cartoon Museum. Opened in 2006, this small museum is dedicated to preserving British cartoons, comics and animation from early Punch to current favourites like Giles and Steve Bell. The museums offers fun, interactive activities for kids too.

Enter a time capsule in Dennis Severs' House in East London. You'll wander silently through an 18th-century house, lit by fires and candlelight, and absorb the sounds, sights and smells of a recently abandoned family home. The house's 10 rooms create 10 different pictures thanks to artist Dennis Severs' incredible work.  

One of London's stranger museums, the Kirkaldy Testing Museum is a must for anyone with a love of machines and engineering. Free to enter, it houses David Kirkaldy's 350-ton "All Purpose Testing Machine", once used to test the strength of everything from bricks and concrete. Open on the first Sunday of each month.

Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum, a Grade II listed lodging house on Baker Street which has been furnished as the apartment of Conan Doyle's famous fictional detective and his friend Doctor Watson. The museum features waxworks, Victorian ephemera and a very popular gift shop selling Sherlock Holmes collectibles and novelty items.

There's more than a rabbit in a hat and never-ending coloured handkerchiefs at the Magic Circle Museum. See some of the magic world's most important memorabilia including the handcuffs used by Harry Houdini and props used by HRH Prince of Wales during his induction into the mysterious Magic Circle. By appointment only.

This is a real one off – the only remaining 19th-century operating theatre in England, which sits at the top of an old church. Inside, you can watch demonstrations of surgical techniques and volunteer to be "operated on". The smells emanating from the herb garret (originally used to store and cure medicinal herbs) just add to the atmosphere.

You won't believe some of the objects on show at the eccentric Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum in the heart of London's West End. Among the exhibits are a four-metre-wide model of Tower Bridge made of matchsticks; a Mini covered in diamonds; a two-headed calf; and an upside-down tea party. Fun for all the family!

Sir John Soane rose from humble beginnings to become an acclaimed architect, most famously designing the Bank of England. Sir John Soane's Museum, previously his house, which he donated to the nation, is home to more than 20,000 drawings, works by Turner and Canaletto and the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Seti I. Free Entry